NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The voice of Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured “Saturday Night Live” cast member, will blare throughout New York City subway stations this week as part of a partnership with the MTA to promote paying fares, stopping subway surfing and the “SNL” 50th anniversary special on Sunday.
The messages began playing in over 400 subway stations on Monday and will continue through Sunday to coincide with the highly-anticipated “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.”
“Hey, it’s Kenan Thompson from ‘SNL.’ Come on New York, it’s only fair to pay the fare. I see you trying to jump the turnstiles. Just tap your phone and keep it moving. Ride safely, and catch ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special,’ live this Sunday on NBC and Peacock,” Thompson says in one message.
The live three-hour telecast from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center will begin at 8 p.m. EST on NBC and will simulcast on Peacock.
Thompson says in another message: “New Yorkers, it’s Kenan Thompson here. When I hear you all talking about surfing, it better be about the Rockaways. Stay smart, and don’t surf on the subways. Please. That means you in the black shirt. And while I have you, tune into ‘SNL50: The Anniversary Special,’ this Sunday on NBC and Peacock.”
On Monday, NBC released a lineup of former cast members who will appear in the special, including Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler. Chevy Chase and others from the show’s first cast will also be included.
Guest appearances by Steve Martin, Sabrina Carpenter, Bad Bunny, John Mulaney, Dave Chappelle and other A-listers are expected, and NBC teased even more surprise returns.
Large wallscapes, turnstiles and static and digital signage celebrating ‘SNL50’ in the 47th-50th Streets–Rockefeller Center subway station will complement the messages, and remain in place through Feb. 23.
The MTA has been working on curbing fare evasion in the transit system—which reached $690 million in unpaid fares and tolls in 2022—through a variety of measures that include increased enforcement, modifications to fare gates and reconfigurations of subway turnstiles.
Subway surfing has also remained a continuous problem for the MTA and police. Officials launched its “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign in 2023 to encourage teens to avoid the dangerous stunt, which claimed the lives of six last year and injured at least two adolescents in January.