Mike North
Encyclopedia
Mike North is an American
radio
sports personality working for Clear Channel Communications
as a weekend host on their Fox Sports Radio
subsidiary. He was the co-host of the Monsters in the Morning with Dan Jiggetts
on Comcast SportsNet Chicago in 2009 and was a sports talk radio show host at WSCR
"The Score 670" in Chicago from 1992 to 2008. He was also the color man for the Chicago Rush
AFL team for two seasons alongside Tom Dore
. He was the co-host of
"Monsters and Money in the Morning" on WBBM-TV
CBS
2 Chicago until its cancellation in 2010.
neighborhood and attended Senn High School
from 1967-1970 before dropping out to work for the Chicago Park District
. In 1971 he was drafted to join the US Army, completing basic training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana.
In the late 1970s, North and his wife, BeBe, purchased a hot dog stand where he enhanced earnings from the restaurant with a low-stakes gambling operation. During the 1980s he operated several hot dog stands in Chicago. Among North's frequent customers at his restaurant was the staff of Diamond Broadcasting, owners of WXRT
-FM and WSBC
-AM. After North suggested to them that he replace Chicago Tribune
columnist Bob Verdi as the host of a short sports segment on WXRT, North's contacts at Diamond suggested he lease time on WSBC if he was interested in pursuing a career in radio. North took their advice and launched the “NFL Handicap Show” on WSBC in 1990.
After the Diamond Broadcasting team purchased WSCR
in 1992, North was hired to become one of the station's original personalities, teaming with Dan Jiggetts
on The Monsters of the Midday show (a twist on the popular Chicago term, Monsters of the Midway
),http://www.northtonorth.com/personalpages/mike.shtml. The two were reunited for a one year stint on cable television in 2009.http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-090112north-link,0,228645.storylink
Opining that Hispanic-American newscaster Antonio Mora
could get better ratings if he wore a sombrero
during his newscasts.http://www.poe-news.com/stories.php?poeurlid=10592
On May 18, 2007, North engaged in a much-publicized argument with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén
during his show, in which Guillen frequently cursed at North before hanging up on him.http://podcast.670thescore.com/wscr/468209.mp3
North had an acting role in the movie Eden Court. In spite of being complete for a year, the film has only been screened at obscure festivals and has not secured commercial distribution.
North has appeared on WBBM-TV
, WMAQ-TV
and WFLD
-TV, and is frequently a featured guest on and occasionally the guest host of Comcast SportsNet
Chicago's Chicago Tribune Live show.
North appeared in the slot formerly filled by Imus in the Morning
on WFAN
May 29 and 30, 2007.
In August 2008, North launched a short-lived, subscription-based sports gambling website, and had a podcast
hosted on the website of a Chicago-based restaurant chain.
In April 2009, North recruited his friend of over 15 years, the convicted wire fraud
felon, David Hernandez, to finance a webcasting company focused on Chicago sports.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Hernandez was using the business he founded with North to launder money from Hernandez's fraudulent "investment firm," NextStep Financial. The complaint alleges that North and Hernandez's business operated under the name of Spectrum Entertainment Group, which received over $160,000 of fraudulently-procured funds. Another shell company established by Hernandez using fraudulently-procured funds, The Ilumina Group, also financed the webcast operation.
While North was an executive for Spectrum Entertainment, $300,000 was funneled from one of Hernandez's businesses into North's own production company.
On June 12, 2009, Hernandez fired North after questions emerged about the businesses finances. The following day it was reported that Hernandez was under federal investigation, and Hernandez was subsequently charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with operating a Ponzi scheme
.
In July 2009, North was sued in federal court by defrauded investors for his role in Hernandez's scheme.
The next month, August 2009, Comcast SportsNet decided to cancel North's television show, effective 31 December 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
sports personality working for Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
as a weekend host on their Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
subsidiary. He was the co-host of the Monsters in the Morning with Dan Jiggetts
Dan Jiggetts
Dan Jiggetts is a retired American football offensive lineman. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1976 NFL Draft-Early life:...
on Comcast SportsNet Chicago in 2009 and was a sports talk radio show host at WSCR
WSCR
WSCR is a sports radio station in the Chicago, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by CBS Radio and transmits on 670 kHz on the AM dial. Its transmitter is located just off Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It is known as "The Score," and has been on...
"The Score 670" in Chicago from 1992 to 2008. He was also the color man for the Chicago Rush
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush is an arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois. It is a member of the Central Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League. The team was founded in 2001 and is co-owned by Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame player and coach.The Rush have qualified for the...
