In January of 2022, Ryan Porth was finishing up a run as Program Director of 102.5 The Game in Nashville and had a baby on the way as he embarked on a new adventure. Porth relocated to Chicago to become Assistant Brand Manager at 670 The Score and the move has certainly paid off for him.
Just 14 months after joining The Score, Porth has been elevated to Program Director.
“I’m super-excited to be able to lend an even bigger helping hand and helping The Score continue to move forward across all platforms,” said Porth. “It’s an ever-evolving sports media business. We’re not just radio. We’re audio, we’re video and we’re a little bit of everything.”
Porth assumes the day-to-day programming responsibilities and will continue to report to Mitch Rosen who is also getting a promotion from Program Director to Vice-President and Brand Manager. The duo has enjoyed a terrific working relationship thus far and now that will continue with bigger roles as The Score continues to flourish.
“Ryan has shown great leadership and tremendous skills at The Score since joining our team,” said Rosen. “His knowledge with all platforms including the digital aspects of our brand has been extremely helpful, and I look forward to his growth with The Score brand.”
Upon Porth’s arrival in Chicago, Rosen became a mentor to him as he adjusted to life, both professionally and personally, in a new market.
“I had only known one job in one city, which was my role with 102.5 The Game in Nashville, and also became a first-time dad six weeks after I started (at The Score),” said Porth. “He could not have been more supportive and understanding through that.”
It didn’t take long for Porth to realize that the sports scene in Chicago was a bit different than it was in Nashville.
In Nashville, there are two major professional teams in the Titans and Predators along with Nashville SC in Major League Soccer. In Chicago, you have the major sports teams the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks along with the Chicago Fire of MLS.
That’s a lot of teams with a lot to discuss and suits Porth just fine.
“Coming from Nashville, a completely different pace with the sports market,” said Porth. “Coming here, I pinch myself everyday that I get the opportunity to work in a sports city like this. There’s something going on here all the time which, as a die-hard sports fan, I think is pretty dang cool.”
These days, a radio station isn’t solely about radio anymore.
A successful station, whether it’s sports or any other format, has to be able to change with the times and that includes many different components like podcasts, social media and video.
Ryan Porth is all in.
“People want a visual of what they’re listening to,” said Porth. “That has been the case for a long time but now there’s all sorts of great technology that sports radio stations and radio stations in general are taking advantage of. It’s super-important nowadays to have that video component and if you don’t, you’re behind the eight-ball.”
Ryan Porth and The Score has been a marriage made in heaven in Chicago and it hasn’t taken him long to move up the corporate ladder. He went through a big life change less than a year and a half ago and now it looks like it was a change that will continue to pay big dividends, both for him and his family and for sports fans in Chicago.
Peter Schwartz writes weekly sports radio features for Barrett Media. He has been involved in New York sports media for over three decades, and has worked for notable brands such as WFAN, CBS Sports Radio, WCBS 880, ESPN New York, and FOX News Radio. Peter has also served as play by play announcer for the New Yok Riptide, New York Dragons, New York Hitmen, Varsity Media and the Long Island Sports Network. You can find him on Twitter @SchwartzSports or email him at DragonsRadio@aol.com.
