A new management team is set to take over at ESPN Radio 1000 Chicago after the station signed a "long-term local marketing agreement with Good Karma Brands," according to Chicago-based media reporter Robert Feder. Effective Sept. 29, the Milwaukee-based company will "lease the station and assume control of all operations." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. While the station will "continue to be branded as ESPN 1000, it’s unclear how the move will affect the local talent roster." A formal announcement said only that Good Karma would “expand its affiliate relationship” with ESPN Radio and that the station would “feature a lineup of local and national sports talk programming and ESPN Radio’s national play-by-play lineup.” It is a "good bet that the popular afternoon team of Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman will continue for the foreseeable future." But the "fate of other local hosts, including David Kaplan, Carmen DeFalco, John 'Jurko' Jurkovic and Jonathan Hood may be less certain." ESPN Radio Chicago VP & GM Jim Pastor said that he "will retire at the end of the year" (ROBERTFEDER.com, 8/28).