AFL team for two seasons alongside Tom Dore
Tom Dore
Tom Dore is a retired American basketball player and former Comcast SportsNet play-by-play announcer for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls....
. He was the co-host of
"Monsters and Money in the Morning" on WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
2 Chicago until its cancellation in 2010.
History
North was raised in Chicago's Rogers ParkRogers Park, Chicago
Rogers Park is one of the 77 Chicago community areas on the far north side of Chicago, Illinois, and is also the name of the Chicago neighborhood that constitutes most of the community area...
neighborhood and attended Senn High School
Senn High School
Nicholas Senn High School is located on the North Side of Chicago in the Edgewater community. Senn High School was inaugurated in 1913.-Education:...
from 1967-1970 before dropping out to work for the Chicago Park District
Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District is the oldest and largest park district in the U.S.A, with a $385 million annual budget. It has the distinction of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per capita...
. In 1971 he was drafted to join the US Army, completing basic training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana.
In the late 1970s, North and his wife, BeBe, purchased a hot dog stand where he enhanced earnings from the restaurant with a low-stakes gambling operation. During the 1980s he operated several hot dog stands in Chicago. Among North's frequent customers at his restaurant was the staff of Diamond Broadcasting, owners of WXRT
WXRT
WXRT, also known as WXRT 93.1, XRT, and 93-XRT is a AAA radio station in Chicago, Illinois. For many years their slogan has been "Chicago's Finest Rock". WXRT is a primary sponsor of the Chicago nonprofit Rock For Kids.-History:...
-FM and WSBC
WSBC
WSBC is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Chicago, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Chicago area. The station is owned by Newsweb Corporation....
-AM. After North suggested to them that he replace Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
columnist Bob Verdi as the host of a short sports segment on WXRT, North's contacts at Diamond suggested he lease time on WSBC if he was interested in pursuing a career in radio. North took their advice and launched the “NFL Handicap Show” on WSBC in 1990.
After the Diamond Broadcasting team purchased WSCR
WSCR
WSCR is a sports radio station in the Chicago, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by CBS Radio and transmits on 670 kHz on the AM dial. Its transmitter is located just off Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale, which is a western suburb of Chicago. It is known as "The Score," and has been on...
in 1992, North was hired to become one of the station's original personalities, teaming with Dan Jiggetts
Dan Jiggetts
Dan Jiggetts is a retired American football offensive lineman. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1976 NFL Draft-Early life:...
on The Monsters of the Midday show (a twist on the popular Chicago term, Monsters of the Midway
Monsters of the Midway
The "Monsters of the Midway" is most widely known as the nickname for the National Football League's Chicago Bears—particularly the dominant teams of 1940 and 1941...
),http://www.northtonorth.com/personalpages/mike.shtml. The two were reunited for a one year stint on cable television in 2009.http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-090112north-link,0,228645.storylink
Radio Timeline
- 1990- “NFL Handicap Show” on WSBC
- 1992- WSCR was launched. North teamed with former Chicago Bear, Dan Jiggetts on The Monsters of the Midday show.
- September 1999- North began hosting his own show, The Mike North Show, from 12-4pm Monday through Friday.
- 2002- North teamed up with former Chicago Bear, Doug BuffoneDoug BuffoneDouglas John Buffone is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Buffone, the son of a coal miner , attended high school at Shannock Valley High School in Rural Valley, Pennsylvania.-College career:Buffone played...
, and they soon became known as “The Wise Guys”.
- August 2002- North signed a multi-year contract worth an estimated $1.5 million a year,http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-06-greenstein-inside-mediajun06,0,5741101.story making him one of the highest paid radio personalities in Chicago.
- September 2004, North agreed to host The Score's morning show to compete with rival WMVPWMVPWMVP is the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is owned by ABC. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove. The station broadcasts live sports talk, both locally and nationally. Daily programming consists of talk shows that are both national and local...
's syndicated ESPN RadioESPN RadioESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
morning show, Mike and Mike in the MorningMike and Mike in the MorningMike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
. Until this move, North's shows had generally been broadcasted during mid-day or afternoon time slots.
