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More sports talk coming to Chicago radio?
Ed Sherman

Are you ready for a third local sports talk radio station in Chicago?

No, Webio isn't coming back. David Hernandez is going to jail, and Mike North is sticking to television these days.

However, the landscape is ripe for a competitor to join WSCR-AM 670 and WMVP-AM 1000 in the sports talk rating wars, probably on an FM outlet. The reason is simple: The ratings for the format never have been bigger here.

In the fall ratings book, both stations were tied for first in men ages 25-54, the demographic that means the most to advertisers on sports talk radio. At the very least, radio executives at other stations are going to look at those numbers and think: "Hey, I wonder if there's room for one more."

"You have to think about it because of the performance of those stations," said Bob Snyder, the former general manager for WMVP who now has a radio consulting company, Snyder Sports Audio. "You have to be impressed with the numbers those stations are pulling in."

If you think two sports talk stations in a town is too much, consider that there are four in St. Louis and three in Dallas. Last week, a Pittsburgh music station on FM switched to an all-sports format, becoming the third in that market.

The move sparked speculation by the Sun-Times' Lewis Lazare that WSCR soon will simulcast its programming on sister station WCFS-FM 105.9, an adult music station that gets poor ratings. WSCR denied anything was in the works.

However, WSCR could be forced to launch a preemptive strike if it gets wind that another FM station is considering all sports. Sports talk is starting to migrate to FM because those stations skew to a younger audience.

Two possible candidates could be WLUP-FM 97.9 and WKQX-FM 101.1. Both music stations are struggling in the ratings. Both stations are owned by Emmis Communications. The CEO just happens to be Jeff Smuylan, the man credited (or blamed) with starting the all-sports format with WFAN in New York in the late 1980s.

Mr. Smuylan got back into the sports talk business a couple of years ago by flipping one of his Indianapolis stations to the format. Could he do the same thing in Chicago? Perhaps.

Another possible candidate could be WLS-FM 94.7. Michael Damsky recently took over as general manager for WLS-AM and FM. He was formerly the head of sales at WSCR.

While sports talk has its pluses, the format has one big obstacle: It is expensive. Mr. Snyder estimates programming costs could be in the $3-million range.

With that kind of overhead, Mr. Snyder wonders if there would be enough advertising revenue to support a third sports talk station.

"There are only so many businesses targeting men 25-54," Mr. Snyder said. "Could you put out a product that's good enough to get a decent percentage of that revenue? Both WSCR and WMVP have well-established sales relationships. To unseat them in (advertising) is going to be difficult."

What about the idea of a hybrid station? In Dallas, KTCK, "The Ticket," mixes sports with guy talk. Think frats, wild nights at the bar, etc. NPR, it's not. Surprise, surprise, men like it, as the format is extremely popular.

"Sure, it could happen here," Mr. Snyder said. "Then you could take the position that you're programming something different than WSCR and WMVP."

Chicago did have three sports talk outlets when Sporting News Radio's national program aired on AM outlets here. That could happen again.

But I'm talking about a third sports talk station focusing on games that are played by Chicago teams. This town certainly is big enough and crazy enough about sports to think it has to be on somebody's agenda.

I'm not sure if I can take 3 stations....really.

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You will take it AND you will LIKE it!

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You never miss your wealth, till your well went dry
Seem like only yesterday, you were here smiling
Now you gone away, but I know you in a better place
No traces of you, what can I do?
Alone and confused

Thers is only one station (the score) in my world so a second would be welcomed.

Jesus no one tell Chet about this cause some ass would give him money. I like him contained to Facebook

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Here's the line-up.
5:00am - 9:00am - Murph
9:00am - 1:00pm Hamp and Holmes
1:00pm - 5:00pm Zach Zaidman and Harry Teinowitz
5:00pm -9:00pm Sean Salisbury and Barry Rozner
9:00pm - 12:00am Bearly Legal
12:00am - 5:00am T Dub

I'm surprised that you added him as a friend, not going to lie, when I first saw that I lost a little respect for you, but then I saw what you accomplished and quickly forgave you...

