Chicago Radio: Mike North EXITS Sports Media

Mike North

Once the loudest, most distinctive voice in Chicago sports radio, Mike North says he’s done with that.

“I’m stepping away from sports radio and sports podcasting, sports columns completely and I’m heading in another direction completely because I think the timing is right,” told WTTW-Ch. 11’s Phil Ponce on Monday’s “Chicago Tonight.”

A former hot dog stand owner who parlayed his penchant for hot water and everyman perspective into a lucrative media career, North parted company with WSCR-AM nine years ago.

North, who helped launch the all-sports station 25 years ago, gave The Score its identity in its early days and, at his peak, was pulling down $1.5 million a year from the station plus endorsement cash.

Since then, North got entangled in Chicago Sports Webio, a digital media venture that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme. The scam earned mastermind David Hernandez a 17-year-sentence for bilking investors out of millions of dollars.

More recently, he had a nationally syndicated radio program for  Fox Sports, a podcast and a column with the suburban Daily Herald. But he turned 65 last month, is ready to live part-time in Las Vegas and told Ponce he has come to view sports differently than he once did.

@RobertFeder @PhilRosenthal @670TheScore @FoxSportsRadio So long everybody... #sportstalk pic.twitter.com/bwvHMkzTfw

— Mike North (@North2North) August 29, 2017

North said that he can say everything about sports he wants to say on Twitter, and bemoaned what sports radio has become.