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Published on Monday, 20 December 2010 18:04
UPDATE: Since first announcing the return of David Kaplan to WGN's nighttime airwaves, the working title of 'The David Kaplan Show" has been shelved. The title will now be "WGN Sports Night," even though the plan is to have the new show not be 100% sports. The article below has been updated to reflect this latest change.
It's a return to form of sorts for WGN-AM radio as the station announces tonight that
"The David Kaplan Show" "WGN Sports Night" will be station's new 7:00pm-10:00pm program, replacing the removed "Jim Laski Show." It will hosted by David Kaplan, who previously worked the evening shift with "Sports Central" on WGN-AM until the previous Program Director canceled the show to make room for Laski's.
The new show will not be "Sports Central" however. In addition to plenty of sports talk, the show will be further reaching than that and also focus on the top news stories of the day. In addition to "Kap," the show will prominently feature WGN-AM news anchor Andrea Darlas and a rotating cast of co-hosts. Those co-host will include Brian Noonan, Len Kasper, Glen Kozlowski, David Haugh, Teddy Greenstein, Phil Rogers, Tim Doyle and Dave Eanet. Regular guests will include Jim Hendry, Mike Quade, Pat Fitzgerald, John Wiedeman and Eddie Olczyk.
The new show will make it debut this Thursday, December 23rd, and will be heard each and every weeknight, except when pre-empted by sporting events.
Vice President and General Manager Tom Langmyer said in tonight's big announcement: "This program will be entertaining and different from shows on other stations in that it will include a wide variety of topics, and not be limited solely to sports discussion. The ensemble cast, featuring names our listeners know and trust, along with some new voices, will host the biggest personalities in Chicago and beyond. The show will also fit well alongside our renowned partnerships with the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Northwestern University Wildcats."
David Kaplan added: "WGN has been my home for sixteen years. I am thrilled to be part of Chicago's best radio station for a long time to come and to be working with such a great line-up of co-hosts."
It has been a great holiday month for David Kaplan, who just
last week was signed to a long-term agreement to be a key part of Comcast SportsNet Chicago, which will now be his exclusive television home, just as WGN-AM will now be his exclusive radio home for years to come.
In addition to his television, radio and web work, the always-busy Kaplan continues to co-write the "Around Town" sports column for the Chicago Tribune, along with veteran sports writer Fred Mitchell. He also writes a semi-regular blog on the Tribune-owned ChicagoNow blogsite called "Kap's Corner." Next year, he will add a blog and news reporting to Comcast SportsNet Chicago's website, as well.
David Kaplan is a Skokie native, who continues to live in the northern suburbs with his family. He played both football and baseball at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Prior to joining WGN-AM in April 1995, Kaplan made a name for himself at WMVP-AM in 1993 & 1994.
In his almost twenty years on Chicago radio and television covering sports, Kaplan has been honored and awarded numerous times for his work. Among the many accolades, he has earned six "Achievement in Radio" awards, been named as the Associated Press' "Newsfinder of the Year," won two "Silver Dome" awards from the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and three Emmy Awards.
