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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
When news broke that the Islanders had let go of their radio broadcast team, it was more stunning to me than Tuesday’s Lou Lamoriello announcement. Unlike that one, no one saw this coming. Not having a radio play-by-play team is minor league stuff, and I thought the Islanders were beyond that as an organization.
The team later confirmed that they would simulcast the MSG Networks television broadcast, a trend other teams have started to adopt around the league. That doesn’t make it any less upsetting that play-by-play man Chris King and analyst Greg Picker were let go from a job that they loved - their dream jobs.
The Islanders’ radio broadcast has never been a big operation. The team’s radio call is produced by Hofstra’s student radio station, WRHU (88.7 FM). The listenership wasn’t large, the signal wasn’t strong, and I doubt it contributed much to the organization’s bottom line. In fact, it may have put a strain on it. But Kinger and Picker were part of the Islanders’ extended family. They were ubiquitous around the rink and the team for years, treating everyone they came across with the utmost respect and grace.
They love New York Islanders hockey, and their passion and admiration for the team came across in their broadcasts. Whether you were listening live or not, fans always wanted to hear Kinger’s high-pitched, enthusiastic calls, which, more recently, were accompanied by Picker capturing the moment on video. They acted and sounded like fans, because they were and are ones. It was great.
At a time when the organization is investing in everything inside, out, and around the arena, it’s hard to grasp the idea that this was a cost-cutting measure worth taking. When you have good, loyal, dedicated people working for and representing your team, you should find ways to keep them.
Yes, there will still be ways to listen to most Islanders games on the radio, and yes, fewer people rely on radio than they did 5, 10, 15 years ago, but just because something is unnecessary doesn’t make it expendable.
Best of luck to Chris and Greg on their next chapter as the Isles start theirs. I wish they would be part of it.
