From the Suntimes:
Mike North, the former hot dog stand owner who became one of Chicago's top radio sportscasters, has signed a red hot deal to continue hosting afternoons at WSCR-AM (670).
North and bosses of the Infinity Broadcasting sports talk station known as the Score declined to discuss or confirm terms of the agreement, which takes effect next July. But insiders said it was a five-year deal worth a total of $7.5 million. At $1.5 million a year, it more than doubles North's current annual salary of $700,000.
Not bad for a self-styled Chicago street kid and Senn High School dropout.
"I'm happy that I'm going to be here for a long time," said North, 50, who negotiated the deal without an agent. "The Score has always been my passion. I've been here from Day One, and I've never wanted to work for anybody else. I love all the people at the Score. For a guy who came from where I was a little over 10 years ago, I can't believe the position I'm in now."
Drew Hayes, operations director at the Score, said he was pleased to keep North.
"We're thrilled that Mike will be with the Score for many years to come," he said. "He helped change the face of sports radio here in Chicago and nationally with his style and candor. Mike truly is one of the top personalities in Chicago and in Chicago radio."
By renewing North more than nine months before his current contract expires, Infinity pre-empted what could have been an even costlier bidding war for his services. Although its revenues are more than $10 million greater than that of ABC's WMVP-AM (1000), the Score is locked in a ratings death match with the ESPN Radio flagship, which beat the Score for the first time ever in Arbitron's spring survey.
North, who hosted middays on the Score since its inception in 1992, last month was shifted to afternoons and was teamed up with Doug Buffone from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The new deal will put North in the highest echelon of Chicago media personalities and in league with radio stars Mancow Muller of WKQX-FM (101.1), Ed Volkman and Joe Bohannon of WBBM-FM (96.3), and Eric Ferguson of WTMX-FM (101.9).