Aug 15, 2008 1:15 am US/Eastern
'Mike And The Mad Dog' Part Ways
WFAN Announces Chris Russo Has Left Popular Radio Show; Mike Francesa To Stay On Solo
Duo Responsible For Nationwide Explosion Of Sports Talk Radio
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The "Mike and the Mad Dog" radio show is no more.
After 19 years of lighting up tri-state area airwaves and defining nationally what sports talk radio is, the highly successful show came to an end Thursday night when WFAN operations manager Mark Chernoff announced to the media that Chris "Mad Dog" Russo had left the station.
Mike Francesa was signed to a new multi-year contract and will host a solo show during the highly competitive afternoon drive slot from Monday through Friday, the station said
The break-up was formally announced Thursday evening as Francesa signed off. Francesa is expected to address the issue on Friday during his show. Russo is on vacation.
Rumors have swirled in recent months that the working relationship between the co-hosts had soured. Some have speculated that Russo, 48, will soon accept a highly lucrative position with Sirius Satellite Radio.
Russo and Francesa last worked on air together on Aug. 5 from New York Giants training camp in Albany. There are no plans for a final show.
"Mike and Chris pioneered the genre more than 18 years ago and have shaped the sports talk format into what it is today," Chernoff said in a statement. "We wish Chris nothing but the best and look forward to all that Mike will do in a role in which he has excelled at for years."
"Mike and the Mad Dog" started broadcasting in September 1989 on WFAN, which is broadcast on Clear Channel and owned by CBS Radio. According to winter 2008 data from Arbitron, the show had more than 659,000 cumulative listeners over the course of a week. Their show had been simulcast on the YES Network and WQYK in Tampa, Fla.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
