It wasn’t the normal Wednesday morning staff meeting at 670 The Score. While station staff were focused on capitalizing on another week of postseason football conversation, an announcement years in the making was dropped. It caught some staff by surprise and created instant excitement. After 34 years of Chicago sports talk, 670 The Score will be adding a full FM simulcast beginning on February 2.
“First and foremost, I think it’s great for our audience,” said Mitch Rosen, Vice President, 670 The Score. “There was some surprise because we had been talking about this for a while. However, we’re really excited about what’s to come.”
Rosen has overseen day-to-day operations at 670 The Score since 2005, guiding the brand to unprecedented heights. He has ensured consistent success in both ratings and revenue. Rosen has also led the brand’s growth in the digital space through podcasts and video streaming platforms.
He regularly has finished atop the Barrett Media Top 20 sports programmers in the country and is the inaugural winner of the Barrett Media Mark Chernoff Award. His resume speaks for itself, yet this announcement provides a new opportunity for the brand he calls home.
“You look at the great successful sports content brands around the country. WFAN in New York City, 94 WIP in Philadelphia, and 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. They’re all on FM frequencies,” explained Rosen. “We’re fortunate to be a standalone AM yet do so well in Nielsen ratings over the years. It’s a testament to our team, and this gives us the opportunity to take it to the next level.”
Beginning February 2, a date Rosen dubbed “opening day,” 670 The Score will be rebranded as 104.3 The Score. All programming will be heard on both AM and FM. The Chicago sports radio brand evolves yet again, opening a new frontier for The Score in the latest chapter of its Windy City lineage.
The move itself was not instant, and the idea was not foreign. The first attempt at a full-time FM sports radio station in Chicago happened in 2014 when Tribune Broadcasting launched The Game 87.7. However, The Game bowed to their competition and signed off after nine months.
Over the years, Rosen says there have been many conversations about adding a full FM frequency to The Score.
“I’ve worked for and with some great people over the years: Rod Zimmerman, Rachel Williamson, Jimmy DeCastro, among others. Whenever a new market manager comes in, the first day I meet with them to go over The Score, they always ask what they could do for me,” said Rosen. “The first thing out of my mouth is I would love an FM. That’s not easy because we have some iconic brands on FM here in Chicago.”
While Rosen didn’t pinpoint an exact moment of change on the air, he noticed a shift from Audacy senior management in their focus to make the move official.
“When Chris Oliviero and Kelli Turner took over the reins in management at Audacy, I think this was a priority for Chicago,” notes Rosen. “Kevin Cassidy [Audacy Chicago market manager] was pivotal as well. Obviously, it took some time for all of us to cross the finish line. February 2, opening day, will be incredible.”
While the decision to make the move may now be settled, the true work for the outcome begins. With just under three weeks until the station shifts to a full FM simulcast, Rosen revealed all the changes that needed to be made. Leaning on the creative imaging mind of Russ Mitera to the digital and social wings of the radio station.
The Score began that transition immediately following the announcement, as social handles were updated and promotional messaging released to the audience. Rosen noted plans for massive cross-promotion among all Audacy Chicago brands, with a strategy already in place for execution.
“Similar to what WBBM NewsRadio did, we will promote the FM heavily. It’s all about the FM promotion to gain a new audience that might not be familiar with the brand,” explained Rosen. “We did an audit of all contributors and personalities. So come February 2, the power of promotion whereby everyone is going to help us.”
The Score serves as the radio flagship station for both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Cubs. Beginning February 2, both teams will also benefit from the move to a full FM simulcast. However, on days when two teams play at the same time, the added flexibility of having a full FM signal along with the legacy AM 670 signal will benefit the franchises.
“The good thing is with Neilsen, you can split the AM and FM signals. You can place one of the teams on the AM Score brand, and one on the FM Score brand,” said Rosen. “In the past, we’ve been fortunate to have WBBM 780AM, and we would put a team on 780AM. Now we have the power to put both on The Score at the same time beginning February 2.”
Rosen noted that Audacy’s plans were always about keeping the 670 AM signal intact with the full FM simulcast. Rather than follow examples set by other brands nationwide, where the AM signal was gradually phased out, he said it was key to keep it for Chicago.
“At the end of the day, and it’s well above my head. It’s a strategic business decision,” Rosen said. “The great thing is 104.3 The Score is how we’re going to brand this station. But we’re still going to have a 50,000-watt blowtorch. We’ll have the power of FM and AM. It’s an incredible feeling.”
Beginning on February 2, Chicago sports fans will hear the change for the very first time. Their favorite Score programs will be heard on the FM band, over three decades after the station launched on 820 AM. However, the goal remains the same for Rosen. While the allure of The Score on FM is a welcome addition, the station’s growth and mission remain unchanged in all other aspects.
“I have a sign on my door that says every segment counts, and I truly mean that,” noted Rosen. “I firmly believe that the audience will come. It’s a great example of being a standalone AM and how we’ve performed in terms of ratings throughout the years. If we do that on FM as well, we’ll continue to live in the promised land.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
