Michael Kay on Mike Francesa, his James Dolan interview and navigating two mega sports media jobs in NYC.

Episode 45 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Michael Kay, the television voice of  the New York Yankees for the YES Network and the host of The Michael Kay Show, which airs 3:00 to 7:00 PM ET on ESPN’s New York City radio affiliate. Kay’s interview is followed by a sports media roundtable with Mike McCarthy, a sports media reporter for The Sporting News and Hannah Withiam, an associate editor for The Athletic.

In this podcast, Kay discusses his recent interview with New York Knicks owner James Dolan; how he assessed it from his end; what Dolan said prior and after the interview; his radio competition with WFAN’s Mike Francesa; his professional issues with Francesa; why he feels his show is better; what he will do if he beats Francesa in the ratings; what Kay has learned about being a drive-time host in the nation’s biggest media market; navigating working for the Yankees with hosting a sports-talk show that discusses the Yankees; how far a broadcaster in his position can go in terms of being critical about a player or owner; what it’s like to be the subject of stories the way an athlete is; how sports-talk hosts have become the new sports columnists; his viral video about the attacks on the press amid the New York Daily News massive layoffs last summer; his current relationship with Rudy Guiliani; whether he will leave one of his jobs at the conclusion of the five-year deal he signed last year with ESPN; how he views the construction of the Yankees 2019 roster and more. 

McCarthy and Withiam discuss Fox’s new college football Saturday morning show featuring former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer; the show’s longterm prospects for success and inevitable comparisons to College GameDay; a look at the Monday Night Football booth following Jason Witten’s departure; Withiam’s interview with Kay for The Athletic; the dual role of Jessica Mendoza, Alex Rodriguez, David Ross and others who work for both broadcast outlets and professional teams; thoughts on CBS/Turner’s coverage of the NCAA Tournament and more.  

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