Lakers TV announcer Joel Meyers "has been told he will not have his contract renewed for next season," according to sources cited by Hoffarth & Painter of the L.A. DAILY NEWS. Meyers has called the team's games since '03. Speculation is that Lakers radio announcer Spero Dedes, "who for the past six seasons has established himself as one of the more sought-after young play-by-play voices in sports today, would be the top candidate to fill the Lakers' TV job." There will be "one season left of Lakers games" on FS West and KCAL-CBS "before the team's long-term deal with two exclusive Time Warner Cable channels starts in the 2012-13 season." Dedes, who joined the Lakers in '05, "has done college basketball during the recent NCAA Tournament for CBS as well as working on the NFL Network as a host and doing play-by-play." He also "calls NFL games for CBS and Olympic sports for NBC." Meanwhile, further speculation is that Bill Macdonald "would be a front-runner for a Lakers' radio job opening, as well as a role with the Lakers-Time Warner channels" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/6). In L.A., Broderick Turner notes Dedes "would become the third Lakers television announcer since the death of Hall of Famer Chick Hearn" in '02. Dedes "has been considered a rising star since joining the Lakers from the YES Network in New York." He also previously worked for NBA TV "as a play-by-play announcer and host" (L.A. TIMES, 4/6).
