PHOTOS: Matt Boltz, Engineer, Chicago Cubs Radio - Wordspecs

Houston Astros. Cory also did sports features for the 50,000-watt New York
station, WAER. He would arrive at the station at 4 a.m. to broadcast the
morning drive-time sports spots, even while continuing the seasonal play-byplay
work that he enjoyed the most.
Covering college sports led to a job with a multi-university sports
network called International Sports Properties, (ISPSports.com, “America’s
Home for College Sports”). From its Winston-Salem headquarters, ISP
would send Cory to do play by play for a variety of schools including Ohio
University, Wake Forest, University of Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Georgia
Tech. This gave him exposure on ISP’s multiple affiliated radio stations
across the ACC, SEC and PAC-10 conferences, covering most regions of the
country. Cory worked with ISP Sports for seven years, also serving as a
network anchor relaying scores from all over the United States.
Nationwide sports updates followed; Cory did Sporting News Radio’s
“Sporting News Flash” for a few months from their Northbrook, Illinois,
studios; they have more than 350 national affiliates. But he was always
ready to take the next out-of-town opportunity, including a great offer from
the University of Alabama at Birmingham in early 2006. Cory was named
the Voice of the UAB Blazers at age 28.
So, how do you get from Birmingham to Chicago “I always agreed to take
any broadcasting job, anywhere that I thought would help me get to my
goal. I think sticking with play-by-play, rather than getting caught up in the
controversial, often bitter world of sports talk radio, helped me continue to
improve as a broadcaster. I also avoided making lots of enemies—that’s
what can happen to the big-city, call-in show hosts.”
Then, when we were thinking about the Bears Super Bowl, Cory was
thinking baseball. He heard a rumor that WGN’s Andy Masur, then Santo
and Hughes’ on-air partner, had been offered the San Diego Padres
broadcasting job. Cory recorded his demo tapes and sent them to WGN.
He had always maintained close contact with WGN Sports Director Dave
Eanet and sportscaster David Kaplan, so when Cory made his interest known
Cory Provus, on Highland Park
“Once I got to high school, the wonderful ‘Stunts’ program—
the kids did all the writing, choreography, directing—was such an
unusual\way for kids to get some experience as well as have fun.”
“I’m constantly back in HP, sometimes for an order of
Michael’s cheese fries. I used to go to the old Shelton’s on Roger
Williams, on my way to Ravinia. I caught a pretty wide range of
concerts, from Tony Bennett to Jethro Tull.”
“FOCUS on the Arts is one of the key reasons so many HPHS
grads go on to success in TV, movies and the arts. It can seem ‘cool’
for kids to knock high school while they’re there, but it doesn’t take
long to realize that Highland Park has something other kids envy:
a chance to check out all those opportunities and make their
mistakes very early—while there’s time to improve. I would love to
come back and talk at FOCUS to help kids appreciate what they
really have, how it helped me and so many others!”
to WGN, he got the audition. Program Director Bob Shomper, VP/GM Tom
Langmyer and Michael Lufrano (Senior VP, Community Affairs/General
Counsel) were quickly impressed with the young broadcaster.
Everything came together to showcase Cory as major league material. It
didn’t hurt that for most of his life, Cory had constantly rehearsed the
phrase, “This is Cory Provus, on the Chicago Cubs Radio Network,” until it
was second nature. WGN took to the clear, relaxed and confident “pipes”
Cory had developed; fans think he sounds much more like a 25-year
broadcast veteran than a man who, less than a year ago, was broadcasting
college football. Tapped to join Santo and Hughes, he first broadcast the
final Spring training games.
Cory, keenly aware of the change in his fortunes, had no time to reflect or
give in to any butterflies. He was on a flight to Cincinnati for the Cubs/Reds
2007 season opener. On the plane—Derrek Lee and other all-stars sitting
back a few rows—Cory’s new broadcast partner, Ron Santo, came over and
sat down next to him. Santo talked with Provus for hours. He encouraged the
young announcer to tease him on the air, in the tradition of Pat Hughes, who
always ribs Santo amusingly, and so respectfully.
That must have been
hard to imagine as a
lifelong fan of the Cubs,
of Hughes and, especially,
of Santo himself. But Cory
jumped right in on
Opening Day, thanking
Santo for picking up the
tab on a welcome-to-the-
Cubs dinner, but razzing
the former pizza business
owner for “only one tiny
slice of pizza!” The kid
was now one of the team,
a team that keeps millions
entertained between
pitches. Cory knows he’s
in stellar company.
“Both Pat and Ron will
undoubtedly be hall of
famers,” says Cory.
“Hughes in the Broadcast wing in Cooperstown, and Santo is way, way
overdue for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the top third
basemen in history!”
As Bill Murray once said when filling in for an ailing Harry Caray, “The
feeling of being in the Cubs radio booth is like the one you have on
Christmas morning as a kid, when you come downstairs and you see that
the milk and cookies were eaten, the carrot left for the reindeer is gone,
presents are all around, and you know Santa has just been there!”
Cory has been good, very good. He doesn’t have to “wait until next
year.” He’s right where he wants to be, and his hometown fans would
agree, he’s right where he belongs!
Fall 2007 / 37