North's side: Impasse isn't about money

Mike North silenced? Say it isn't so. Where will Chicago sports fans turn for their daily dose of right-wing politics and crude humor?

North, whose $1.5 million-per-year contract at WSCR-AM (670) expires July 1, was conspicuously absent from his morning show Monday and is not expected back this week after essentially being told Friday: ''Here's our offer, take it or leave it.'' The station has taken him off the air while he decides whether to accept the deal, which includes a pay cut of about 50 percent.

''Never say never,'' North said Monday afternoon. ''I have until July 1. We'll see what happens. If someone from the station calls me, I'm ready to go back on the air. But whatever happens, the past 16½ years have been a great ride that any radio person would have loved to have. I'm not saying it's over. My wife and I always hope things will turn out for the best. I may not always sound optimistic and happy on the air, but I know my life is great.''

He wouldn't discuss other potential job prospects he might have, saying he wasn't ''at liberty'' to do so. And he stressed that his hesitation to accept WSCR's offer has nothing to do with the pay cut.

''This has never been about money,'' he said. ''This is a ton of money to give anybody. Anybody would like to make that much money.''

If it's not about money, then it must be about respect. Right? On this topic North was more circumspect. He didn't confirm speculation that the station is considering changing or reducing his role. But he hinted that he feels like his bosses no longer have his back, saying, ''Trust is a big thing.''

''This is a dangerous time for radio,'' he said. ''People are running stations that don't have a set of values to adhere by. They love you until somebody claws you out. Look at Don Imus. [CBS Radio, WSCR's parent] didn't care about the comments he made about Rutgers' women's basketball team until someone wrote about it after the fact. Then the pressure was on. Advertisers complained, and [Al] Sharpton and [Jesse] Jackson were drawn in. But in the long run, CBS lost a lot of money by deciding to fire Imus.''

North has made a lot of money while frequently spewing sentiments that many interpret as sexist, racist or just plain distasteful. Given the low ratings of his show, is it fair to assume that the audience for this kind of talk has dwindled? Maybe the bosses at WSCR and CBS Radio have had enough of it, too. North knows how I feel about his show. I've heard him conduct excellent interviews. But as someone whose columns have provided him with plenty of fodder over the years, and someone who has been a guest on the show many times (because obviously I am a masochist), I've also heard him at his worst.

''I've been called abrasive and crass and boorish,'' North said. ''I've also been called hilarious and engaging.''

Is he misunderstood?
I'm not so sure about hilarious, but he can be amusing and engaging, on and off the air. He takes issue with being labeled sexist or racist, pointing out that he hired the only female producer (Jen Patterson) currently in Chicago sports radio, and that he has hired many minorities as well.

''Nobody else does that,'' North said. ''There's a difference between what you hear on the air and [reality]. I have always supported women in the sports industry. I know they have to have twice as much talent to be accepted. But our audience is mostly men. What, if I see a hot woman I'm not going to mention the fact that she's hot? That doesn't mean I don't respect women.''

Certainly his bosses have had no problem with him expressing himself over the years. But something has changed.

''The Twins told Torii Hunter to see if he could get a better deal, and that's what he did,'' North said. ''Maybe if they still had him, the Twins would be in first place, five games ahead, instead of in second place, 1½ games back. I've been here for 16½ years. It couldn't be because I did a bad job. It couldn't be that I didn't make enough money. It couldn't be that the ratings were too low. I had a great run. Hopefully I still have a run left. Hopefully somebody will come to their senses.''

And if they don't?

''I love the Score, and I will always love the Score and everybody who works for the Score,'' he said. ''The Score made my life.''

''I've been called abrasive and crass and boorish,'' North said. ''I've also been called hilarious and engaging.'' Mike North


I think that's called an asshole!

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I still believe North will have a deal shortly with WSCR if he doesn't have one already that they aren't annoucing because the newspapers are giving his show publicity.

I think that's a pretty sad statement. I would hope friends and family had a more profound impact on North's life than a job. I'm sure the money he made at the Score is responsible for his current lifestyle though.

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The name's Rockmore. Beef Rockmore

Oooooooooooook Mike commenting on values, just perfect.



What? He couldnt shut up about it last week, now he cant. I assume because there are no offers.

