Craig Carton is leaving WFAN on June 30, giving up Carton & Roberts in WFAN afternoons to focus on his TV career and “being a better dad and, fingers crossed, a better husband.”
However, he will still be on our air, as he will continue to do “Hello, My Name is Craig,” which airs 9:30-10 am every Saturday morning, championing the importance of how getting a handle on his gambling has allowed him to take the steps to reclaim his life and be the man he needs to be for his family.
“I sadly put myself in a bad place a number of years ago, and three years ago today, I was known as nothing more than a number,” Craig said Thursday during an emotional monologue explaining his departure. “I woke up three years ago today in federal prison, a place I was for a year based on bad decisions I made. When I was that number, I dreamed about the possibility, among other things, of one day being able to restart my career. It may have been silly at the time, but that dream helped me survive prison.”
Carton pulled back the curtain on his personal life to the listeners, explaining how he has been separated from his wife since the day after he was arrested, and spent time in halfway houses in Brooklyn and New Jersey after his release from federal prison – but has spent every day since then attempting to be the best family man he could.
“The personal part of that dream was the potential opportunity that was never guaranteed to me to reconnect with my family,” Craig said. “What many of you don’t know is that I am legally separated from my wife because of the shenanigans I pulled three years ago. As I lay in that bed, my real dream was how I could rebuild my connection to the people I love most, tell my kids their daddy was a knucklehead but he’s back.”
Craig will celebrate five years without wagering at the end of the month, and after spending time in prison and at Algamus, a gambling addiction treatment facility he has spoken of since returning to WFAN, overcoming that addiction has been a big step towards that dream.
“I think not gambling has given me the power to take the steps to become a better person, and I can now look in the mirror with no shame, and appreciate the steps that guy is taking to be a better person and live a better life,” he said.
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Today, Carton lives in his family home with his children, a situation he profusely thanked his wife for, and explained that the biggest reason for leaving WFAN to concentrate on his other job was to try to rebuild that full family dynamic.
“The ultimate reasons are my kids, who are my everything. For too long a period in my life, I took that for granted, and I wish I could go back in time and figure out why I made some of the decisions I made,” Craig said. “I have this great opportunity to be a better dad, husband, brother, son, and friend, and I don’t think I can do that doing both jobs. So for me, that means June 30 is my last day here at WFAN. It’s a difficult decision, but I’m really looking forward to have one job, and have the rest of my day to be a great dad, fingers crossed a great husband, and let us lead normal lives.”
June 30 will bring Carton & Roberts to an end, and the search will begin for a new full-time co-host for Evan Roberts will begin – but Craig will still be in the building every Thursday to tape “Hello, My Name is Craig,” and his show will air on July 1 and continue every Saturday after that.
And Craig Carton, the only man to be No. 1 in both mornings and afternoons at WFAN, will always be part of the fabric of the station.
“WFAN is like a family to me. I love radio, it’s all I’ve ever done, and done well, so making the decision to walk away, especially from WFAN, is not an easy decision,” he said. “All I can say is thank you.”
Follow WFAN's afternoon team on Twitter: @CartonRoberts, @EvanRobertsWFAN, @Craigcartonlive, @TommyLugauer, and @CMacWFAN
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