Mike North & Dan Jiggetts Reunite On WIQI-FM
Written by Larz

Chicago media veterans Mike North and Dan Jiggetts will be reuniting once again, this time on WIQI-FM/FM News 101.1. The duo, who first partnered up over two decades ago, will be doing a pair of programs for the news station this week, with the possibility of much more to come.

North & Jiggetts will be doing two talk shows, or "expanded news coverage," for WIQI-FM, with the first one being tonight from 7:00pm-10:00pm, and the second one being tomorrow night from 7:00pm-10:00pm.

Even though the two are most known for their history in sports talk, these shows will be news talk, not sports. In addition to talking about subjects other than sports on their past radio show, North & Jiggetts also talked and focused on news before, on their WBBM-TV/CBS 2 TV show "Monsters & Money in the Morning" in 2010.

Thursday & Friday nights' shows with North & Jiggetts are officially tryouts. If successful, it is entirely possible that they could get regular daytime roles as hosts at the station in the near future.

Numerous personalities have been given tryouts at the station in recent weeks, including Mancow, Geoff Pinkus, Kevin Matthews, Neil Steinberg, and Jim Laski. So far, thanks in large part to these tryouts, Greg Jarrett has been hired as the new morning show host, Rob Hart has been given his own late morning talk show, and John Czahor was given his own late night talk show. Mancow is still under consideration for a daytime show (possibly Noon-3:00pm) at the station, although no firm decisions have been made.

With the all-news programming not catching on with Chicago radio listeners as fast as WIQI-FM management had wished, the station is inching its way closer to becoming a News & News/Talk station, although no official format change is ready to be announced. The change of programming at FM News 101.1 is more of a slow evolution than a radical shift.

With North and Jiggetts, the station would pick up a pair of hosts who have a history of stunning radio success. Twenty years ago this year, the radio team of Mike North and Dan Jiggetts made their debut on a then-brand new sports talk station, Chicago's WSCR-AM. Soon after, they picked up the nickname for their midday radio show: "The Monsters of the Midday" (a play on "The Monsters of the Midway," a nickname for the Chicago Bears). The little-known Chicago businessman and the former Chicago Bear quickly connected with each other, and then with guests, listeners, and advertisers to eventually become among the biggest stars ever in local radio and media.

Although the radio duo only lasted seven and a half years, they have reunited multiple times on other projects, including a Chicago Sun-Times column, podcasts, and television shows on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WBBM-TV. Fans still have very fond memories of the fun partnership of the 1990s and often claim both did their best work while together on the radio.

Currently, Mike North can be found doing columns twice a week for the Daily Herald, along with contributing videos for the newspaper's website. He also works weekends for the nationally syndicated FOX Sports Radio network. Dan Jiggetts continues to do freelance sports anchoring jobs for Comcast SportsNet Chicago and WFLD-TV. His daughter, Lauren Jiggetts, is a top news reporter for WMAQ-TV/NBC5 Chicago.

North & Jiggetts recently reunited for a "Monsters 20th Anniversary Special" live event, which was recorded and is now available to purchase with proceeds going to charity.

"The duo, who first partnered up over two decades ago"

Manqueer wants a job there, too? I remember when he thought he was the next Howard Stern. It turns out that he isn't even the next Mike Nort.

Wow...that's a quite the list of radio has-beens, wannabes and never-weres. Can a Coppock tryout be far behind?

He made way more than North did. The Cow was syndicated in about 15 cities, thats big money.

...does he not learn from his mistakes?

Hey, I listened. What the heck, why not.

He (Nort) definitely took a shot at Mac about rehab.

Jiggs said he offered the Score to work there for a year at 50 K, got turned down

Mike was actually very complementary of the Score, suprise.

For what it was, it was a good listen. Again, FOR WHAT IT WAS.

And yes, apparently they're reviving caning tonight. Must listen.

Then he made a crack about being able to drink and handle it on the job, instead of (I'm paraphrasing) having to go to rehab for weed addiction like a host on the Score.

Damn, this was must-hear shit - podcast anywhere?

That why Mac got called into Mitch's office today when I tuned back in (at around 9:25AM)?

Another possible thread...Name the movie about Mike North's life.

Did anyone else find North's voice on FM jarring?

How about "The Jerk"?

Oh wait, that title has already been used, too bad.

That was not an 800K salary - that contract was an 800K engineered minefield, wired to blow, and North knew it.

It was a typical Reinsdorfian-type move that an organization pulls when they want a guy to leave, but to save the face of having the bouncers throw them out onto the curb.