Chicago Radio: David Kaplan To Join WMVP ESPN 1000

David Kaplan

Longtime WGN 720 AM sports host David Kaplan is leaving the station to join rival ESPN-owned WMVP 1000 AM.

Kaplan, who started at WGN Radio in 1995, agreed to a multi-year deal to stay with the station in December 2013. But his duties, and the station's direction, shifted this year with the loss of Cubs games and the demise of The Game, WGN's ill-fated one-year foray into FM sports talk radio.

At ESPN1000 Kaplan will head-up Kap & Co.  The program will air weekdays from noon to 2 p.m. CT beginning Wednesday, Sept. 16.

“Adding Kap to ESPN1000, the number one sports station in town, shows our audience the dedication we have to serving Chicago sports fans anywhere, anytime,” said Adam Delevitt, program director, ESPN 1000. “Kap is by far one of the most recognizable voices in Chicago and few in the city have the breadth of knowledge and passion for sports and relationships with the people here that he has.”

New WMVP Lineup

Kaplan, an established sports authority in Chicago, is the host of CSN Chicago’s Sports Talk Live and formerly co-hosted Kap and Haugh with the Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh. He has won several awards for his work in television, radio and print, including Emmy Awards for his work on CSN Chicago and the sports memorabilia television show, A Piece of the Game.  Kaplan began his radio career at local station WMVP-AM, and then joined WGN-AM’s sports staff as a reporter in 1995.  He is the only person in Chicago media history to concurrently host a daily television show, a daily radio program and write a regular column in a major newspaper.

This past February, Kaplan had his contract with WGN-AM extended, keeping him a salaried employee through the end of 2016. Station management did this to keep Kaplan from accepting an offer to join WSCR 670 AM The Score. However, WGN os apparently attempting to futher cut expenses, so Kaplan agreed to a contract buyout offer and agreed to end his deal with Tribune Broadcasting.