Mike North - Radio Renaissance Man

By Ken Payne
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He’s often controversial, never afraid to call it like he sees it, he talks sports with the best of them and is always up for a debate – he’s…Mike North? Yes, Mike North, and every sport’s fan in Chicago knows his name whether they want to or not. Currently hosting The Morning Show on 670 AM’s The Score, Mike has certainly made a name for himself throughout Chicago since bursting on the sports radio scene in the early ‘90’s, and this without the benefit of college or broadcasting school. In fact, North didn’t even finish high school. Though maybe not as polished and “professional” (boring) as other radio show hosts and competitors, North has reeled in minions of listeners just by being himself; a neighborhood guy who likes to talk sports, and that’s what people really want. He’s the man mowing the lawn next door who breaks from his chores to talk about last night’s Cubs game with you. He’s the cabbie who tells you that the Bulls’ best move in years was trading Tyson Chandler – just a buddy to talk sports with. Mike North lives and breathes sports and did so long before he even considered getting into the business. He’s a fan – a fan like you and me, and he could possibly be the hardest working man in sports radio.

In his decade and a half on The Score, North has had his ups and downs like anyone else would. He’s spent plenty of time in management’s office getting reprimanded for things he’s said that could be construed as over-the-top or controversial, but at the same time has been lucky enough to live his dream – getting paid for talking about the things he loves. A charmed life? Mike would tell you, ‘Absolutely”. Growing up as a native of Rogers Park, Mike never dreamed he’d become Chicago king of sports radio, especially considering the fact that he dropped out of high school. However, Mike’s world turned for the better when he met Be-Be 31 years ago. Be-Be was the inspiration Mike needed and vice-versa. The two went on to open three hotdog stands, including Be-Be’s Hotdogs in the mid-eighties where encouragement from regular customers ultimately prodded Mike to buy some airtime on local radio and do his own show. Be-Be stood behind Mike as they managed to get the sponsors they needed, which turned out to be the biggest stepping-stone leading up to his gig at The Score. It was anything but an easy ride as Mike had to hunt down checks from sponsors, work at his hotdog stands, prepare for a show, do the show, and spread the word about his show - but his hard work, determination and sleepless nights eventually did pay off.

With format changes and different management in and out, the one constant in North’s career has been that he has never forgotten how he got to where he is today, nor the people that helped him get there, especially his lovely wife Be-Be and loyal companion Licorice, his dog of seventeen years. Be-Be regularly joins Mike for an Adopt-A-Pet segment in which the North’s try to find homes for pets in need – a segment that has gained popularity and has saved plenty of dog’s lives. What can you say? The North’s are animal lovers.

Buzz – What is it you love the most about your job?

Mike North – Well, that I don’t have to do the physical stuff, the physical labor, I mean, standing on your feet sixteen hours a day, working in the hot dog business…I was working 15-16 hours a day. You work 15-16 hours a day for about fifteen years…and what happened was the bingo place from across the street of one of my main place put food in.. So I lost 25-30% of my business because they used to be packed every night and then they would come over and eat my food. Then we closed campus and that’s why I decided to get into this business. The greatest thing is that I wish athletes could work a job like I did or work a job like you and me and normal people do – drive a bakery truck, work in a gas station, or whatever. Then they’d appreciate what they got because I worked my butt off until I was 37-38 years old and then I was fortunate enough to get this gig and work my way up, and now I appreciate everything I got.

Buzz – That had to be a hell of a transition from working at a hotdog place to on-air broadcasting.

Mike – It was, except sports is what I used to talk about when I was at the stand. People would come in and they were preparing me for all this by talking sports with me all the time. When I was in the hotdog business the ’85 Bears were goin’, [Greg] Maddux was in his first stint with the Cubs. So, I started in the hotdog business in ’76 – that’s a long time to be talking sports with all my customers. It really was like a proving ground. It was like going to school. So when I got on the radio, what helped me was doing that WSBC stint, but I didn’t even finish high school so I mean, it’s a freak thing that happened to me. There’s other ways to do it like go to Columbia and Connecticut School of Broadcasting and stuff like that, but I took some short cuts and it wasn’t like I was starving if I didn’t get something, you know.

Buzz – So this must be like a dream come true.

Mike – I used to listen to Chet Coppock. I used to listen to Rich King. I used to yell at the radio. I was a listener. Oh yeah, and I used to call Chet Coppock’s show. And I always thought that Chet was a little easy on people and I said that if I ever get the opportunity, I’d be a little bit different. But he was an influence, he really was. That’s why it hurt so bad when I got my job and he called me a tenth-rate hotdog stand owner. But it was all in good fun. I know Chet and he didn’t mean anything by it. That’s ok; I think Chet knew that the score was going to be viable. And here it is fifteen years later…

Buzz – How did WXRT come up with a sports radio show?

