April 04--Ed Farmer, the White Sox play-by-play radio voice, wrapped up a spring training broadcast by saying, "This is Ed Farmer for WSCR..."
He hesitated and let out a muffled chuckle in realizing his mistake.
"... For WLS," he said.
Change will require adjustments this season, not only for Farmer and his crosstown colleague, Pat Hughes, the radio voice of the Cubs, but also for fans. The Cubs are moving from WBBM-AM 780 to WSCR-AM 670, their third station in three years, while the Sox depart WSCR for WLS-AM 890.
The shifts are historic. The Cubs and White Sox are switching radio stations for the first time in the same year since 1944.
The Cubs were on WGN-AM 720 from 1959-2014. CBS Radio then came in with a higher offer, and the Cubs went to WBBM in 2015. While it wasn't announced at the time, it was anticipated that after the Sox deal ran out with CBS-owned WSCR last season, the Cubs would be moved to the sports-talk station for the remaining six years of the contract.
It makes sense. The Cubs weren't an ideal fit for WBBM, especially weekday games that required the station to deviate from its successful all-news format. There won't be any issues at all-sports WSCR, where operations director Mitch Rosen said the station plans to treat every game as a "prime-time broadcast."
The expanded coverage features a pregame show that will run 35 minutes, including segments with manager Joe Maddon and pitching coach Chris Bosio. The postgame show, hosted by Mark Grote, will stretch to 45 minutes and perhaps longer.
"If there's a huge game or series, we can expand the postgame show," Rosen said. "That's the big advantage of being on a sports radio station."
This will be the Cubs' first taste of having their games on an all-sports station. WSCR won't give the same kind of boosterish treatment they mostly enjoyed from WGN during non-game hours. Sports-talk radio hosts have a different agenda, and it could be open season at times on the Cubs.
"We will respect them," Rosen said. "But if there are critical plays or moves, of course, we're going to weigh in. We're in the opinion business."
Airing baseball and the White Sox will be a completely new experience in the long history of WLS. Peter Bolger, the operations and program director, hopes the relationship will help both parties.
"There's a good match," Bolger said. "WLS has had a tough couple years, and the Sox have had a rough couple years. I think we can help each other."
Bolger said WLS has created a sports staff with Connor McKnight and Rachel Brady to ramp up the coverage with the addition of the Sox and beginning with the 2016-17 season, the Bulls. McKnight will serve as host of the Sox call-in, postgame shows.
Bolger also expects more Sox talk throughout the day. Afternoon host Steve Dahl, a Sox fan, already has had Farmer on his show.
Bolger is counting on the Sox and Bulls "to broaden our appeal."
"We're in the business where success depends on how many people we have in our tent," Bolger said. "The Sox (and Bulls) brings us a whole new group of people."
Ultimately, WLS' baseball ratings will be affected by how the Sox fare on the field. As always, winning takes care of everything.
"I know (WLS) isn't a traditional button for sports fans to push," Bolger said. "Your avid Sox fan is going to be listening regardless because they are fans. If the team does well, other fans will find us."
Ed Sherman is a freelancer writer for the Chicago Tribune.
