O'Donnell: Joniak will be working without a net at the new radio home of the Bears
JEFF JONIAK HAS THE HIGH-WIRE RESILIENCE to qualify as a member of the Flying Wallendas.
The crack Bears play-by-play man has officially signed off after more than two decades in the sports department at WBBM-AM (780). He'll gradually pick up traction as a contributor in the coming months to WMVP-AM (1000), the team's new radio flagship.
"I'm thrilled that Tom (Thayer) and I will continue as the Bears play-by-play team," said Joniak, an alum of both Hersey High School ('80) and Iowa State ('85). "It's an exciting new opportunity."
To his credit, Joniak has yet to muff an opportunity since his longshot ascension to replace the flyover Gary Bender following the 2000 season.
He'll begin his 23rd season as voice of the Bears in August. That will move him within one campaign of Jack Brickhouse's franchise record 24 (1953-76) at WGN-AM (720).
HIS NEW TIGHTROPE WALK takes him from one shaky platform to another.
While WBBM-AM finished fourth in the most recent Nielsen Audios, the Audacy outlet has been on horizontal mold for months. Its parent company was trading for 14 cents per-share on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, down from $6 two years ago.
In recent years, WBBM has lost staff, budget and revenue. It even had its mighty 50,000-watt signal depowered to 35K daytime, 42K at night. The station's bare-boned sports staff is now parsed to Josh Liss, Dave Kerner and Rick Gregg.
AS FOR AM-1000, the woebegone way station is so far out of a diminished Chicago radio mainstream that it's like a pushcart peddler in front of a Dollar Tree.
The Good Karma wheezer was 24th in the February Nielsens. The Bears might push it into the Top 20. When a WMVP associate recently tried to sell the notion that no-rated afternoon relic John Jurkovic was "making $220,000," the response was: "Over what decade?"
(Verifiable contract and direct deposit history and the salary of "Jurko" will be updated.)
But career good-guy Joniak just continues to tiptoe along - even when he's working without a net.
STREET-BEATIN':
Two sensational TV performers during NCAA men's conference tournament week: Bruce Weber as a wraparound panelist for The Big Ten Network and Bill Walton courtside during Pac-12 play. Weber's level of expertise is so high that all others on set should just clear out and let the man speak. As for Walton, his blend of insight, wit and passion could energize an Abbie Hoffman retrospective. ...
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt was given AAA-platinum treatment during Loyola's brief trip to NYC for the Atlantic 10 conference tourney. Sister Jean, as much as time permitted, was promoting her book "Wake Up with Purpose: What I've Learned in My First Hundred Years" (HarperCollins, $28). Co-author is Seth Davis of CBS. ...
Reggie Miller is out and Stan Van Gundy is in on the CBS / Warner Bros. Discovery (Turner) coverage of the NCAA's March to one. Both are good. Most high-profile addition to the CBS / WBD mix is Jay Wright, in his first year of self-dictated free agency after a spectacular 21 years at Villanova. Plus, he retains those whistle-weathered George Clooney good looks. ...
A Rod Serling moment for speculators watching ESPN2 / NIT Tuesday night: Host Liberty (-4 ½), leading 62-57 with: 04.6 remaining. Villanova misses a despo trey, buzzer, game over and score box flashes 62-60 final. Play-by-play man Derek Jones repeats that incorrect number and signs off. Some scurry online to verify 62-57 and Fred Sanford-style "Big One" is averted for Liberty backers. ...
Speaking of speculation, that unabashed boosterism, ahem, about UCLA winning it all was somewhat tempered when the two-seed Bruins lost top defensive ace Jaylen Clark to an Achilles injury. But, let destiny rule - Tyger Campbell and Co. (-18) open vs. UNC-Asheville Thursday (truTV, 9:05 p.m.) ...
Herd-hot bracket pick of the week has been Jon Scheyer and his streaking No. 5 seed Duke. But that MODage system says neither the Blue Devils or Kansas make the Final Four. For other empirical reasons - thank you Ken Pomeroy - throw out Purdue and Marquette too. ...
Unintentional laughter around The Des Plaines Theatre Monday night with David "Chatty" Kaplan and Teddy Greenstein on stage to discuss elements of betting the NCAA men's tournament. Highlight of the mad-lib evening should have been a drawing, with the winner getting to book all tourney action from the fish out of water. ...
Arlington Heights native Jim Byers has answered a dandy midseason S-O-S to handle race calls at legacied Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The talented Byers replaces the excitable Vic Stauffer - a brief but memorable presence in the booth at southwest suburban Hawthorne Race Course. Stauffer was let go after a tweet deemed "inappropriate" by Oaklawn management. ...
And Phil Mushnick, on the most ubiquitous man in American sportscasting: "Is there a place for a sports fan to hide if they no longer care what Charles Barkley has to say about anything?"
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears Sunday and Thursday Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.