Mike – I told Danny Lee and Seth Mason, they wanted to start a cool country or jazz station and I said, “You should have a sports station.” Danny asked me what I meant and I told him that there were sports stations in Denver, Kansas City, L.A., New York and Indianapolis, but there wasn’t one here. So they decided to go that route and, I don’t know if they felt they owed it to me, but I tried out and I went up against 300 other guys and I made it to the final ten. Then they finally told me they wanted me to do weekends and I told them I didn’t want to do weekends. I wanted to do a regular stint. They said, “We can’t – we got somebody else.” Then, whoever this somebody else was, I heard it was Bruce Wolf, decided they didn’t want to do it so then they gave me a six-month trial. After about three month in they gave me a contract so then I knew things were going well.

Buzz – Was there ever a point at the beginning where they thought the sports station wouldn’t make it?

Mike – No, there was never that point – there was never that point. We always knew that it would be fine. I think, we’ll actually, there was a point when after the first diaries came out, the first ratings, and we had zero. But that was a screw up I believe on Arbitron’s part. But at first - no ratings! I remember when we first came on the air and we had no commercials or anything. It was different.

Buzz – Zero ratings…that would be scary.

Mike – Ratings are all subjective and ridiculous anyway. Say you like my show: Have you ever filled out a diary? Do you know anybody who has? You know. That’s what I’m saying. So I’m trying to figure out who the hell’s doing it…aliens? Diaries are supposed to be sent to your homes and I don’t know anybody who’s ever filled one out.

Buzz – Was it tough to get sponsors during the initial stages?

Mike – At first you gotta see how it sounds, but after about three months, and we already had the sales staff from WXRT, we were in the same building as WXRT at the time, so it was cool. He could just incorporate a sales staff to sell for both sides, WXRT and The Score, which was good for the sales people.

Buzz – You are outspoken and say it how it is whether you ruffle someone’s feather or not. Do you get angry calls or mail from people who feel you disrespected them?

Mike – Oh, I get mail – all the time. But I understand, and I don’t know everything and I make a lot of mistakes. But I understand. The only ones I don’t like are the mean spirited ones but that doesn’t happen too often. It used to happen more back in the day but I think I’ve proven myself in the long haul. I mean, I’ve been doing this since ’92. I but I think people understand, for the most part, what I’m saying. Still, there’s not a day that goes by where I don’t make a mistake or two. That’s what the listeners are for – they call you on it.

Buzz – You may have a hard edge or exterior as a radio host, but the truth is you have a big heart, don’t it?

Mike – Well, thank you. I do. I do a lot of stuff with my wife, Be-Be, for pets, dogs, and we give a lot to charities, but when it comes to talking sports in this town, I was born here, I was raised here, you know, I call a spade a spade.

Buzz – I’ve noticed there are other radio shows in which callers are often made to look stupid by the host or hosts, as though their questions are idiotic or their opinions are laughable. You on the other hand, always make your callers feel welcome whether you agree with them or not. You might debate or tell them they’re out of their minds, but you do it in a fun way, as opposed to using hurtful sarcasm, or giving them a self-righteous, pretentious response.

Mike – Well I learned that from the hotdog business. You can disagree with the customer, but the customer came to see you and you should service them. You should take care of them. So that’s what I learned from the hotdog stand business. The customer could complain about something but you’ve got to learn how to handle it. I treat the listeners like I used to treat the people at the hotdog stand. You may not agree with them, they might take long to order, you may get exasperated, but I learned to be patient, that’s it.

Buzz - Have you ever heard the comparison calling you the Howard Stern of sports radio?

Mike – Yeah, but you know what, things have changed. I think I used to have a dirtier mouth. I think you have to watch yourself more with things now, especially working for CBS – they’re a corporation. When it was owned by a private owner you had a little more leeway, but you also had the FCC. But I’ve never been suspended. I’ve never been suspended. People think I’ve been suspended, people think I’ve had problems, but I’ve never been suspended.

Buzz – Were you saddled with guideline after guideline?

Mike – Not really. You know how I found out if I did something wrong? When people complain about it. CBS, it’s a process for them too sometimes. You say something you think is ok, and the next thing you know, there are complaints. The listeners basically dictate to the corporation what’s acceptable and what’s not.

Buzz – Is there a certain instance that sticks out where you really got in trouble at the station for things you’ve said.

Mike – Do you have like three hours? (Laughs) It depends who the bosses are. Some bosses are more lenient than other bosses. It’s been tougher lately; they’re making cuts in radio. They’re so worried about their own asses that they over micro-manage. But for the most part they’ve left me alone, to be honest with you.

