The Score announced Monday that Leila Rahimi is now a full-time addition to the station, joining Dan Bernstein weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Rahimi becomes the first woman to serve as a regular weekday host at The Score, which hit the air in 1992.
Rahimi had been a guest co-host with Bernstein on Wednesdays since September after being let go by NBC Sports Chicago as part of companywide layoffs.
“Leila is a terrific sports personality, a knowledgeable sports fan and an opinionist,” program director Mitch Rosen said. “I look at her as a sports personality who is extremely popular in our hallways and with our audience through all of our platforms. I never look at her pertaining to gender. I see her as a great sports talk-show host.”
“Since I was 5 years old, my report card has said I talked too much,” Rahimi said in a statement. “As Chicago sports fans know, I’ve loved living here and talking about sports with them and alongside the incredible media personalities here. To continue to do so in one of the best sports cities in the world is an opportunity for which I’m very grateful.”
Rahimi, who regularly has appeared on The Score since 2017, was a reporter and anchor at NBCSCH since 2015. She hosted Cubs and White Sox pre- and postgame shows and “Baseball Night in Chicago.” She also was a rink-side reporter for NBC Sports’ coverage of the women’s hockey tournament at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018.
Bernstein largely has been hosting solo since The Score parent Entercom enforced layoffs in April that included his previous co-host, Connor McKnight. Rosen said data has shown a positive reaction from listeners for the new tandem.
“The chemistry and vibe they have shown has been great,” he said. “It made perfect sense to make this partnership.”
Before coming to Chicago, Rahimi worked at NBC Sports Philadelphia and Comcast SportsNet Houston, served as field reporter for the Padres and sideline reporter for Fox Sports Southwest and was an anchor and reporter for KTCK-FM/AM in Dallas.
“We are thrilled to be amplifying Lelia’s role at The Score,” said Rachel Williamson, regional president and market manager for Entercom Chicago. “She’s a seasoned professional with experience engaging with sports fans across multiple platforms and cities and has built a great reputation with Chicago’s sports fans. Adding her voice and perspective consistently creates a more dynamic midday lineup for Score listeners.”
The Score has yet to fill the afternoon co-host spot next to Danny Parkins that opened when the station fired Dan McNeil in September for an inappropriate tweet. Matt Spiegel has joined Parkins frequently in the 2 to 6 p.m. slot, but Rosen said he’s still working on finding a permanent partner for Parkins.
