Courtesy the Chicago Sun Times

(September 2, 2010) Mike North, the resilient Chicago sports broadcaster, has a clearer picture now of what he will be doing at Fox Sports Radio, the Los Angeles-based network announced he would join just days after taking an early leave from CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2's "Monsters & Money In the Morning," the unconventional early morning sports and business show that ended a seven-month run Friday.

Though there was some speculation initially that North would get a weekday show on the national Fox Sports Radio, North for now will focus only on two weekend shows for the network, which has more than 300 outlets nationwide, but none in Chicago. Starting Saturday, North will host a weekly college-football-oriented talk show from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Chicago time from a studio in his home. Then on Sunday nights, the focus will shift to the National Football League for North's talkfest from 9 p.m. to midnight Chicago time. North said Chicago fans can still hear his show on Sirius XM satellite radio or via live streaming on the Fox Sports Radio website.

North said he and Fox Sports Radio management talked about various scenarios for him on air, but decided the two weekend programs were the best option for now.

"This is exactly what I wanted to do," said North. At least in the early going, North's college football show is expected to cover topics and include guests from beyond the collegiate pigskin arena.

"We're certainly going to talk about baseball while the season is still going, and I expect I'll have Bud Selig on the show," said North, referring to the commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Until now, North said most of Fox Sports Radio's attention and its on-air talent were on the east and west coasts. But he hopes to be a force in getting the radio network to pay more attention to the Midwest and Chicago in particular.

Meanwhile, North, who is known for being blunt when the mood strikes him, continues to take the high road in talking about the demise of "Monsters & Money." He insists he still respects WBBM general manager Bruno Cohen and news director Jeff Kiernan despite their decision to end "Monsters & Money," which had ratings much worse than those of the traditional early morning news show it briefly replaced.

"I give them credit for trying something different. It just didn't work out," said North. His two-year contract with WBBM still has about 16 months left on it.

So it's on to Fox Sports Radio. North said his string of unsuccessful broadcast ventures in recent years, including a live talk show on Comcast SportsNet Chicago and a web-based radio operation, have taught him a useful lesson about a broadcasting industry that is less stable now than it was when he got his start in the business.

"As soon as you get a new job, it's always smart to start looking for the next one," said North, who has a one-year contract with Fox Sports Network.

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