White Sox VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer said that a report of the team "finalizing a six-year contract this week" giving its radio rights to WLS-AM "is premature," according to Scot Gregor of the Chicago DAILY HERALD. Boyer said, "There is no deal with WLS. Our rights are up after this season, but there is no imminent deal. ... I'm not sure where today's blog post came from" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 6/24). Media blogger Robert Feder originally reported WLS "beat out two other 50,000-watt AM stations," including WSCR-AM, which "has been the radio home of the White Sox" since '06. Also "vying for the broadcast rights" was WGN-AM. WLS' White Sox deal is "believed to be part of a plan to revive the moribund station" (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/23).
BATTLE FOR CHICAGO: In Chicago, Mike Imrem writes "contrary to common perception, the White Sox must have a compelling plan for the future." Imrem: "Otherwise, why did three 50,000-watt stations bid for the Sox' radio rights starting in 2016? ... Could it be that the Sox knocked WLS' socks off with a strategy to become relevant again in town?" For a long time, the "best claim the Sox could make was that they put a better team on the field than the Cubs did." Now, "the fear on the South Side has to be" that the Cubs "soon will bury" their rivals. The White Sox "missed out on a tremendous opportunity the past few years." The Cubs "were an unwatchable product waiting to be overtaken … but the Sox were equally unwatchable." Now this season the Cubs "are contending for a playoff berth while the Sox are one of the most disappointing teams in the major leagues" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 6/24). Also in Chicago, Bruce Miles notes the Cubs are "starting to draw national notice." Beginning with tonight's game against the Dodgers, they "will appear on a national network for nine of their next 14 games." For the "second time in three weeks, ESPN will show the Cubs on 'Sunday Night Baseball' this weekend, when they play the Cardinals at Busch Stadium." ESPN will "pick up six of the nine network games, with Fox showing two Saturday games and the MLB Network televising Friday's game" against the Cardinals, with Bob Costas "on the call" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 6/24).
