Mike Francesa says he might have to choose his app on his FAN show

ATLANTA – Mike Francesa opened the door Monday for a possible departure from WFAN to focus solely on its application, saying that the dual role "has become too complicated."

After first discussing the issue on air, the afternoon presenter clarified his position at Newsday after his broadcast, stating, "As I told him at my return, I used it to use my WFAN base to promote my new app. In negotiations and applications, it has become too complicated. That's one of the reasons we still do not have any [contract] treat.

"I came back to restore FAN's weakened ratings and earnings. What I did in the best way. But it's embarrassing and there are conflicts. If I leave one, it will be the FAN. But I want it to be known, I like the Entercom people a lot. I will not hurt them, any more than the FAN.

"If I leave, it will be exclusively for the application. I will not compete locally against WFAN. I have to find what is right for everyone involved, especially the public. "

Earlier in the day, Francesa abruptly broached the subject in a monologue that focused on Madison Square Garden's decision to ban staff from Entercom, WFAN's parent company, after Maggie Gray's critics August addressed to the executive chairman of Garden. James Dolan.

He also acknowledged that his return to the WFAN on May 1, after a break of four months, was more embarrassing and uncomfortable than he expected.

"I'm telling you, the last 14 or 15 months have been ugly for WFAN, and I really feel bad about that, really," Francesa said live. "It has nothing to do with me, and if it does, I come back, if it was part of it, it's probably inside, it's because I think I have upset the schedule, upset the basket of apples.

"Maybe it was not a good idea, maybe it was not good, I knew it was going to be uncomfortable, maybe it was more uncomfortable than I thought. It probably was, it was successful, we did what we had to do, and I think that from a business point of view they are happy.

"But it's not the most comfortable thing. And we're not even in agreement yet, which makes me think that the application and the series do not work together and that we will have to adapt, one way or another.

"We're going to have to wait and see, because we still do not agree, so maybe the app and the show can not work together. is possible, and if it does, we will adapt. "

Francesa launched its app priced at $ 8.99 a month at the end of August.

Later in the afternoon, Francesa said on the air: "The application is doing extremely well and is very profitable in its first year." He added that Entercom was in the process of negotiating the purchase of part of the application, which currently belongs to Francesa and CAA, the agency that represents him.

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, then returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska. He specializes in high schools, college basketball, the NFL, and more recently, media and sports companies.