Craig Carton

Craig Carton
Carton (right) with his long-time radio partner Boomer Esiason (left) in 2016
Born	Craig Harris Carton (1969-01-31) January 31, 1969 (age 52) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Career
Show	Carton & Roberts
Station(s)	WFAN and WFAN-FM, New York City
Time slot	2:00-7:00 PM Eastern Time
Style	Sports radio
Previous show(s)	Boomer and Carton The Jersey Guys Sports Guys

Craig Harris Carton (born January 31, 1969) is an American radio personality best known as the co-host of the sports radio program on WFAN (AM) in New York City.

Carton was rehired by WFAN, where he currently hosts the highly rated afternoon drive program with Evan Roberts. Additionally, Carton hosts a podcast and public service show, "My Name is Craig," where he uses his life experience in attempts to help listeners work through their gambling addiction and other issues.

Early and personal life[]

Craig Harris Carton was born on January 31, 1969 in New Rochelle, New York. In March 2019, Carton revealed that he was the victim of a child sex predator while at a sleep away camp.^[1] He was diagnosed in his 30's with Tourette syndrome.^[2] He graduated from New Rochelle High School and the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a degree in broadcast journalism in 1991.^[3]

While in school, he performed play-by-play duties for a variety of Westchester County high school sporting events and was enrolled in a sports broadcasting class taught by legendary announcer Bob Wolfe. Craig also worked as a DJ at Bugsy's and Faegan's Pub on Marshall Street while a student in Syracuse.^[4]

On June 4, 2013, his first book, Loudmouth: Tales (and Fantasies) of Sports, Sex, and Salvation from Behind the Microphone, was released.^[5]

On June 6, 2013, Carton launched the Tic Toc Stop Foundation, aimed at wiping out Tourette syndrome as well as a camp for kids with Tourettes named Camp Carton. Fundraising included an annual Golf Tournament and a bowling event known as "Strike Out Tourettes".^[6]

Career[]

Carton began his broadcasting career in 1991 at WGR Radio in Buffalo, New York. He moved from Buffalo to WWWE in Cleveland, Ohio in 1992, and later to 610-WIP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in April 1993.^[7] He was a brash weekend host and nicknamed "The Kid." He filled in on WIP's Morning Show and was familiar with the Sports Talk/Guy Talk format. He was the first person to break the news story that the Philadelphia Eagles had been sold to Hollywood producer Jeffrey Lurie.^[8]

Carton left the East Coast for Denver, Colorado, working mostly at KKFN 950 AM, "The Fan". His morning show took off immediately despite his never getting along with the program director, Tim Spence. He was the highest-rated host in the station's history, which resulted in his being offered the morning slot on KBPI Radio. He quickly became the top-rated local morning show in Denver radio.^[9] Eventually he resigned and left Denver to care for his wife, Kim, who was pregnant with their first child, Mickey.

In late 2000, Carton became 's replacement on WNEW-FM's Sports Guys morning radio program in New York City. He was a host on the show for one year. He worked with Sid Rosenberg and Blain Ensley (and briefly with Eddie Ifft) and then just Ensley when Rosenberg left. Carton took the show in a new direction, adding stunts as an on-the-air cockfight and "Pastapalooza". Carton was also broadcasting live with Ensley on WNEW during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In July 2002, Carton, then became a "Jersey Guy" on New Jersey 101.5. The Jersey Guys were nominated for a Marconi Award as the top mid market talk show in America

He left WKXW in August 2007 for a morning opening at WFAN (AM) as Boomer Esiason's co-host. Carton and Esiason were hired as the permanent replacements for Imus in the Morning. The program, called Boomer and Carton, reached number one (men 25–54) in the Arbitron Ratings within a year, a ranking that Imus had not achieved since 1993.^[10] The show was simulcast on MSG Network from September 14, 2010 until September 11, 2013. Starting in January 2014, the show has been simulcast on the CBS Sports Network.^[11] Boomer and Carton became the most popular morning show in the Country as the Number 1 ranked show in NYC for the better part of a decade and was nominated for multiple Marconi Awards and the winners of several Cynopsis awards as the top Major Market Sports Talk Show in the Country.

