HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Boomer and Gio'' (previously ''Boomer and Carton'' from 2007–2017 and ''The Morning Show with Boomer'' in 2017) is a morning drive
sports radio Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on ...
program on WFAN-AM and
WFAN-FM WFAN-FM (101.9 FM), is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. Owned by Audacy, Inc. the station simulcasts a sports radio format known as "Sports Radio 66 AM and 101.9 FM", or "The FAN", along with co-owned WFAN 660 AM. ...
in New York City. It is hosted by former
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
player Boomer Esiason and radio personality Gregg Giannotti. The show originated in 2007 as a replacement for
Don Imus John Donald Imus Jr. (July 23, 1940 – December 27, 2019), also known mononymously as Imus, was an American radio personality, television show host, recording artist, and author. His radio show, '' Imus in the Morning'', was aired on various sta ...
's morning program after he was fired by
CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broad ...
. It debuted on September 4, 2007, with Esiason and radio veteran
Craig Carton Craig Harris Carton (born January 31, 1969) is an American radio and television personality. He is the co-host of the ''Carton and Roberts'' sports radio program on WFAN (AM) in New York City, and is seen nationally on Fox Sports 1 as host of '' ...
(formerly of ''
The Jersey Guys WKXW (101.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "New Jersey 101.5") is a commercial broadcasting, commercial FM broadcasting, FM radio station licensed to serve Trenton, New Jersey. It is owned by Townsquare Media. Its studios and offices are located in Ewing ...
'') as the original hosts. During its 10-year run, ''Boomer and Carton'' garnered strong ratings, placing first among men ages 25–54. In September 2017, Carton left the program after his arrest and subsequent charges for
securities A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any for ...
and
wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...
resulting from a ticket
Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
. The show was temporarily rebranded around Esiason while he served as the sole host. Giannotti took over as co-host in January 2018, and the program was renamed ''Boomer and Gio''. The show was simulcast on
MSG Network The MSG Network (MSG) is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by MSG Entertainment, Inc.—a spin-off of the main Madison Square Garden Company operation (itself a spin-off of local cable prov ...
from September 14, 2010 through September 13, 2013, and began airing on
CBS Sports Network CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known ...
on January 6, 2014.


History

In the wake of shock jock
Don Imus John Donald Imus Jr. (July 23, 1940 – December 27, 2019), also known mononymously as Imus, was an American radio personality, television show host, recording artist, and author. His radio show, '' Imus in the Morning'', was aired on various sta ...
's controversial comments in early 2007,
CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broad ...
fired the long-time radio personality. From then on, various hosts filled the 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. time slot left by the Imus firing. Charles McCord and Chris Carlin remained on all the replacement shows as assistance and staff, in similar roles as they had on Imus's show, and the replacement shows continued to be syndicated via Westwood One. Mike Francesa and Chris Russo were the first to fill the spot, hosting for the two weeks (April 16–27) immediately after Imus's firing. Francesa and Russo also worked the shift separate from each other, as did fellow WFAN staffers Richard Neer, Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts, and Carlin, who worked both alone and with co-hosts, notably Kim Jones and ''Washington Post'' sports columnist
John Feinstein John Feinstein (born July 28, 1956) is an American sportswriter, author and sports commentator. Early life Feinstein was born to a Jewish family in New York City on July 28, 1956. His father was heavily involved in the arts having been the ...
. WFAN and Westwood One also brought in outside personalities for the slot; among them were Boomer Esiason, David Gregory, Patrick McEnroe,
Geraldo Rivera Geraldo Rivera (born Gerald Riviera; July 4, 1943) is an American journalist, attorney, author, political commentator, and former television host. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Geraldo'' from 1987 to 1998. He gained publicity with the liv ...
, Lou Dobbs, and Chicago sports radio host
Mike North Mike North (born c. 1952) is an American radio sports personality, formerly working for Clear Channel Communications as a cohost with Andy Furman on ''Fox Sports Daybreak'' Mon-Friday from 5am-8am CST on their Fox Sports Radio subsidiary, until th ...
. On September 4, 2007, Esiason took over as the permanent host of the WFAN morning show, with veteran radio personality
Craig Carton Craig Harris Carton (born January 31, 1969) is an American radio and television personality. He is the co-host of the ''Carton and Roberts'' sports radio program on WFAN (AM) in New York City, and is seen nationally on Fox Sports 1 as host of '' ...
serving as co-host. This began a 10-year run for the duo hosting the show, which was dubbed ''Boomer and Carton''. The new program was not distributed nationally by Westwood One. During the 2009 spring and summer ratings periods, the program finished in first place among men ages 25–54. A television simulcast debuted on
MSG Network The MSG Network (MSG) is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by MSG Entertainment, Inc.—a spin-off of the main Madison Square Garden Company operation (itself a spin-off of local cable prov ...
on September 14, 2010, giving the show more exposure in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York (state), New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upsta ...
. On December 2, 2013, CBS announced that it would present the show on
CBS Sports Network CBS Sports Network (a.k.a. CBSSN) is an American pay television network owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. When it launched in 2002 as the National College Sports Network (later College Sports Television also known ...
beginning in January 2014.


