Dan Bernstein heads to Hubbard via podcasting with “Unfiltered”
“Unfiltered” already in top ten in Apple Podcasts
Disposed by Audacy for a doxxing incident, former 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) morning host Dan Bernstein signed a deal with Hubbard Broadcasting, as reported by the Sun-Times on Monday, not to a terrestrial radio deal, but to host a podcast.
Titled Dan Bernstein: Unfiltered, the new venture from Hubbard is 312 Sports, from Hubbard’s new Gamut Sports Network, which launched last spring. Along for the ride is Matt Abbatacola, who was Bernstein’s producer at WSCR for fourteen years, from 2003 to 2017. The new podcast premieres August 25.
“Thirty years on Chicago airwaves taught me that fans want honesty above all else, and that’s what they can expect from me every day,” said Bernstein in a press release via the Sun-Times. “I couldn’t be more excited to get back behind the microphone, dig into Bears camp, and tell my story.” Bernstein’s show will be available Monday through Friday on YouTube, 312 Sports’ website, and in podcast form on all major platforms.
312 Sports is entering a very crowded sports podcast landscape, both locally and nationally. Among the local competitors is CHGO Sports, which also has a FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus.
Although Bernstein’s podcast is the only show in 312 Sports’ stable, more shows are being developed, including a Bears-specific podcast to be released on August 26.
Bernstein was fired from 670 The Score in March after threatening to dox a user on Twitter/X, after he claimed Bernstein killed a northern pike he posted on the social media platform. Bernstein even went as far as to involve the user’s kids. Back in the 1990s, former WFLD-TV news anchor Walter Jacobson did exactly that (before the term “doxxing” was coined) after he posted the name, address, and phone number of the judge presiding over the Baby Richard case.
Hubbard owns three radio stations in Chicago: Hot AC 101.9 The Mix (WTMX-FM), 1990s and 2000s Hits Throwback 100.3 (WTBC-FM), and the top-rated Classic Rock station The Drive (WDRV-FM). There may be cross-platform opportunities with The Drive since it primarily targets an older male demographic.
Despite not premiering yet, Bernstein’s podcast was already ranked sixth in Apple’s sports podcasts on August 13, meaning there are a lot of listeners who are interested in what he has to say. But far more listeners were interested in what Jason and Travis Kelce had to say, as Taylor Swift made a special appearance on their New Heights podcast this week, propelling them to the top spot among all categories, and not just sports. The video version drew twelve million views on YouTube since Wednesday.