He doesn't even mention the FBI investigation/warrant!


Chicagosportswebio.com needs leadership to rise above the clash of egos
June 13, 10:22 PM

The promise of Chicagosportswebio.com may never be realized. A company that entered the hyper-competitive Chicago media market and managed to reach an average of 7,000–10,000 hits per day within one month after launching, Chicagosportswebio.com is now fighting for its very survival. With the recent firing of Mike North, a host on the site, and Senior Vice President and co-founder of Chicagosportswebio.com, by David Hernandez, Chief Executive of Spectrum Entertainment the parent company. A development such as this is an indication that Chicagosportswebio.com is currently caught in a battle of egos by financiers and co-founders.

Companies that end up trapped in a battle of egos rarely survive as poor decisions and lack and focus quickly undermine the business. Whereas Chicagosportswebio.com appeared to be a concept poised for success, it now appears that the site may never live up to its potential and could possibly die a slow painful death. If the recent allegations of bounced checks and the firing of North are true, then the direction of Chicagosportswebio.com is definitely not as bright as it seemed only days ago.

The business model that Chicagosportswebio.com developed was and is revolutionary and, much like Hulu.com is to television, will change the way media is delivered and consumed in the future. The focus on content and multiple delivery mechanisms originating from an online source will enable lower production costs, increased flexibility, and low-cost entrance barriers. However, the key here is to keep the costs low. This will create countless opportunities for small creative players to carve out a niche and make an impact in the hyper-competitive media market. However, no business can survive an all out ego war or a lack of leadership.

The best hope for Chicagosportswebio.com to once again find its way back to the path it was successfully carving for itself is for a single leader to step up and take control. Whether that leader is Hernandez, North, or some angel investor not in the picture is unclear at this time. Somebody needs to have a vision and somebody needs to lead. What seems painfully clear to me is that if somebody doesn’t step up to the helm and take control at Chicagosportswebio.com, what was once a small company destined to change an industry will become a great idea that initially burned bright and then fizzled away to nothing.

Wow. That was such a load of crap I don't know where to begin. So, I won't.

_________________
You know me like that.

Since this douche apparently removed the original blog post praising North/Hernandez, I'm posting it here. Unfortunately, the comments My Guy and I left are missing from this version:

Chicagosportswebio.com is changing the Chicago media industry
June 10, 10:43 PM

Chicagosportswebio.com is making a name for itself as a premiere content provider of Chicago sports talk and they are trailblazing changes in the media industry while doing it. This new website is filling a niche by delivering quality content designed to be accessible for people on the internet. With a lineup of notable sports talk talent broadcasting on weekdays from 6 a.m – 6 p.m., Chicagosportswebio was launched in April. The site has quickly found a fan base and is now achieving 7,000-10,000 hits per day of dedicated sports fans. Awareness of the website was gained through a very effective integrated offline marketing campaign that included billboards, television, and radio spots. Spectrum Entertainment Group, which manages the site, is forging a new way of creating content for talk radio and they are reaping the rewards of being an early adopter.

Radio stations have been streaming their content over the internet for several years but chicagosportswebio.com has a different business model. They are looking at the business from a different perspective by focusing on internet-based broadcasting instead of terrestrial broadcasting. This allows the company to operate with much lower operating expenses and to begin broadcasting without the initial expenses of purchasing a radio signal, leasing air time, or managing through the complexities of government regulations and licensing. Instead, they are able to focus on developing talent, creating shows, and focusing on competing with great content and interesting marketing plans.

As consumers grow more comfortable with internet-delivered media, fans of sports talk radio will seek sites like chicagosportswebio.com and sire hits will grow. However, this is just one outlet for the content and there are numerous opportunities to increase revenue sources. In a recent interview with Ed Sherman, Spectrum Entertainment Group CEO David Hernandez stated that they are already exploring opportunities to license their content for delivery on several AM and FM stations in the market. As new outlets come on line to deliver Chicagosportswebio content, the website will grow even larger and the hits per day will continue to increase. Expanding into other outlets is a strategy that will not only produce new revenue streams but will also expand the fan base for the site. This site expansion and hit growth will allow the company to increase its advertising revenues.

The speed of growth and quick expansion of chicagosportswebio.com is a good indicator that the world of media is changing and there is room for small nimble content creators. Chicagosportswebio.com has made a great splash in the industry and they have ample room for growth. They can expand their programming hours into the evenings and weekends, expand their delivery mechanisms through licensing deals, expand into mobile content delivery, and expand into satellite radio. Additionally, Spectrum Entertainment Group can expand their successful business concept into other cities and regions around the country.

Chicagosportswebio.com has successfully launched their service into the Chicago market. The business model is dynamic and allows the company to focus on content first and delivery second. As existing competitors react and new competitors emulate the model the question is will Chicagosportswebio.com make the right decisions and continue to carve their own niche and successfully change the hyper-competitive media industry? If early performance offers insight I would say that Chicagosportswebio.com will continue to be successful and will not only make good decisions but will surprise us. They are changing an industry and I believe will ultimately establish Chicagosportswebio.com as a mainstay in the Chicago media industry.

I wish I knew how to use Photoshop. I'd have this pic on standby: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... h_Park.jpg

and I'd put Zenger, North, Murph, Urkel and others on there as we needed.