December 2016: Media
WBBM-News Radioâs Josh Liss grew up in Skokie, and there was one voice that had a real impact on his career direction, though it didnât manifest itself for a few years.
âHarry Caray was the big reason I wanted to do sports broadcasting,â he says. âI didnât have a dad to take me to games, but my mom and grandmother always had the game on when I came home from school or camp. And there was something about Harryâs voice, and the excitement he brought to the game. Of course, I wanted to be an athlete first, and played multiple sports growing up through high school. I even tried to play baseball at Oakton Community College, but when I found out I wasnât good enough to do it anymore, I had to find something else to do. â
That love of sports led him to the next best thing. âI called the Score when they first went on the air in 1992,â Liss remembers, âbut they told me I needed to be taking classes to intern there, so I contacted Steve Leventhal of WVVX-FM (103.1) in Highland Park, and they were doing syndicated stuff at night. Leventhal said âYou know what? I think we could use someone to help us stuff envelopes and things like that.â They sent me to (late sportscaster) Bob Greenbergâs house to help him produce his show, but I didnât realize he was blind until I extended my hand for a handshake, and he reached his hand out but didnât meet mine. It would have been nice if they had told me. But before I knew it, I was out covering Bulls and Blackhawks games at the Stadium with a tape recorder as a would-be reporter. It was a great experience.â
Liss has come a long way since those days. He is the sports director and morning sports anchor on WBBM News Radio. Most of his time is now confined to the anchor chair in the WBBM studios, but he does still get out occasionally, including one time recently that may never be beat. He went to Cleveland to cover Game 6 and 7 of the World Series.
âI still have not come down from that high,â he admits, âand I hope I donât. It was tough riding the fine line between supporting and reporting, being objective and all, but I think I did a good job. After going through that â the whole month of playoffs, going to Cleveland for Games 6 & 7, and the parade coverage, that buzz is still there â and I hope it lasts until spring training because it makes the rest of the Chicago sports scene more palatable.â
Though the Bears may be sliding toward mediocrity, and the Bulls may have a difficult time reclaiming their former glory, they can never take away this once in a lifetime experience from him. âThat World Series is without question the greatest sports story Iâve ever covered and I donât even sense one on the radar that can possibly top it. The generations of fans that stuck with this teamâand some of them who didnât make it to see the championship. To pop that cork with so many people hanging on it for so many years and carrying the emotional investment â to see it pay off. I donât think it will ever be topped in my career.â
Thatâs saying something because Lissâ career has been a series of highs. Heâs won awards from the Associated Press and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and even won a prestigious Peter Lisagor Award for his sports reports. Though Liss doesnât do a sports talk show, and he doesnât do sports play by play, he is the best at what he does. And he does it for the largest radio audience in Chicago every morning.
âJust when I think I really wish I could spend more time on a subject, or would like go to the phones to further discuss a topic, Iâm reminded that our ratings are so strongâthat this team Iâm on right now has a real healthy audience, and Iâm very happy to be a part of it. Iâm perfectly happy being with this audience, whether itâs four or five minutes an hour, or four or five minutes at a time.â
Heâs also surrounded by a highly regarded team of professionals. âFelicia (Middlebrooks) and Pat (Cassidy) are two news professionals who I count on every day when weâre on the air, and at the end of the day, they balance it with humility. We have fun on and off the air together. And Bart Shore is a grinder. He has owned morning drive traffic for so long. His work ethic is so strong.â
So is Joshâs. If you havenât heard him on the radio, check him out on social media where he provides the multi-media experience every morning on Facebook and Twitter. âYou need to be in all formats. Itâs beyond keeping up with othersâitâs part of the job. There are people who listen to me or watch me on Facebook that donât even listen to me on the radio. Itâs a chance to expand our audience, and expand our horizons, and reach new people wherever we can. And Twitter has nearly replaced news wire services for prompt, up to the minute news. Once you can curate your news choices, it can operate like a scrolling news feed.â If youâd like to add Josh to yours, heâs at JoshLiss@JoshLissSports.
– Rick Kaemper
