Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel
Five months after Dan McNeil was cut as afternoon co-host on Entercom sports/talk WSCR 670-AM, Matt Spiegel is back together with Danny Parkins and The Score is back up to full staffing on weekdays.
The long-awaited reunion of Parkins and Spiegel from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday coincides with a multiyear contract extension for Parkins. Both moves were announced today.
“Matt Spiegel is one of the most versatile, smart, insightful, opinionated, entertaining hosts in the country," said program director and brand manager Mitch Rosen. "I’m so happy he and Danny have been reunited to lead afternoons on The Score.
"I’m looking forward to an entertaining, fun, and at times informative show. The combination of Danny, Spiegs, [executive producer] Shane Riordan and Chris Tannehill, the best audio/sound producer in Chicago, in my opinion gives the Chicagoland audience a great option to experience our content throughout all of our platforms in afternoon drive.”
Spiegel, who has held a variety of roles at The Score on and off for 27 years, previously teamed with Parkins in middays until 2018 when he shifted to weekends and fill-in. That was to make room for McNeil, who'd been brought back by Jimmy deCastro, then-senior vice president and market manager of Entercom Chicago.
McNeil was fired in September for tweeting a disparaging comment about an ESPN sideline reporter and her choice of wardrobe.
“This is where I’m supposed to be — talking sports and more with this audience, creating a daily space for connection and companionship,” Spiegel said in a statement released by the station.
“There’s nothing like it. Danny Parkins is a great host and a good friend. What he and I had found in terms of chemistry was special three years ago, and I’m super excited to resume, move forward creatively and see where we can go.”
The latest move follows the promotion last month of Leila Rahimi to midday co-host alongside Dan Bernstein. Bernstein had been without a full-time partner since Connor McKnight was laid off in April.
In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, The Score ranked 21st in afternoons with a 1.9 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 160,500.