North to launch new sports station on the Net - Posted by Ed Sherman

There's going to be a new sports talk station in town, but you won't find it on your radio dial.

Crain's has learned Mike North's Chicagosportswebio.com is putting the finishing touches on a 6 a.m.-6 p.m. sports talk outlet. It will include boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Chet Coppock, Jonathan Hood, Teddy Greenstein and Tim Doyle. Twelve-hour programming is expected to begin in April.

The Internet site has been hiring producers and other staffers from WSCR-AM 670 and WMVP-AM 1000. Jesse Rogers, formerly of SCR, will be the program director. The station will operate out of studios in Morton Grove.

Chicagosportswebio.com is promoting "a major announcement" on its site. However, when contacted, Mr North declined comment.

"Not talking is a new one for me," he said. "I guess I'm learning."

Mr. North, though, will have plenty to say soon. The site will be co-owned by David Hernandez, the CEO of Next Step Medical Staffing. Mr. Hernandez's company also is the title sponsor of Mr. North's "Monsters in the Morning" on Comcast SportsNet.

Mr. North did a daily Internet show on chicagosportswebio.com after he left SCR last summer. The site now simulcasts his television show, something that will continue under the new format.

This is a bold move for Mr. North and Mr. Hernandez. They now have to condition sports talk listeners to listen on their computers.

Many people already do, listening to live streams of broadcasts from WSCR and WMVP. So Chicagosportswebio.com faces plenty of competition on the Internet too.

At the end of the day, Webio's success will be determined by what it delivers, according the Bob Snyder, the former general manager of WMVP who now operates a radio consulting company, Beason Broadcast Partners.

"These are some good, talented people so I imagine the programming will be pretty good," Mr. Snyder said. "If it is of good quality, the streams will have a chance. It all comes down to good content and marketing. Just like every other product."

The owners also are looking to the future when new technology will allow people to access Internet streams in their cars.

"Believe it or not, it will happen, but it's a long way away," Mr. Snyder said.

Mr. North and Mr. Hernandez appear to be in for the long haul, according to people familiar with the operation.

Here is the tentative lineup:

6-9 a.m.: Simulcast of "Monsters in the Morning."

9-11: Teddy Greenstein, the college football and golf writer for the Tribune, and Matt Weber, a young upstart from WSCR.

11-3 p.m.: Jonathan Hood, a host at WMVP, and Tim Doyle, a former Northwestern basketball player who now works for the Big Ten Network.

3-6: Chet Coppock, the one and only, and Boom Boom Mancini, the successful lightweight boxer during the 1980s. That should be an interesting pairing.

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

Thanks, that's really helpful. I was having trouble finding the other two or three places it was posted.

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Du hockey comme dans le temps

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@audioidkid

You were doing so well lately Nos. This is the stuff that makes me not like you.

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STOP!!! No more fucking posts about this!! Fuck!

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

Believe it or not I'm in agreement.

What can I say? I'm busier at work these days since they let 5 people go, so I'm spending less time perusing this board. I have to get in & out quick.

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