http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/ ... m&seenIt=1
Mike North's new direction
By Ed Sherman
Jan. 10, 2009
Before he was a Chicago radio personality, Mike North ran a hot-dog stand. To pay for airtime during his first radio gig, he sold the advertising himself. "Nobody can sell me like me," he says.

To make a success of his latest show, "Monsters in the Midway," Mr. North will need all the salesmanship and business acumen he can muster. Debuting this week on Comcast SportsNet, the show promises not only a potentially groundbreaking new format but a new business model, one in which Mr. North serves as not just highly paid on-air talent but also as a partner in the show - and as chief sales rep.

"Monsters," which airs live from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays, is billed as a local sports-oriented version of the "Today Show." It will feature interviews, highlights, viewer e-mail and plenty of banter between Mr. North and co-host Dan Jiggetts, a dynamic that helped solidify Mr. North's sports radio show at WSCR-AM (670) when the two were on-air partners. Mr. North also has brought along his former WSCR producer, Jen Patterson.

"There's going to be nonsense, tomfoolery, criticism," says Mr. North, 56, who left WSCR last summer after 16 years. "It's going to be fun."

The formula sounds like talk radio, a format that hasn't been tried on a local cable sports channel, according to Comcast SportsNet President Jim Corno. Previously, CSN's morning fare consisted of repeats of the prior evening's wrap-up show.

"This is an opportunity to redefine what a regional sports network is going to be in the morning," Mr. Corno says.

The deal struck between Mr. Corno and Mr. North also is unique. CSN isn't paying Mr. North a salary. Instead, it's paying a fee to his production company, Licorice Ltd., which will pay Mr. Jiggetts, Ms. Patterson and other talent. CSN provides the production crew. Both Mr. North and CSN's sales staff will sell ads, and once production costs are covered, Licorice and CSN will split the profits. Neither Mr. North nor Mr. Corno would disclose the exact split.

Asked how the parties reached this deal, Mr. Corno jokes: "Mike wanted $10 million and I wanted to pay him nothing. We met somewhere in the middle."

Mr. Corno says he isn't aware of a similar partnership.

For Mr. North, the deal presents far more risk than a media personality typically would take on. But the ever-confident, if not cocky, Mr. North believes he'll make more money this way — especially given his professed sales prowess. He thinks advertisers will respond even better to him when they learn he has a financial stake in the show.

"It's easier to sell something when I walk through the door than if a salesperson walks through the door," he says.

So far, it seems to be working. Mr. North says his company has rung up $800,000 in ad revenue for "Monsters," including the title sponsorship, sold to NextStep Medical Staffing for a reported $300,000.

David Hernandez, Chicago-based NextStep's CEO, says he signed on for one reason. "I believe in Mike," he says. "Nothing gets in his way."

Mr. Corno has been impressed with Mr. North's sales ability and says the deal could signal a trend.

"This could set the table for future deals, especially in this economy," Mr. Corno says. "There are going to be more unique ways of doing business, because the old way isn't going to cut it in a lot of cases."

But even if Mr. North pulls it off, it doesn't mean others can, says Bob Williams, CEO of Evanston-based Burns Entertainment & Sports Marketing Inc.

"I don't see anyone in the Chicago media horizon who would be in position to do what Mike is doing," he says. "It takes a special type of person to make this work. Mike has unusual traits. He's a roll-up-the-sleeves kind of guy."

Mr. North is eager to get on with the next phase of his career after a public breakup with WSCR last summer. The station wanted to cut his salary in half, from $1.6 million per year to $800,000. Mr. North walked and soon began talking to Mr. Corno about a live TV show on CSN, where Mr. North hopes his brash and loud style will catch on with Chicago viewers.

Mr. Corno hopes the show eventually will reach around 30,000 homes per day. That would be far more than CSN's current morning offering, "SportsRise," and even more than ESPN's "SportsCenter."

Mr. North knows how much is riding on the show's success.

"There's a lot of weight on my shoulders," he says. "This is what I wanted. I wanted to determine our own destiny."

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If anybody cares, Coztansa is in a new band:
http://www.myspace.com/groverclevelandband

Or Lie, North see's himself as this great businessman, selling air time to sub-par medical supply companies dont really count.



Dats right, if yous sign withs me, i will gets you some free marconi.



He forgot, bad and short lived.



Hmmm, thats the same number he said the webio got.....its a lie, mike thinks by saying it, that it will happen, thats called denial and delusional.



Yea and he will buckle like he has over the last 5.5 years.

Sherman must have got paid nicely to write this piece, because its just a bunch of North PR, not facts.

Your right RV. I want someone to write something bad about North and the terrible show that is going to start soon. Maybe after a few months those types of columns are going to appear

You probably won't; the media guys know they don't have many options out there - and if they're nice to North, they get on his show and get publicity for themselves. If this bombs early, you might see someone who won't gain anything form North say something ( perhaps Lazare at the ST).

The other thing about his "$800,000" in advertisers at this point comment, if its so good, why does he have a huge banner on his website begging for people to email spaceball at a hotmail account, yea, thats professional.

I remember when Braniff airlines was going down in the 80s. They went the pilots and copilots, in their uniforms, to downtown offices. They'd hunt down the people in charge of corporate travel and jaw them to death. But they also made sure we saw them, and chewed fat with all comers.

Interesting approach, to see the people put out of a job if the airline failed. I really can't say if the mechanics and the stewardesses were also trolling around; our building got the pilots.

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

Here's the thing, according to Mike, himself, Jen, Jigs and spaceball are the best in the biz, but neither of them can land a real gig and have to pay comcast to be on the air, if thats in demand, I must not get it.

North is at a point were he is starting to believe all his BS, I bet that is a scary place to be in ones life.

By the way, yes i will be watching tomorrow.

Thanks for the sacrifice, now we don't have to bother. I'd hate to give that moron any viewership, but at least he will have one!

What makes this doomed to fail - besides the people involved and their lack of talent - is that producer, North, is spending a lot of time wooing advertisers when he should be worried about content and creating new bits and material. It is hard enough to sell; it's another when you combine that with trying to produce a show and come up with new stuff. The phrase "stumblin', bumblin' " comes to mind.

I'm almost sorry I won't get to watch this tomorrow. I look forward to your reviews, Rodeo

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Did I read it somewhere? He's gonna take calls? Oh my.....think of the possibilities. I'm sure there will be screeners but they can be lied too. I'm gonna Tivo it Monday. Dont let me down boarders!

Right On! Mike Norths mind is going to create THREE HOURS of conent? North should be able to stumble though three hours during the NFL playoffs but what about NCAA Basketball and NBA? He couldnt stay up late to watch the Sox in the World Series. Why would he take the time to miss some ZZZZZ's to watch The Cavs play the Grizzlies? This will painful to watch. Which may make it a laugh fest for us North haters.

It's my understanding that he was always heavily involved with obtaining sponsors even back at the SCORE. I seem to remember one of the disgruntled radio posters on here saying that he was taking comissions from the sales department staff because he was putting together the deals.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Mike North = Rod Blago!

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fan of Latinspice. fan of DJ Julie. fan of L.E.A.N.