Carton's 2017 arrest and resignation from show

On September 6, 2017, Carton was arrested by federal agents at his home in New York City on criminal charges of
securities fraud Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a deceptive practice in the stock or commodities markets that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in lo ...
,
wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical or electronic mail system to defraud another, and are federal crimes there. Jurisdiction is claimed by the federal government if the illegal activity ...
, and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Carton and two associates are alleged to have run a
Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comin ...
that defrauded $5.6 million from investors by falsely claiming they had access to millions of dollars of concert tickets at face value through non-existent agreements with
concert promoter Tour promoters (also known as concert promoters or talent buyers) are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of engagement to a particular artist, ...
s. Carton allegedly used the funds from new investors to cover millions of dollars of gambling debts and to repay earlier investors. On September 13, 2017, Carton submitted a
resignation letter A letter of resignation is written to announce the author's intent to leave a position currently held, such as an office, employment or commission. Historical A formal letter with minimal expression of courtesy is then-President President m ...
to CBS Radio, ending his run on the program. Carton said he wished to give his former show "the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption." CBS announced it would look to hire a replacement host. Overnight before the September 14 program, WFAN rebranded the show under a new title, ''The Morning Show with Boomer'', and had its set designers remove any mention of Carton from the set. The show's
jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
s were re-recorded in the week prior to only refer to Esiason under the show's new title.


Gregg Giannotti named as Carton's replacement

After Carton's resignation, Jerry Recco filled in as co-host on most days. On November 15, 2017, WFAN announced Gregg Giannotti as the new permanent co-host. Giannotti is a former WFAN producer who later hosted morning radio programs for
KDKA-FM KDKA-FM (93.7 MHz, "93.7 The Fan") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. through licensee Audacy License, LLC and broadcasts a sports radio format Format may refer t ...
in Pittsburgh and, subsequently, the ''Gio and Jones'' morning show for
CBS Sports Radio CBS Sports Radio is a sports radio network that debuted with hourly sports news updates on September 4, 2012, and with 24/7 programming on January 2, 2013. CBS Sports Radio is owned by Paramount Global and distributed by Westwood One. Programm ...
. On January 2, 2018, ''Boomer and Gio'' officially began. In May 2021, WFAN extended the contracts for Esiason and Giannotti through 2023 as the program remained among the market leaders.


On-air


Carton's walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in a Speedo

On January 18, 2008, Carton honored a wager by walking across the
Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East Rive ...
holding a sign reading "Any Given Sunday" and wearing only a Speedo and
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...
Jeremy Shockey Jeremy Charles Shockey (born August 18, 1980) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. The winner of the fir ...
jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the ...
. After a week of berating the local team, Carton guaranteed the Giants would lose to the despised division rival
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
. The following Sunday the Giants upset the Cowboys, 21–17. After the stunt, Carton quipped, "It's an experience I will ''never'' do again". On January 8, 2010, Carton repeated the stunt this time in the colors of the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The ...
, following Carton's earlier claim that the Jets would not make the playoffs. This stunt meant a lot more for Carton as he is a long-time Jets fan.


Brett the Jet

On July 30, 2008, at 1 pm, Carton went to the NY Jets training camp at
Hofstra University Hofstra University is a private university in Hempstead, New York. It is Long Island's largest private university. Hofstra originated in 1935 as an extension of New York University (NYU) under the name Nassau College – Hofstra Memorial of New ...
in Uniondale, Long Island. Carton brought a megaphone and rallied a group of a few hundred Jets fans cheering "Let's Get Brett." The chant was a response to speculation that
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the t ...
QB
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 2010 ...
was looking to be traded upon coming out of a brief retirement. Carton had reasoned with the Jets organization over the air to put out a statement that the Jets were not pursuing Favre, if that was the case. If the Jets made this statement, he agreed to not show up at camp—but the Jets organization never came forward. Carton was chastised by the local media for this "stunt" and many local reporters felt the Jets stood no chance of getting Favre. On August 7, 2008, the Jets acquired Favre for a conditional fourth-round draft pick.


Controversies

On April 1, 2014, Boomer and Carton were discussing Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy taking
paternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" an ...
in order to be with his wife for the birth of his first child, and that Murphy would be unable to attend opening day. Boomer Esiason was critical of Murphy, saying his wife should have scheduled "a C-section before the season starts" because he "needs to be at Opening Day." After receiving criticism from groups like the
March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comb ...
and many of the program's listeners, Esiason later apologized to Murphy and his wife for "creating an intrusion into a very sacred and personal moment in their lives" and for making an "insensitive remark that I sincerely regret." Carton, consistent with his character, remained indifferent, referring to those who opposed them as "knuckleheads."


References


External links

* {{CBS Sports American sports radio programs 2007 radio programme debuts 2017 radio programme endings 2017 radio programme debuts 2018 radio programme debuts 2010 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings 2014 American television series debuts CBS Sports Network original programming MSG Network original programming American live television series Simulcasts