Ed Sherman interviews Dan Jiggetts & Mike North

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: A Q & A with Dan Jiggetts : Posted by Ed Sherman : at 1/9/2009 7:59 AM CST on Chicago Business : Former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Dan Jiggetts offers his take on "Monsters in the Morning" on Comcast SportsNet and being reunited with Mike North. The show debuts Monday at 6 a.m. : : What's your vision for the show? : Mr. Jiggetts: We'll have some structure, obviously. But a lot of it will be that we'll start off in one direction and we won't know where we're going to go. That's the way our personalities are. That's the joy of it. It won't be as structured as sports you'll see on TV. : : How will three hours of television be different than three hours of radio? : You can't come in your shorts and T-shirt. However, a lot of it is conversation. A lot of people turn on their TVs because they want to hear something and be a part of it. What we're offering is whether you're home or at work is to turn us on and be a part of the sports conversation. That's what will really drive us. : : How guest-driven will the show be? : A fair amount. We'll have people via satellite. We'll have people on the phone. You're talking about a visual medium. You want to make sure there's something for people not only to hear, but also to watch. : : Why will this work on TV? : Because of the genius of Mike and I (big laugh). : : You were together for 7 1/2 years at WSCR. What's your relationship like now? : Every time we sit down, it's the same thing. I'm telling him I'm going to snap his neck, and he just keeps doing it. We have a good relationship. We understand each other. Our personalities haven't changed. We've kept the brand strong through all the years. We'll see how strong it is with this new venture. This will really test it. : : How will the show be different a year from now? : It will morph and change a little bit. This is an opportunity for us to get something off the ground and see where it's going to go. That's the fun part of the business. : : ================================ : : North pumped up about new morning show on CSN : Posted by Ed Sherman : at 1/9/2009 8:00 AM CST on Chicago Business : Mike North, hardly shy and retiring, is excited about his latest venture. He and former WSCR partner Dan Jiggetts are joining forces again for "Monsters in the Morning," a new show that debuts Monday at 6 a.m. on Comcast SportsNet. The program will air weekdays from 6-9 a.m. : Mr. North has quite a bit on the line. In next week's Crain's Chicago Business, I'll detail the unique business arrangement Mr. North has made with CSN. Instead of taking a straight salary, his production company, Licorice, will sell ads along with CSN, and both parties will share in the revenue. : Mr. North is confident he can deliver viewers and advertisers. Here is a Q & A with Mr. North about his departure from WSCR last summer and his hopes for the new television show. : : How difficult was it to leave WSCR? Even though they wanted to cut your salary in half, you walked away from $800,000. : Mr. North: We didn't agree on a contract. It wasn't just about the money. I just thought I couldn't trust certain people over there. Did I want to leave the SCR? Absolutely not. I just didn't like the temperature. : : After leaving SCR, you did a radio show for Rich Melman's Wildfire Web site. How did that work out? : Rich Melman saved me. I was able to stay viable for all the months I was in a non-compete. : : How does it feel to be reunited with Dan Jiggetts? : I said to myself, Dan and I could be bigger than ever, but we've got to do it in the right venue. TV is the right venue. It is rare when good teams get back together. Did we talk all the time? No. Were there any axes to grind? No. : : What is your vision for the show? : Morning TV needs to be livened up. The show will be a combination of Fox NFL Sunday and TNT NBA pre-game show. Nonsense, tomfoolery, criticism. : : How will the show be different on television than radio? : There's stuff you can do on radio, you can't do on TV. It's a morning show, and it is going to be a little lighter. I can't say if Juan Uribe wasn't a fat slob, maybe he would hit higher than .220. Now I would say, if he ever came in shape … : : CSN is owned by the major pro teams in town. Will that have any impact on your ability to be critical? : Jerry Reinsdorf is my boss. So is Rocky Wirtz and the Cubs. : But nobody's getting a free pass. I told Reinsdorf that. He said, "I'm not spending this kind of money on you because I want you to change." : You know what happens. The first time I say something that's going to ruffle somebody, there will be a call. : : Do you have any final words? : People never expected to see me again. I'm not letting everyone off that easy.

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