Take it as a sign your career is going pretty well when you can quietly announce your “retirement” from anything at 39 years old.
After 16 years as the Saturday morning host on WFAN, Evan Roberts has decided to retire from the show. Obviously, Roberts’ weekend gig was secondary to co-hosting afternoons alongside Craig Carton, but the Saturday morning show has long been a cherished timeslot on WFAN.
Roberts alluded to the decision Wednesday afternoon on WFAN when he told Carton, “I very quietly retired from doing Saturday.”
Prior to Roberts’ 16-year run on the weekend schedule, Radio Hall of Famer Chris “Mad Dog” Russo was WFAN’s Saturday show host for nearly two decades. But last weekend, Roberts signed off his Saturday show for the last time, announcing his former weekday partner, Joe Benigno would take over the timeslot.
“I can’t believe it had been 16 years,” Roberts said. “I did my first Saturday show 16 years ago, when I would basically work when Chris Russo didn’t want to work, that’s essentially how my run on Saturdays started. And 16 years have gone by and it finally hit me recently, I can’t do it anymore. I gotta spend time with my kids. So, this will be the last one I do.”
In addition to hosting six days a week on WFAN, Roberts launched Rico Brogna, a New York Mets podcast, last year. Amid recording a few Rico Brogna podcasts each week, something had to give for Roberts, and it was his Saturday show.
“A few weeks ago, my oldest son asked me, he said ‘can you stop working Saturday?’” Apparently, Roberts obliged.
Last year, WFAN brought Benigno back in a part-time role and reunited him with Roberts on Saturdays. The hosts previously spent nearly 14 years together on WFAN, establishing themselves as the most successful midday duo in station history, until Benigno retired and Roberts was paired with Carton in 2020.
“Joe will have this show from now on,” Roberts said referring to his co-host Joe Benigno. “And if it’s alright with you, if there’s ever a big moment or a crazy Friday night, I’d love to come back and do more shows with you, but on a consistent basis, unfortunately, that run is over.”
Evan Roberts’ Saturday run is over, but the show remains a cherished timeslot as it gets passed onto another WFAN stalwart in Joe Benigno.
[Newsday]
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com