Sal Licata, a fixture at SNY since 2010, has spoken out about his departure from the network following a wave of layoffs that also led to the cancellation of "Baseball Night in New York" and "SportsNite."
Licata shared his thoughts on his personal podcast, "The Sal Licata Show," on Friday evening, characterizing his exit as "sad" and stating he was "sick to my stomach" for his former colleagues. This marks his first public comments since the layoffs occurred.
He described his time at SNY as a period he "absolutely loved," citing it as the most enjoyable work environment he had experienced. Licata emphasized that his decision to leave was not motivated by money and that he would not have departed if not for the network's actions.
"I've worked at a lot of places over the years, part time and things like that, and none of them compare to SNY," Licata said on his podcast. "Immediately you could feel a difference."
Licata acknowledged the challenging nature of the media industry and speculated that the layoffs might be connected to the MLB's anticipated lockout, which could impact the upcoming season. A spokesperson for SNY confirmed the termination of the two shows, stating, "As part of our regular review of our business, operations and programming, SNY has decided to cease broadcasting ‘Baseball Night in New York’ and ‘SportsNite.'"
The network also indicated that its website would undergo changes, shifting focus from editorial content to promotional material. The spokesperson added, "We are grateful to those team members that helped bring these programs to fans for many years. Ongoing coverage of the Mets and New York sports are at the heart of SNY’s business, and we remain focused on continuing to deliver high-quality content to our passionate fans."
Licata drew a parallel to MLB Network's "Intentional Talk," which reversed its cancellation after facing significant public backlash, humorously suggesting a similar outcome might be possible for the SNY shows.