Jarrett Payton Named Morning Co-Host at Chicago’s The Score

Overview

• The Score announced Monday that Jarrett Payton will replace the fired Mike Mulligan and co-host with David Haugh in a show set to launch Monday, Aug. 31.
• The new program will run weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., expanding Payton from brief television segments to a roughly 4½-hour radio format.
• Payton left WGN on July 30 after more than a decade at the station and has frequently appeared on The Score over the years, which made him a familiar local voice.
• Columnists and local critics say the Payton-Haugh pairing highlights concerns about The Score’s talent pipeline after recent departures and firings, and they question whether Haugh’s low-opinion style and Payton’s TV background will create strong on-air chemistry.
• Station producers such as executive producer Dustin Rhoades are expected to supply much of the show’s edge, and observers say the hire could affect morning ratings and shape future staffing moves as Chicago’s major teams draw heightened local attention.