You never knew what you had till it’s gone. For Evan Roberts, a return to middays on WFAN has been a welcome homecoming. From 2007 till 2020, Roberts called the daypart on the New York City sports talk radio station home. Joined by former WFAN talent Joe Benigno, the duo crafted a style that built a connection that resonated for years following Benigno’s retirement in 2020.
Since then, Roberts has spent the past five years in afternoons, first pairing with Craig Carton and now with former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber. This January, Roberts returned to the midday time slot alongside Barber as WFAN shuffled its lineup again following Carton’s second return to the station.
“I forgot how awesome middays were,” says Roberts. “When I moved to afternoons, from a lifestyle perspective it was a major change. Honestly, I never loved the daypart.”
Roberts admits he is constantly thinking about content for his program. However, the approach differs in afternoons compared to his current role in middays. Instead of spending the entire morning preparing for a show that began at 2pm, the 10am start time provides more flexibility in both content preparation and personal life.
It’s also a different content approach, as audiences are still gathering to begin their day in the city that never sleeps. The show balances reaction with advancing storylines for a rabid New York sports audience. Now, four months into his return, Roberts notes a renewed sense of connection with devoted WFAN listeners.
“I got a lot of welcome back messages,” said Roberts. “There are still a lot of people that are in the car at a certain time. It’s like I’m going back to an audience I haven’t talked to in a while. Most don’t change their listening habits. It’s been a lot of ‘where you been.’”
Navigating WFAN Change
Roberts’ return to middays came at the conclusion of a station lineup shuffle this past January. WFAN decided to move on from Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata after just under three years in the timeslot. Station management allowed both Tierney and Licata to finish out their program, which is a rare occurrence in today’s media landscape.
Even though Tierney and Licata’s departure was handled professionally, Roberts says the audience reaction remained consistent. He notes there was little negative pushback to his return, adding that listeners understood the nature of the decision.
“Management was very open about [Carton’s potential return]. It wasn’t much of a surprise that Carton was coming back,” said Roberts. “It’s not my decision, it’s management’s decision. Luckily, I trust the people I work for. They know what is best. No matter what they decided, I always thought that I’d be cool.”
Roberts also noted he was never overly concerned, given that station management was upfront about the options being considered for Carton’s return. During that time, Roberts says he and Carton stayed in touch, though neither had a clear understanding of what would ultimately happen.
“We spoke, but it wasn’t as if everybody knew it was a secret however many months ago. It was just, ‘yeah, it’s possible,’” said Roberts. “He told me it was on the table. That’s basically what was expressed during that time. Nothing came as a surprise, but also nothing was one hundred percent definitely going to happen. In this business, anything can happen at the last second.”
A Position Of Strength
Since July of 2023, Roberts and Barber have provided WFAN listeners with a balance of the fan perspective and that of a former athlete. It’s a mix Roberts believes plays a significant role in the show’s success. He credits Barber’s unique ability to anticipate what fans want to know and pivot topics accordingly.
“Joe [Beningo] is great, so is Craig [Carton]. They’re both great in their own unique ways. But Tiki is a guy that played at the highest level,” said Roberts. “He’s really on top of it, and not just football. It’s a perspective that guys just don’t have. I find myself every day asking him for that perspective, which not many do, and he’s so amazing with explaining it.”
Those differing perspectives lead Roberts to believe the current WFAN lineup is not only strong, but possibly as strong as it has ever been.
“Much respect to Boomer [Esiason] and Gio [Gregg Giannotti], who have been together for awhile. Boomer has spent more time with WFAN than Don Imus. Then, Craig [Carton] overall has been around for a while through multiple phases,” explained Roberts. “I’m the same way being here since 2007. As many changes there’s been, there’s been stability of the three of us being in different dayparts for a very long time… Those pillars with some new have made the lineup pretty strong if you ask me.”
That consistency holds value, and WFAN’s success continues to rely on it as the station moves further into the digital era. However, with a brand as prominent as WFAN, change often brings detractors who resist it—even some who once called the station home.
Earlier this year, Roberts’ former teammate Joe Beningo made headlines after criticizing the station, saying it will “never be what it once was.” To his credit, Roberts defends his former partner, suggesting the comments were not aimed at the current product but rather reflected nostalgia for a past era.
“I didn’t take his [Beningo] comments as ‘this sucks.’ He’s like everyone else. You long for what you grew up with,” explained Roberts. “Everyone has their perspective, and I talked to him about it. I don’t think he was critical… Keep in mind [Mike] Francesa never talks about the radio station. He’s like the President who leaves office, and I respect that. Anytime you have a former host say anything, it could be perceived as critical.”
A Look To The Future
Roberts says he’s extremely happy to have another opportunity in a timeslot whose benefits he had forgotten. He still arrives at the station by 7am to beat the daily commute, while enjoying evenings with family and watching games. In addition, Roberts continues to expand his content portfolio by hosting the popular New York Mets podcast Rico Brogna.
While WFAN has undergone significant change during Roberts’ tenure, change remains constant. This year, Esiason passed Don Imus as the longest-tenured morning show host in station history. In recent years, Esiason has also scaled back his work with CBS Sports and Westwood One to focus solely on WFAN’s morning show.
Now, at 65 years old, Esiason told Barrett Media he hopes to host mornings until “at least 68 years old.” That naturally raises the question: when that time arrives, would Roberts have interest in moving to mornings?
“I probably shouldn’t say this, because you have to leave all your options open. I trust my bosses. They pay me money, and if they say they want me here, I will listen to them as I’ve done before,” explained Roberts. “There is nothing less appealing to me, personally, than working at 6am… There are plenty of great options once Boomer [Esiason] decides to retire. I certainly hope not to be one of them.”
As unappealing as morning drive may be to him, remaining a guiding voice for the New York sports fan is the dream Evan Roberts continues to live.
For Roberts, middays aren’t just a schedule shift. They’re a reset, a reconnection, and, most importantly, a reaffirmation that authenticity still cuts through. The calls, the habits, the familiar rhythms—they didn’t disappear. They were simply waiting for him to return.
Because you never knew what you had till it’s gone.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
