Canes dump all over long time radio announcer

[yave1964]

I have heard the name Chuck Kaiton over the years as one of the longest tenured announces in Hockey, he was with the old Hartford Whalers as their radioman for 16 years before they moved, and has been the only announcer in Hurricane radio history. In fact he has never missed a single game in 39 years of Whaler/Hurricane history has been told that the only way he can stay is if he takes an 80 percent cut in pay. "I was hoping for a reasonable offer to stay but oobviously this was an invitation to leave." a dejected Kaiton said.

  “Radio is not a prudent financial decision,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell told the newspaper in May. “It’s important, I think, to have it for the people that still want to listen to it, but it’s something from a business standpoint that doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Owner Tom Dundon who took over the team this year has expressed disdain for radio and instead of a real radio broadcast team they will simulcast the TV play by play.

  TV simulcast is awful on radio, the mediums simply do not match up or translate as the same thing. But even more than that, to tell an employee who has watched more bad hockey in 39 years with the organization to take an 80 percent cut in pay or take a hike is dreadful. Dundon took over the team and said that money would be no object, if that were true there is no way that he would treat a long tenured employee of the organization this way. Simply a dreadful penny pinching move. First he had several GM candidates walk away because they were making more as an assistant elsewhere than he was offering to run his team, he is taking the low road, the cheap way out at every turn so far. Not a good start.

  Mr. Kaiton, good luck, hope you land a job with a team that appreciates what you bring to the table. 80 percent cut in pay my rear.

[CreaseAndAssist]

This is just absolutely embarrassing.  Radio is important because your fanbase (who have stopped going to your games Carolina for the last 5 years now) may not be near a TV to watch it.  Also, you just had Kaiton doing the analysis and play by play.  That in itself is pretty cheap.  But to ask Kaiton an 80% paycut after being with your organization for 39 years is just freaking insulting on a number of levels.  

 

The Hurricanes team isn't financially viable, I hope the players get an 80% paycut.  You tell me how that's going to work out.  This organization is going to drive away Forslund too; probably to the national gig to take over for Emrick when he finally decides to hang up the mic for good.