Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Chicago Radio: Danny Parkins Exits WSCR, Headed To FS1


On Tuesday, Danny Parkins, the host of the “Parkins and Spiegel Show” on WSCR 670 The Score affirmed the worst-kept secret in town: that he was leaving his afternoon drive radio show. The move had been reported by the Chicago Sun-Times earlier in the week and was rumored for more than a month.

Parkins couldn’t officially say where he was heading, but we all know he’s moving on to a TV show at FS1 and leaving Chicago for New York City. The intro to Tuesday’s “Parkins and Spiegel” show was set to “New York, New York” with plenty of gratuitous Dak Prescott mentions to highlight how often Parkins will be talking about the Dallas Cowboys QB for his new national TV gig.

The Athletic reports FS1 is announcing its new weekday sports-talk schedule on Wednesday. The 37-year-old Parkins will co-host a three-man show five mornings a week.

“This is, incredibly emotional for me and has happened very, very fast,” he said during the transition with the Score’s midday show. “I wish I could have given a little bit more public notice. But trust me, it’s happened incredibly fast in my personal life also. I’m grateful that we get a goodbye show because I truly love what Spiegs, Tanney, Shane and myself have created in the afternoons. This is a life-changing opportunity for me and my family and so I don’t leave here lightly.”

His pockets won’t be light, that’s for sure. National TV money always beats local radio money.

Nationally, Parkins is an unknown, but the Syracuse and New Trier grad made a name for himself in his hometown over the past seven-plus years since leaving Kansas City for The Score. First, he hosted with Matt Spiegel on middays, and then, in 2018, he was put in afternoons with the prodigal son Dan McNeil.

When McNeil got fired for an off-color tweet in 2020, Score boss Mitch Rosen reunited Parkins and Spiegel in the afternoons in February 2021.

Parkins’ aggressiveness and love of wacky radio bits helped the show find its footing. In recent years, it’s basically been a four-person show with producers Shane Riordan and Chris Tannehill. The formula has worked. It’s a fun show, with a dedicated audience, that breaks news, books topical guests and stirs it up.

In July, Parkins guest-hosted Cowherd’s “The Herd” on FS1, and when it was announced that Skip Bayless was leaving FS1, Parkins was mentioned as a potential new host. Now, it’s happening.

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