In the late 1980s, WFAN was on the rise as the first all-sports radio station in the country. They brought a fast-paced, rowdy style to the air, epitomized by the likes of Don Imus, Steve Somers, and Mike Francesa.
At the same time the New York Islanders, years past their glory days and playing in an aging barn of a stadium, found themselves on the wrong end of WFAN’s jokes. Imus, Somers, and Francesa mocked the team and the Nassau Coliseum mercilessly.
On today’s episode, Queens native and media historian Nick Hirshon describes his research into this moment in sports and communication history. We discuss the rise of WFAN, the struggles of the Islanders, and the importance of recovering radio (and Long Island) history.
Links
- Nick Hirshon
- @nickhirshon
- The myth of the Nassau Mausoleum: A brainchild of the first all-sports radio station. Journalism History, 41(3), 139-152.
- WFAN (Audacy)
- Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum