Posted by ABRockNJock on October 22, 2024, 3:54 pm
Breaking news...About the news. NBC 5 is now down 2 sportscasters.
First, Ruthie Polinsky signed off 3 weeks ago from the NBC Universal-owned station to become one of the co-hosts of CHSN's "The BIG Pro Football Show" with 670 AM The SCORE's David Haugh & former NFL tight end Clay Harbor.
Now, Leila Rahimi has also bolted NBC 5, 2 years after she was promoted to lead sports anchor in 2022. Rahimi was NBC 5's first ever female lead sports anchor. Rahimi also pinch hit for Chuck Garfien as pre & postgame host on the defunct NBC Sports Chicago's White Sox broadcasts as well as subbing for Jason Goff on the network's Bulls' broadcasts.
Rahimi replaced Siafa Lewis at the NBC Universal-owned station. Lewis left Chicago to become afternoon news anchor at Philadelphia's KYW-TV, branded there as CBS News Philadelphia in 2021.
As for Rahimi, she continues to co-host middays at 670 AM The SCORE at least twice a week with Dan Bernstein & newcomer Marshall Harris at the Audacy-owned sports talk, Cubs & Bulls' flagship.
As a result of the sudden departures, Mike Berman is the ONLY full time sports anchor/reporter on staff at NBC 5 right now.
More on Rahimi's sudden departure from NBC 5 can be found here:
If you were hoping for clarity regarding why Leila Rahimi is no longer at NBC 5, Boomer Dangel didn't exactly provide it.
Dangel, Rahimi's agent and Vice President of Broadcasting & New Media at CSE, didn't exactly "dive into" why Rahimi is no longer at NBC 5, per the Sun-Times' Jeff Agrest.
What's also not as clear is how NBC 5 plans on covering sports in the interim, let alone who they have in mind to replace Rahimi as well as Ruthie Polinsky on the NBC Universal-owned outlet's sports staff.
on October 22, 2024, 3:54 pm