In Raleigh, Luke DeCock notes Hurricanes radio play-by-play announcer Chuck Kaiton is "officially out" after he was "unable to agree on a new contract." The Hurricanes "plan to use a simulcast" of the FS Carolinas broadcast on their radio network this season instead. Kaiton’s agent, Lou Oppenheim, submitted a "counterproposal to the Hurricanes after Kaiton’s contract expired on June 30, but the team stood firm on its final offer." Oppenheim said that offer was an 80% "pay cut." The expiration of Kaiton's contract combined with the change in ownership brought a "re-examination of the economics of the team’s radio deal." The team’s deal with Raleigh-based WCMC-FM to "carry the broadcast has no lucrative rights fee like its television deal, incurring six-figure losses while drawing what the team estimates to be fewer than 2,000 listeners per game in the absence of any official metered ratings" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 7/25).
BEHIND THE SCENES: In N.Y., Jake Nisse writes HBO's Bill Simmons "tanked in front of the camera," but the net is "banking on him to succeed behind it" after agreeing to a contract extension. Simmons has "shined in the documentary field" at ESPN and HBO. He said, "Can’t wait to get started on a couple of the more ambitious projects we’ve hatched." Simmons also runs The Ringer and is planning to "replicate the 30 for 30 series at his new site, with the recent launch of Ringer Films" (N.Y. POST, 7/25). Also in N.Y., Kirk Meyer writes Simmons is "still one of the biggest commodities in sports media" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/25).
MOVING ON UP: Spurs Sports & Entertainment announced that AHL San Antonio Rampage radio play-by-play announcer Dan Weiss will "replace Andrew Monaco as a studio co-host of the Spurs Live pregame and postgame shows." In San Antonio, Tom Orsborn notes Monaco "left the Spurs in June to become Texas A&M's new football and basketball play-by-play broadcaster." Weiss is in his "10th year with SS&E" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 7/25).
NOTES: Former ESPN and 120 Sports anchor Michael Kim is "headed to work at Stadium, the digital sports multi-platform network that was formed last year with the combination of Campus Insiders, 120 Sports and American Sports Network" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/23)....Former driver Brendan Gaughan has been added to NBC’s NASCAR broadcast team this weekend and will "serve as a pit road analyst for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/25)....Jay Binkley took over as Royals Insider on KCSP-AM for Josh Vernier, who is "moving to a midday slot with Ron Hughley." Hughley had been "host of a nightly show" from 6:00-10:00pm CT on KCSP. Henry Lake, who had been in the 10:00am-2:00pm slot with Binkley, is "no longer with KCSP." Vernier had been at KCSP for "just a few months when he took over as Royals Insider" before the '13 season (KANSASCITY.com, 7/23).