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team Mully & Hanley
team Meatpants

Frickin Chets best hour of radio in the last 15 years was his last day at webio dropping fbombs.
Now he's just a loud asshole.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

LOL, seriously?

"Gentlemen, tired of the nagging, the cold shoulder...

"1-877-KARS for KIDS"

"Order now, and we'll send you a gift so sensual, we can't even mention it on the radio."


Don't worry, there's advertisers.

I hope they put the Score on FM, so I can listen to Mac at work.

Aw, the Loop and Q101 are stations I actually listen to on FM.

Many downtown office buildings don't exactly pick up AM transmission other than the main floor, Colonel. Besides, SCOREheads can check out "Chicago's Sports Station" on 104.3 HD2 by investing in an HD Radio or by listening to 670thescore.com online.

This article was just speculation by Sherman. There doesn't appear to be any plans to challenge the two stations so this is probably just Sherman's idea of something interesting that could happen, but probably won't...

Also SHARK if you have an iphone or a blackberry you can listen to the online stream from your phone. I was listening to Mully and Hanley at the laundromat at 5AM this morning...

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I wasn't able to tune in until 6:70.

The laundromat at 5am????

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

24 hr spot....best time to get big loads done and not fight over free dryers is the overnight shift....

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Did you actually get up that early to go do laundry or just stay up all night?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I would welcome a third station - more competition would mean a better product. SCR has improved it's lineup recently and MVP has to do something. I believe SCR's old lineup is the reason for W&S success at MVP. Having a third sports option while I'm driving around all day would be sweet.

I wonder if Sports Huddle & Stuff will make the 3rd station's lineup?

Only if the Supreme Court decides to mount the Eighth Amendment on its trophy wall.

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Power is always in the hands of the masses of men. What oppresses the masses is their own ignorance, their own short-sighted selfishness.
- Henry George

RFDC, I've gone up there the past 2 mornings from about 3-530....I've been a night owl the past few months so I figured that I might as well get it done....I let my clothes pile up to a point where I couldn't get them done in my apt building, so I had to haul 6 Army Size duffel bags by myself to the laundromat. I've learned my lesson and I'll never do that again

My next place will have an in house washer/dryer.

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You are not going to find hot girls washing their unmentionables at 5 am. Do I have to do all the thinking for the single guys here?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

He's not good in laundromats. He struck out looking at one a while back. Its like he's the White Sox in the metrodome. Maybe an outdoor laundromat would be better

How about CSFMB radio?
6-10: JimmyPasta & RFDC (opposites attract!)
10-2: Kid Cairo & Don Tiny (young guy/older guy)
2-6: Elmhurst Steve & Degenerative Dave (Must Listen To Radio)

Weekends:
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater & Dave Baum

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

I know that CBS Radio, parent company of 670 The SCORE here, recently converted two of its FM properties in Detroit & Boston respectively to become FM sports talkers. I'm not so sure the Lewis Lazare piece in the Sun-Times about simulcasting WSCR on 105.9 "Fresh FM" is all that accurate. The speculation for about a year or so has centered around 104.3 "JACK FM" as a possible FM sports talk spot if it ever came to fruition. As far as I know, "JACK" is actually doing OK in the ratings, and I doubt that CBS would pull the plug on their rock hybrid in favor of simulcasting The SCORE's sports talk format. I tend to think that FM sports talk isn't about to happen anytime soon.

Id actually listen to this....

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Bearly Legal on the radio great prediction.

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Listen to current and past Bearly Legal Shows at http://www.talkzone.com/previousepisodes/155/1401.html
THANKS TO BIG FAN FOR LINKING MY SHOW FOR ME!

You better give Eaglo the afternoon slot on Tuesdays.

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