Have lived in Chicago and burbs whole life. Remember listening to 1160 to 670. Also remember all the national broadcasts on ESPN1000.

Self admittedly, I have listened to maybe a few Waddle and Silvy podcasts(one with Barkley) and that is about it for 2021. Not much for 2020 for pandemic year.

I liked both stations for different reasons, loved the Score back in the early 2000's, but in my family, friendships, almost no one I know anymore listens to or talks about local sports radio. To be fair, no one talks about national as well.

There are a million podcasts and I know many see that in the future. Will there be local sports radio shows in 5 years? Might not just be Chicago, but any market. Wonder if youtube, spotify, instagram, FB, etc. etc. etc. reactions to games is enough?

I don't know if it is the market(in this case Chicago), the sports industry, or technology. I just have no desire to turn on sports radio anymore locally or nationally and I am in my mid 40s(I'm a man)

The younger generation I assume 18-35 do not, hell my son who is 13 watches every sports thing on his phone.


Maybe they are killing it on ratings and I am on the outside of all this.

Chi sports radio reminds me of Howard Stern. Stern was must listen radio for me for decades. I would say a few years after Artie left, the show became unlistenable. I know Stern was the King of hate listen, but it just go so boring, no desire to turn it on. I have not listened to Stern in probably over 5-8 years.

Curious what others think. I think radio will still have games and some post shows, but I think Waddle/Silvey, etc. will be gone.

If local sports talk goes away they'll blame the listener and not the quality of their shows.

Theres no way beyond live sports will it be anything like it is now or was in the past. I guess maybe XM style stations may exist, but who knows. Parkins is screwed either way and he doesn't even see it. He'll tell you the industry is going great. Think about it MOST people don't even turn on the FM/AM anymore in the car. They play spotify or listen to a pod etc. I eventually think live sports will go that way as well. Turn your app on and listen the game if you can't watch and not be tied to a radio station

In 5 years? Absolutely there will be local sports radio. Beyond 10? Hard to say. I see someone like Kap successfully transitioning completely to the podcast/twitch/YouTube space even without the corporate backing.

Others can too. He’s just the first example that came to mind because he seems to be a survivor and has a knack for grabbing headlines and has a solid fan base. He’s also an ardent “no politics” guy and that’s the only way I see sports talkers lasting long into the future

it still has a place because cars aren't equipped with free internet access yet. once that happens, radio everythig will be dead. nobody will tune into FM or AM stations when they have the whole fucking internet to get exactly what they want. its already happening too, because its getting easier to connect your phone to newer cars, so that gets them the streaming they need to never turn on the radio.

it wasn't that north had the wrong idea with the webio. thats how sportradio will be in the future... direct podcasts. but his implementation was wrong in the aspect of taking loans from a criminal and stuff

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And also calling it "webio".

And being years too soon.

Sports Radio finds itself in the same spot that WGN does... the audience is dying off and there's no other audience there to replace them, so do you try to cater to the youth to bring someone in, or just engage the people still listening and ride it out? At some point it probably gets cost cut to a local morning show and local afternoon drive and national everything else.

Now that I am WFH as a result of the pandemic, I hardly ever listen.

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"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas