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Published on Wednesday, 24 October 2012 08:05
CBS Radio Chicago and the Chicago Bears organization today announced they have agreed on an exclusive multi-year agreement, extending & expanding their current contract. WBBM-AM will remain the team's flagship radio station, but the new deal also expands Bears coverage across all of the CBS-Owned radio stations in Chicago.
WBBM-AM/Newsradio 780, currently simulcast on WCFS-FM, as well, has been the radio home of the Chicago Bears consistently since 2000. (The station also carried Bears broadcasts for various years over the previous four decades.) This new deal will keep the exclusive rights to Chicago Bears game broadcasts in English there for at least five more years to come. WBBM-AM will continue to produce the broadcasts and remains responsible for all advertising and sponsorships contained within them.
The radio broadcasts will be continued to be announced by the current broadcasting team of WBBM-AM Sports Director Jeff Joniak and former Chicago Bear guard Tom Thayer. WSCR-AM's Zach Zaidman will continue as the sideline reporter.
Additionally, the Chicago Bears Network will continue to air the show "Bears Insider" on WBBM-AM. The show, hosted by Jeff Joniak and featuring coach Lovie Smith, is heard most Monday evenings at 7:00pm.
The deal calls for much more than just airing Chicago Bears games and programs on WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM, though. There will be Chicago Bears specialty programming added to all of the rest of the CBS Radio Chicago stations: WBBM-FM/B96, WUSN-FM/US99.5, WJMK-FM/K-Hits, WXRT-FM/93XRT, and especially, WSCR-AM/The Score.
All of the Chicago CBS radio station morning shows will feature a segment with a Bears representative every Monday morning during football season. Stations will be able to have Bears-themed contests and promotions, as well.
Some of the many Bears features heard on WSCR-AM/670 The Score will include:
- The Score's team coverage on Mondays will extend well beyond a morning show interview, going throughout the day under the banner "Bears Mondays"
- After positive results so far this season, "Bears Noon Hour Update" will continue to run weekdays on WSCR-AM throughout the Bears' seasons
- Beginning next season, a 3-4 minute Bears segment will air on Saturday evenings on WSCR-AM, with replays through Sunday morning on WBBM-AM
- The Chicago Bears Radio Network's weekly show, "Bears All-Access" will become a year-round program, not just during the Bears pre-season and regular season. The one-hour show, featuring one or two different Bears players each week, is hosted by Zach Zaidman and currently airs most Thursday evenings at 6:00pm on WSCR-AM.
Another key part of the new agreement is that the Chicago Bears will have the option to launch their own HD radio station on WCFS-FM's HD3 channel.