Buzz – What don’t you like about your job?

Mike – I don’t like the politics of the job. I don’t like management’s edicts sometimes, but everybody goes through that. That’s the same with any job. Other than that, I love the job. This job has been my whole life. It’s been unbelievable. And my station manager let’s me roll for the most part. Mitch Rosen’s a good guy. I’ve worked for a lot of station managers and he’s pretty lenient.

Buzz – By listening to you on the air, is it safe to assume that you are always having fun?

Mike – Always. We do a lot of laughing and Anne and Fred are good. I have a good crew, good producers and stuff. We’ve got six people on this show. We’ve got three producers, Steve Buchman, Jen Patterson and Rock, and then we’ve got Anne Maxfield and Fred. We’re a team. We’re a family.

Buzz – How much work is involved in your show?

Mike – I would say…I devote, counting the four hours on the air, 12 hours a day. Oh yeah, because you’re always watching things. Last night I watched the Sox game and that took about three hours. I watch the afternoon shows on the Eastern Seaboard Programming Network. I don’t mention their name but you could figure it out. I get my highlights and stuff like that. I watch “Pardon the Interruption” and “Around the Horn” and I read four newspapers in the morning before we go on the air. I’ve always got a yellow pad filled with stuff. You’ve got to prepare if you want to be good. And you’ve got to be ready to go. If you’re prepared, for the most part, you aren’t going to have any problems.

Buzz – Have you had your share of crazy moments on The Score?

Mike – Well, we’ve had crazy moments, a lot of controversial moments. You know, I’ve been called into management numerous times about the things I’ve said. When we were over at WXRT with The Score, you had all these hippy-like DJs on one side of the building and all us maniacs on the other side. I thought that was crazy in itself. Because we were all type-A personalities then, it was Dan MacNeal, myself, Tom, Terry Boers, Dan Jiggets, Mike Murphy…I mean everybody – type-A. We were a shot and a beer crowd and they were a smoke a joint crowd – I don’t know if they still do, but they were really laid back and we were anything but that. They’re type-D and we’re type-A, but they were good people and we had a great time with them.

Buzz - Despite drinking, you always kept it professional when on the air.

Mike – I don’t drink as much as I used to. When I was doing this in ’92, I didn’t know how much this was going to last. From ’92 to, I’d say a ten-year span, it was a lot, a lot of drinking. But since I’m doing mornings I don’t drink much because you can’t.

Buzz – Did drinking ever affect your show?

Mike – There were days, but I never missed a day.

Buzz – You couldn’t hear it on the air.

Mike - No one would hear it because no one wants to hear your problems. Look, the guy out there wants to be entertained and he’s probably got a hangover. You don’t need to hear that crap. Nobody wants to hear you complain. I’ve literally been sick during commercials, but when the light goes on, you do your job. You gut it up. Lately, it’s been a lot better than it was. I’m better now and my wife always takes care of me. I eat better, I watch myself more, I work out a lot now.

Buzz – What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t working here?

Mike – I’d have the hotdog stands. That’s what we’d still be doing – working in the food business, my wife and I – I believe. But thank God we don’t have to, and it’s a lot easier but it’s still demanding and getting up at four in the morning isn’t easy, but I’m not asking anyone to cry for me. I get paid a good salary and I have a lot of fun.

Buzz – When you first started out in the radio biz, you probably didn’t imagine you’d be where you are today.

Mike – No. My first contract was for $45,000 and I still had the hotdog stand. I was just starting out, but it’s been unbelievable. Unbelievable. I won the lottery.

Buzz – Who inspires you?

Mike – My wife. Be-Be is by my side ALL the time. She stands beside me no matter what. She’s been through a lot of ups and downs with me. I mean, life has been no picnic. I grew up in town in a volatile, well not volatile, but a family situation that wasn’t “The Cosby Show”. Let me put it to you that way. It wasn’t “Father Knows Best”. But she’s been great and we’ve been together 31 years.

Buzz – You’re really seen hanging in Edison Park a lot.

Mike – I hang out in the Edison Park neighborhood. I hang out at Tony’s Deli, and Saturday’s, if you want to find Mike North, you can find me there at twelve o’clock on Saturday’s. Then there’s EPI, Morretti’s, Freddy Hoffman, Zia’s…I hang in that neighborhood. I live in Park Ridge so it’s like two minutes away. Park Ridge is really like an extension of Chicago.

Buzz – What recurring guests do you look forward to talking to?

