Carton Resigns From WFAN/New York

Late yesterday, embattled WFAN/New York morning co-host Craig Carton announced his resignation from the company and posted his statement on Twitter. Carton, the longtime co-host of Boomer and Carton In The Morning (with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason) had been under suspension since shortly after his Sept. 6 arrest, accused, along with his business partner Joseph Meli, of running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of millions of dollars in bogus concert tickets in order to cover his own gambling debts. Carton and another business associate, Michael Wright, were also charged with securities and wire fraud in Manhattan federal court.

Carton, who has maintained his innocence since his suspension, released a post-resignation statement that read, in part, “For 10 years I’ve had the great privilege of showing up to work every day at my dream job. I have nothing but love and respect for my co-host, the show and the entire CBS Radio family and I’ve always tried to represent them in the best possible light. Unfortunately, the unfounded legal issues currently plaguing me will only be a distraction to everyone at WFAN and the show I helped build. With that in mind, I have submitted my resignation to the station and they accepted. I am sad to see this chapter of my life close but know that it will allow me to focus on my family, my well-being and clearing my name, while giving the show the best opportunity to succeed without further disruption.”

• In response, CBS Radio issued a statement that read, “WFAN has accepted Craig Carton’s resignation. We appreciate all of his contributions over the last decade and wish him and his family well during this next phase. We are especially grateful to our dedicated employees, sponsors and listeners for their continued support of The Fan. The search for a replacement co-host for the morning show will begin immediately.”