For the sake of people's ears in he morning lets hope not

"North's side: Impasse isn't about money "

Nonsense Mike, it's all about the money. You have a low rated show and should be paid that way.

I'm a North supporter. Now that we got it out of the way, if I were in charge of negotiations with North, the offers will start at 150k willing to go up by another 50k up to 200k. I know it's an insulting offer, but the station has a pen full of young guys (Drinky, Paruch, Goff) who are skilled, knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining. If an open slot needs to be filled due to existing guys (B&B, M&H, Murph) moving to morning these three young guys can easily take over and deliver and be absolutely delighted to receive a 150k offer.

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"It's not exactly a rocket surgery." D.J.

I think he's saying the Score made him a rich person, and has given him a great life. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that.

I agree. This is all about money, and probably, to a lesser extent, control of the show.

He's obviously in denial if he turns down an offer in the 800K range (if true) given the lack of ratings his show has produced.

Look at this crazy North quote, "It couldn't be that the ratings were too low." Hello Mike North: your ratings have always been low - even below the radar! Talk about delusional.

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Rika Nishimura is a nude Japanese idol who enjoys the status of living legend. 2004 saw the release of the DVD compilation "Rika, 22 Years Old - A Goddess Reincarnated". Her teen DVDs & books still sell thousands yearly.

Carol gave the impression that Mike said this impasse was about respect, Mike said on the air last week that money is respect, so it is about the money. The guy is so confused that he cant keep his BS straight.

I agree with BD that North is taking some time off and will be back after the 4th of July. The Score has a history of turning their hosts contracts disputes into local media drama. Even if North takes the 50% pay cut and makes $750,000 that's still being way over-paid for a shit product and the guy should be blowing anyone who wants to pay him that money.

I say make a change in that time slot and make North a part time guy.I really think it's North's ego here at play more than anything else.

This makes no sense.

It's not about money, he says. Apparently it's not about the length of the contract, either, because he called Greenstein a liar for saying he was only offered two years and he put that blank "contract" out on his website to "prove" he was offered five years.

The hangup must be about how many billboards they'll put up around town to promote his show.

No, North for sure wants total control and WSCR wont give that and thats a hurdle they won clear. Unless Mike caves in on that, his days will be over at the score.

And that's on a good day.

Yep. Kinda like a Catholic priest saying, "I didn't molest those children. I made love to them!"

Yeah, his track record with "total control" has given us the Anne Maxfield Era, such scintillating bits as Five-Team Parlay, the Real Estate Game, reading the baseball standings from the Sun Times, and almost always losing in the ratings to his main competition.

Why the Score is even interested in keeping him in a role other than emptying the wastebaskets is beyond me.

I am sure that WSCR is pointing that out to him

Pappy is sitting at home fully expecting Mitch, Rod and Paul to come to his door on their knee's begging for him to come back, problem is that the last two mornings have been the best morning radio on the score in 5 years and I am pretty sure the score knows that. WSCR is sitting in a pretty nice spot right now.

Anyone else here find it funny that both North & Slezak (the worst in radio and print, respectively) have combined to foist this crap on us all? If I had any professional/entertainment respect for either of them before this, it would be gone now.

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If only Slezak knew that North was the one who set up that blow-up doll scenario in the Sox clubhouse up in Toronto .

Pappy claims he champions women cuz he hired Jen. No, he hired Jen cuz she has big boobs.

If Pappy were to hire a 250 pound women I would say he respects women. But he didn't pull a 250 pounder out of Gibsons. He pulled out Jiggles.

"i hired jen jen because she is an inteligents woman. looks had nuttin to do wit it. in facts i would hire terri hemmerts if she was avaivible and look i already hired anne maxfield who looked like a transtesticle. so take that downtown and print it."

Exactly Beardown. I was going to say something similar to that, but I couldn't do it with as much "eloquence" as you.

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By the way, if I had that power I'd do the exact same thing. I'd hire the hot girl too. I'd love to have a hot girl in debt to me. I don't have that power nor does anybody else at the Score. I think Mitch assigns all of the producers. Some how Pappy got that power.

I wouldn't hire the hot girl if I really needed to rely on her. But Pappy doesn't. He's the only show with 3 producers at the Score anyway. Rock and Webber have to do all or the running. Jen just has to wear cute outfits or get on the air for childish arguments or be fodder for Pappy to objectify her.