There are rumors rampant that the White Sox may invest in a radio station of their own after their deal with The Score expires in 2010. On paper, this sounds like a good idea if it is done right. 

My biggest concern is out of market fans. I live in Wisconsin, west of Milwaukee.  During the week, I work in Sheboygan, sixty miles north of Milwaukee. I get The Score fine in my house, in my garage, in my car and in Sheboygan.  If the Sox go to AM, the only way I'd be able to listen to them is to visit my parents in Palatine.  A 50k blowtorch is the best marketing tool any sports team could have.  While the Chicago area proper and most of the burbs would get Sox games, central and southern Illinois would miss out.  And, I guarantee you, no one outside of a few stations in Northern Indiana will beat the drums to become a network affiliate.  This hurts the Sox with their out of market fans more than you know.  And, while the Sox may not care, many of those people buy tickets and follow the team.

Not all Sox games are on TV, but all of them are on the radio and many out of market Sox fans who do not want to have to pay MLB for the privilege of hearing their favorite team may be put out.  Once you give people something for free, making them pay for it is a tough trick.

Okay, now, let's say the Sox go ahead and buy the station.  What would I do with it if they made me program director?:

• The call letters WSOX are in play at a station in Red Lion, PA.  WCWS belong to the college of Wooster. WSBB (White Sox baseball is owned by an AM in New Smyrna Beach, FL.  I'd call Red Lion and ask them how much for the call letters.
• The first person I would hire, without question, would be Ranger Rongey.  The guy does an outstanding job on the pre and post game coverage and I would hire him to do that, as well as host "White Sox weekly" and a hot stove show.  The second hire?  Ozzie Guillen Jr.  I'd also consider hiring Hub Arkush to deal with the football programming.  I have a few more ideas, but that's all I'm saying for now.
• I would stay as far away from Mike North as possible, although I believe that given his relationship with The Chairman, he'd  probably be the morning show host, possibly in a situation where he leases the morning show and sells his own commercials.  Personally, I think North is a ratings pariah, but this may be one of those radio stations that doesn't care about ratings.
• I would replay the games overnight either on the regular channel or one of the HD channels.  I would also use the HD channels for things such as game day traffic and special features. I might even have some players cranking their favorite tunes on one of the HD channels.  "Join guest disk jockey A.J. Pierzynski as he shares his favorite songs on XXX.X channel B. I would also use one of the HD channels to broadcast exclusively in Spanish.
• Obviously the expanded pre and post game possibilities exist, but don't overdue them.  Too much foreplay makes for a dull game. 
• Make the station part of the fan experience.  Offer prize packages to spring training and road trips. Any one can give away tickets, but a prize package to Fenway or the Big A?  How about a backstage tour of the ballpark?  All of these build audience and all can be sponsored, adding to the bottom line.
• I'd offer opportunities for players, former players and others to host shows.  How about a Kenny Williams show?  A Frank Thomas Show?  An Ask the Chairman Show?
• Involve the blogs.  There are some great White Sox blogs out there and some great blog writers.  Giving them a piece of Saturday morning may be more compelling than you think.
• Everyone must tell the truth.  Don't defend the team all the time if they stink, because fans will notice. Be honest.
• Find syndicated programming that's good, not just available.
• Don't venture too much into the world of "man radio", a big belief of many consultants in our business.  Stick to sports and baseball.  A Sox centric station will have plenty of female listeners.
• Make sure you hire at least known Cub fan for contrast and a National League opinion.  And yes, you have to acknowledge the Cubs.  Stay away from non-Chicagoans or out of market guys who don't really have a dog in the hunt.  Stay away from former network guys.  Even though they have talent, they most likely will rub the locals the wrong way.
• Be like the boys at the networks.  Hire real radio guys to co-host with your former and expert jocks.  You need someone to run point and most ex-jocks have no clue about when to go to breaks, etc. Trust me, it's important.
• Make sure you are a full service station, offering news, traffic and other programming elements.  Make sure your station sounds slick and professional.  Hire a great imaging voice. Make your imaging clever and borderline edgy. 
• Your positioning statement should be Get your Sox on XXX.XX

Finally, realize that Rome wasn't built in a day and no matter how much money you throw at it in the beginning, it will take time for people to find it and make it a habit.  Give the poor schmuck who you hire to put it on the air more than 18 months to get it going.