In 2012, he was the host of Spike's MMA Uncensored Live.^{[citation needed]}

On March 8, 2013, Carton and Esiason were the radio announcer and color analyst, respectively, for an NBA game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards.^[12]

Arrest and conviction[]

On September 6, 2017, Carton was arrested by federal agents at his home in New York City on criminal charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit those offenses. Carton, Michael Wright, Dean Heiser, and Joseph Meli are alleged to have run a Ponzi scheme that defrauded $4.8 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 promoters. Although it was shown at trial and authenticated by the US Government that Carton had bought the tickets in question, he allegedly used some of the funds from a ticket investor to gamble with and only purchased the tickets in question at a later date, according to a parallel civil complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.^[13][14][15] Trial testimony further proved that Carton had no existing gambling debt at the time the alleged fraud was perpetrated. Testimony further confirmed Carton's stance that he had indeed purchased every ticket he claimed he had and the question became whether or not using his credit card to purchase the tickets five weeks after he had allegedly misappropriated the specific funds he received for ticket purchases constituted fraud. Carton's lawyers argued that money is/was fungible and as such the manner in which Carton paid for the tickets wasn't important provided he actually purchased them which trial testimony proved that he had. The jury disagreed with their position.

After receiving an indefinite suspension from WFAN, Carton resigned from the station on September 13, 2017, ending his ten-year stint as co-host of Boomer and Carton, leaving Esiason as the sole host. Carton said he made the decision to give his former show "the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption".^[16] On March 29, 2018, Carton returned to radio as host of Carton & Friends on FNTSY Sports Network. In May 2018, Sports Byline USA acquired rights to syndicate the program on terrestrial radio.^[17][18]

Carton was convicted November 7, 2018, in Manhattan federal court after a week long trial. Sentencing was scheduled for February 27, 2019,^[19][20] before being delayed until March 15.^[21] Ultimately, Carton was sentenced on April 5 to three and a half years in prison and ordered to make restitution of $4.8 million.^[22] He reported to the United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg minimum-security satellite camp on June 17, 2019, to begin serving a minimum 36 months of a maximum 42-month sentence.^[23] Despite many erroneously published news reports Carton was never charged with nor convicted of running a Ponzi Scheme.

Carton was released from prison to a halfway house on June 23, 2020 and ultimately to home confinement. While in Federal Prison he successfully completed a 500 hour cognitive behavioral therapy course called RDAP which made him eligible for release. ^[24] Carton served his entire sentence and was released from BOP Custody on June 8, 2021.

Return to WFAN[]

On October 29, 2020, it was announced that Carton would return to WFAN, hosting the afternoon drive Carton & Roberts with Evan Roberts (replacing the retiring Joe Benigno) beginning November 9.^[25] On December 10, 2020, it was also announced that Carton would host a weekly program airing Saturday mornings beginning January 9, Hello, My Name is Craig, which will discuss problem gambling.^[26]

In its first full ratings book period, the new show was the highest-rated afternoon drive sports talk show in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Controversy and stunts[]

610-WIP[]

• On February 28, 1997, Carton reported Philadelphia Flyers captain Eric Lindros had missed a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 15 due to being hung over, claiming the excuse the Flyers gave (a sore back) for Lindros missing the game was a cover-up. The Flyers immediately sued WIP,^[27] resulting in an out-of-court settlement. Several years later, the ownership of the Flyers admitted that the allegation was true. ^[28]

WFAN[]

• On January 18, 2008, Carton walked the Brooklyn Bridge holding a sign reading "Any Given Sunday."^[29] and wearing only a Speedo and New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey jersey^[30] after betting the New York Giants would lose to the Dallas Cowboys in the 2008 NFL playoffs. He duplicated the stunt on January 8, 2010, after betting the New York Jets would miss the playoffs.^[31]

Awards[]

• Talkers Magazine has named him the second-most important and influential Sports Talk Show Host in America every year they have released their "Heavy Hundred Sports Talk Show List". Carton has also been listed as one of the top 40 Most Important and Influential Talk Show hosts in the country for ten straight years.^[32]
• PoliticsNJ.com named him the ninth-most politically influential personality in New Jersey (2007).^[33]

References[]

Extenal links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Craig Carton.