Mike – I like A.J. Pierzynski. A.J.’s great…Don Cooper, this year. In the past we’ve had Mike Ditka who’s always awesome. I think my favorite guests of all time if I could name a top four of five would be…Jeromy Roenick was great, Chris Zorich, Ditka, my buddy Fritzy, a guy who I grew up with. I mean there have been a lot of fun guys for the most part. It’s been 99% positive.

Buzz – And of course Rat Packer, Joey Bishop…

Mike – Joey Bishop yelling at me calling me a liar. I said that Sinatra drank…he was just protecting his guy. When you stop and think about it, I’ve done over 7,700 interviews, so if I don’t know how to do it now, I’ll never know.

Buzz – Is there a part of you that doesn’t see yourself doing this much longer?

Mike – Yeah, I think that down the line I won’t be doing it. Radio has gotten very confined, a lot of politics are involved. I think that the money they were paying back in the day, they won’t be dishing out in the future. Our main demographic is men between 25 and 54 years old, and I’m going to be 54. So I don’t know how much I’m going to be going past their demographic. But as long as they want me…when they don’t want you it’s time to go. I’ve seen them come and I’ve seen them go. Like Dick Biondi, he’s gone. Chet Coppock isn’t doing much anymore and these guys were all great. These guys were on the upswing and then they went down.

Buzz – That’s a hard pill to swallow, unless you’re ready to move on.

Mike - I really believe there is something else out there for me but I have two more years at The Score, so we’ll see what happens after that. If The Score doesn’t want me after two years, I’m sure there will be someone else who would want me on their station.

Buzz – After years of experience, what advice would you pass on to those who want to get in to their own business, perhaps the radio or media business?

Mike – I’d just like to say man, if you got a dream you’ve got to pursue it. You do the best you can and be passionate about what you are doing. I’m not preaching, I’m just telling the truth, I mean, anything’s possible, man. I met a good-looking woman, I’ve got a great job, I’ve got my health, I’ve got a great dog, a great home, and when you’re growing up, you don’t know if any of that is possible. If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.

Buzz – What would you have to say about your fans? They’re a dedicated bunch.

Mike – What started out as a cult has turned into an epidemic. I love them – they’re the best. I think doing mornings has been very helpful. I think that we’re finally buying advertising; there are billboards out on the highway now. There’s a billboard right behind home plate where the Sox play. Doing stuff like this helps. I never say no to too many people. If they want to interview me – I’m honored! I never thought I’d sign autographs before. They’re probably worth a whole thirty-five cents, but I appreciate the loyalty. I always try to be good to people and I try to do a lot of stuff for people.

Buzz – And how about the listeners who aren’t that crazy about you?

Mike – If everybody likes you, you’re not doing your job. Howard Cosell once said that he wanted fifty percent of the people to like him and fifty percent of the people to not like him, but he didn’t want anyone to shut him off. You want the people to be at the point where they don’t shut you off; whether they like you or not they want to hear what idiotic thing you’ll say next.

Buzz - Where do you see yourself five – ten years from now?

Mike – I see myself here six months of the time and four months in Vegas.

Buzz – Working in Vegas?

Mike – Maybe, maybe. Nowadays, you can work from anywhere. I don’t know, maybe working part time. In ten years I’ll only be 64 so I’ll still be rolling.

Buzz – Your story is truly that of starting from the bottom and working your way up. There are a lot of people who, for whatever reason, helping out at home, having to work right from high school or not being able to afford college, see you – no college, no high school diploma - and say, “Hey, I can do that – Mike North did.”

Mike – Oh yeah, I’m the antichrist of radio college. You can rent time - let me tell everybody this - you can rent radio time. Get yourself some sponsors, do a radio show for an hour, sell an ad spot for a hundred bucks for a minute, 30 seconds for fifty bucks, have live reads. Get people to buy time from you to pay for studio time, list it in the paper like I used to do in the Sun-Times and you’ll develop a following. You don’t have to go to school to do that. Get a radio spot for $300, go on the radio when there’s a time slot, get three sponsors, and do your show, and then keep your tapes. That’s what I did. WSBC.

Buzz – Get the sponsors and you’ve got a radio show…

Mike – That’s what I did. I had Aamco, Vienna, General Electric…A lot of them came through my hotdog stand – they were my customers. I told them,” I’ve got a radio show, I need your guy’s help.” I used to sell thirteen increments and every thirteen weeks I’d go get a check. Now sometimes people would drop off, but then you’d just find some new people. There are a lot of people that helped me from the beginning. All these people helped me tremendously. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today because I had to have a way to pay for it. Then I’d sell about a thousands dollars worth a week, pay the station $300 and had $700 left over. I was going to do that forever! But then this opened up and here we are.