September 11, 2001-WFAN, Pt 5 (Mike Francesa)

Mike Francesa takes over from Imus at about 1:23 PM, EDT. Chris Russo was unable to get to the Astoria based studio that day from his CT home (though there is no mention of him during the broadcast). Suzyn Waldman, who witnessed the second plane strike while stuck in traffic on the bridge joins Mike in the studio later.

[@mickeyott542]

mike starts at 28:19

[@ernestrebak9193]

Chris Russo wasn't off that week... He just couldn't get in to the radio station.

[@epaddon]

I meant to update that info some time ago but never got around to. The entry is fixed now.

[@A_M_P_]

@@epaddon It would have been nice of Mike to let people know that. For him to just totally ignore Chris's absence on day like this was very inappropriate and cold in my opinion.

[@patrickgray5633]

I'm like the guy at 41:14 when I heard people were jumping that is the most difficult part for me to take out of it to know your dead & have the courage to end it fast. OMG

[@buckeyebaptist43719]

Why were commercials aired? Seemed very inappropriate.

[@mindlessgonzo]

+Bobby .Downs I speculate to retain some normalcy in the chaos.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

WFAN was a money making outfit, often sighted as raking in 18 to 20 million a year befor the Imus firing.

[@sychophantt]

Are you going to pay the bills and salaries?

[@ChrisVodola]

Thank you for sharing this piece of history with us all.

[@americangiant1003]

+Chris Vodola Thanks for upload. As living in NYC that day Imus/Francesa and surprise Howard Stern provided the best "local" coverage (other than the news stations) on that horrible day. And Russo was off that day. Russo did return the next day (9/12/11)as sporttalk was cancelled and it became a recap of the horrors of 9/11/01.PS How in the world does WFAN even have commericals on this day? Even the NYC music stations dumped ads and often had feeds from either the TV news stations or WINS and WCBS AM.

[@americangiant1003]

***** If I remember right only the Movie channels like HBO and Showtime still continued with "regular programming" and for few days after this tragic day. I think the 9/11 non stop programming went on for almost a week and "regular programming" did not resume(correct me guys if I am wrong)on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the basic cable entertainment/sports channels till the following Monday 9/17. In sense it was the JFK assassination-type news coverage Supersized for the early 21st Century.

[@epaddon]

+AmericanGiant100 TV Land I know did not dump out of regular programming. ESPN aired ABC's feed for most of the day and then had a regular Sportscenter at 6 PM to focus on the day's impact on the sports world.

[@americangiant1003]

+epaddon ESPN if I remember correct, did not return to regular programming till that weekend. During the first couple of days they showed ABC';s feed and then an extended sportscenter. And since all MLB, NFL and also almost all college football matches were cancelled, they showed reruns of classic sports instead. And on your point of TV land. I meant to say the Big 4 networks and *most basic cable channels* did not return to regular programming till I think Monday Morning 9/17. I don't think back then "TV land" was considered a basic cable channel. What I meant basic cable channel I mean those also owned by the Big Four Networks i.e Disney Channel/ESPN(ABC), MTV/Nick(which showed CBS feed), TBS/TNT(which showed the CNN feed)etc. programming was suspended. And even the two major national home shopping channels QVC and HSN were suspended too.

[@slapshot68]

Had no idea imus lived so close to the WTC

[@mikewolverton7904]

I was living in New Orleans on 9/11/2001 and that city was an absolute ghost town as the events unfolded that day. I'll never forget that.

[@calvincoleman7543]

New Orleans would never experience a horrible tragedy until the Saints got robbed in the NFC championship game

[@greenkidd529]

@@calvincoleman7543 so Hurriance Katrina was just a drizzle compared to that? lol

[@Linuleum]

I remember being on the side of the fbi building in New Orleans on 9/11 about 35 floorsup when I was working for a glass company. I saw people waving at me to come down ASAP and you’re right by the time we got down it was like a ghost town. I’ve never seen anything like that in my entire life

[@patrickgray5633]

Like Francesa or not on this he was outstanding.

[@tweezerjam]

I'm surprised something like this hasn't happened again yet. I just hope we never relax and get complacent. Be forever vigilant.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

And dont elect idiots . Old Bob Kerry on his last day as a US Senator suggested we were in the cross hairs of terrorist and his regret was being unable to stir congress to prepare. And if it happened the americian people would hold their represents responsible. Instead, the public doubled up on assholes!

[@spirit1366]

AMEN

[@ras124]

Keep letting the illegals in

[@sweetmapleleafs]

Oh it still is happening today. First responders & rescue ppl are dyingh from the effects of the 9/11 dust they breathed in. There's also the covid-19 pandemic. But oh yeah, it still goes on

[@LadyJay114]

I can't believe they were still playing commercials. But that's so WFAN.. lol

[@slapshot68]

Brooklyn Babe nobody is thinking bout joe pesci, the country just got attacked

[@davetandy6242]

Thanks for the download anyway to hear the rest of the broadcast

[@buckeyebaptist43719]

Thanks for the download.

[@antrosania1047]

Amazing. Thanks for this.

[@johngeorge5684]

Thank you God want day he go talk.

[@calvincoleman7543]

Amazing upload. Thank you.

[@MrDuds1984]

Why were still playing commercials was money that important?

[@billnotice9957]

Simply during the commercials new data gathered and I am certain they were attempting to communicate with someone in to issue instructions. They did a great job for seat of your pants broadcasting.

[@sychophantt]

Are you going to pay the station bills and salaries?

[@johngeorge5684]

💌 definitely

[@amandarios448]

The buildings amazingly fell... "Blew out" "imploded" It's all you need to hear

[@sychophantt]

Exactly

[@awfpunisher]

Where's the loyalty oaths? Or was that shit?

[@tylerjerabek5204]

Apparently the next day

[@patrickgray1438]

I was living in St Louis I went a high school not far from Boeing & my mom was a bus driver. I was in class when the planes hit & mom was on her route she went to pick her kids up she had to turn around & drive past Boeing the Tanks were already there when she turned around & drove past Boeing towards the school.

[@slapshot68]

The fist fighters took advantage of no cops

[@ras124]

Huh?

[@ajogg]

epaddon, thanks for uploading, is this the day Mike said Jewish ppl in America should take loyalty oaths?

[@epaddon]

+ajogg No, supposedly that was the day after 9/11. One thing he does say in this coverage that was stupid was his questioning the report that a passenger from Flight #93 called 911 minutes before the crash. That did happen.

[@anthonyspina5723]

@@epaddon How could a phone call be made from a cell phone that high up in the air? Seems impossible.

[@epaddon]

@@anthonyspina5723 It isn't. Passengers used their cell phones and Airplane phones throughout the hijacking. The passenger who made the call Francesa was dismissing was Edward Felt. That is confirmed.

[@jakubwidlarz]

6 straight minutes of commercials. At any time of the day on any radio station in the world it's a turn off. But by that time 2500+ people were already dead.

[@donnageorge3730]

It most certainly is a turn off, I was also listening to Don Imus , and I was like what the heck commercials? I was in having tests done so I wasn’t at home when this was happening in line, except for the second plane hit the tower, but what I got was on TV and they weren’t interrupted with commercials, absolutely ridiculous

[@HaandBanana]

So why did Francesca think it was ok for HIM to drive into work?

[@epaddon]

Obviously someone had to take over for Imus at some point. He wasn't facing a roadblock caused by Manhattan being sealed off as Russo was.

[@phuturephunk]

Francesa lived and still lives out on the Island. Since Nassau and Suffolk are directly connected by land to Queens, he could get there. Trying to get across the Triboro, Whitestone or Throgs Neck, which is one of the three crossings Russo could have taken to get to work was basically impossible in the time frame.

[@johngalvano5895]

He'll get you the sports any way that he can

[@jcar4lifemancity4life5]

Cause he is the Pope...they made sure he could get there lol...

[@A_M_P_]

@@phuturephunk It would have been nice of Mike to let people know that. For him to just totally ignore Chris's absence on day like this was very inappropriate and cold in my opinion.

[@nymike06]

Thanks for the upload.

[@sychophantt]

Always switched to Mike and The Mad Dog for major news events