- Spring 2006 North called his own station while driving drunk.http://northtonorth.com/pages/soundclips.shtml
- June 2008- Left WSCR when his contract with the station ended
Controversies
Calling Chicago Cubs Korean pitcher Jae Kuk Ryu a "Chinaman."http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/mike.north.senn.2.334127.htmlOpining that Hispanic-American newscaster Antonio Mora
Antonio Mora
Antonio Mora has been a news anchor at WFOR-TV in Miami since 2008. Before that, he served as an anchor at WBBM-TV in Chicago from 2002 to mid-January 2008. Prior to joining WBBM, he worked at ABC, where he was the news anchor for Good Morning America. He was the original anchor for Good Day L.A....
could get better ratings if he wore a sombrero
Sombrero
Sombrero in English refers to a type of wide-brimmed hat originating in Mexico. In Spanish, however, it is the generic word for "hat", which originates from "sombra", meaning "shade"....
during his newscasts.http://www.poe-news.com/stories.php?poeurlid=10592
On May 18, 2007, North engaged in a much-publicized argument with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén
Ozzie Guillén
Oswaldo José "Ozzie" Guillén Barrios is a Venezuelan-American former Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Miami Marlins. He managed the Chicago White Sox from 2004 to 2011 before asking for his release at the end of the 2011 season....
during his show, in which Guillen frequently cursed at North before hanging up on him.http://podcast.670thescore.com/wscr/468209.mp3
Outside of WSCR
North has released a CD, Caucasian Man, with music and interview highlights.North had an acting role in the movie Eden Court. In spite of being complete for a year, the film has only been screened at obscure festivals and has not secured commercial distribution.
North has appeared on WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
, WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV
WMAQ-TV, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Chicago, Illinois. WMAQ-TV's main studios and offices are located within the NBC Tower in the Streeterville neighborhood, with an auxiliary street-level studio on the Magnificent Mile at 401...
and WFLD
WFLD
WFLD, virtual channel 32 , is the Fox owned-and-operated television station, based in Chicago, Illinois; through its parent company News Corporation, the station is owned in a duopoly with area MyNetworkTV affiliate WPWR-TV...
-TV, and is frequently a featured guest on and occasionally the guest host of Comcast SportsNet
CSN Chicago
Comcast SportsNet Chicago is a member of the Comcast SportsNet network of regional sports networks that covers local sports teams in the Chicago area.-Background:CSN Chicago is jointly owned by NBCUniversal , the family of J...
Chicago's Chicago Tribune Live show.
North appeared in the slot formerly filled by Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
on WFAN
WFAN
WFAN , also known as "Sports Radio 66" or "The FAN", is a radio station in New York City. The station broadcasts on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio...
May 29 and 30, 2007.
In August 2008, North launched a short-lived, subscription-based sports gambling website, and had a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
hosted on the website of a Chicago-based restaurant chain.
In April 2009, North recruited his friend of over 15 years, the convicted wire fraud
Wire fraud
Mail and wire fraud is a federal crime in the United States. Together, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346 reach any fraudulent scheme or artifice to intentionally deprive another of property or honest services with a nexus to mail or wire communication....
felon, David Hernandez, to finance a webcasting company focused on Chicago sports.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Hernandez was using the business he founded with North to launder money from Hernandez's fraudulent "investment firm," NextStep Financial. The complaint alleges that North and Hernandez's business operated under the name of Spectrum Entertainment Group, which received over $160,000 of fraudulently-procured funds. Another shell company established by Hernandez using fraudulently-procured funds, The Ilumina Group, also financed the webcast operation.
While North was an executive for Spectrum Entertainment, $300,000 was funneled from one of Hernandez's businesses into North's own production company.
On June 12, 2009, Hernandez fired North after questions emerged about the businesses finances. The following day it was reported that Hernandez was under federal investigation, and Hernandez was subsequently charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with operating a Ponzi scheme
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to its investors from their own money or the money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned by the individual or organization running the operation...
.
In July 2009, North was sued in federal court by defrauded investors for his role in Hernandez's scheme.
The next month, August 2009, Comcast SportsNet decided to cancel North's television show, effective 31 December 2009.
Awards
- Achievement in Radio Award (four times)
- 1997 Best Sports Show (North and Dan Jiggetts)
- 2002 Best Talent on a News, Talk, Personality, or Sports Station
- 2004 Ellis IslandEllis IslandEllis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her... - 2005 Telly Award for a commercialTelevision advertisementA television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
that he did for the Score - 2 Chicago Emmy Awards
- Special Children’s Charities Entertainer of the Year Award
- Irv KupcinetIrv KupcinetIrv Kupcinet was an American newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a broadcast personality based in Chicago, Illinois...
Award - Richard J. DaleyRichard J. DaleyRichard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...
Award by the Red Cloud Athletic Fund - Silver Circle Award from The National Conference for Community and Justice of Chicago and Greater Illinois
- 2006 Inductee into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame- the first radio broadcaster ever to be inducted
- 2006 Media Excellence Award from the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame