On top of a battle for public funding for upgrades to the Moda Center, new owner Tom Dudon has slashed Blazers’ staff. This time on the broadcast side. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Under new owner Tom Dundon, the Portland Trail Blazers have been under a microscope on several fronts. Beyond the contentious battle for public funding to upgrade the Moda Center, he’s taken a chainsaw to the club’s staff. Earlier this year, the Portland Trail Blazers made significant cuts to the front office, laying off 70 employees as cost-cutting measures. Now, Blazers Broadcasting is getting the axe, either through layoffs or contracts not being renewed.
After 19 seasons with the Blazers broadcast team, TV analyst Michael Holton has been let go, as well as statistician Tom Haberstroh, former ESPN legend and Blazers’ TV host Neil Everett, and TV host Jamie Hudson. Several other broadcasters’ contracts have lapsed, with deep pay cuts being expected in some places. The status of TV play-by-play man Kevin Calabro and radio play-by-play man Travis Demers is unknown, but both have contracts up for renewal.
Request for comment by the Blazers was not immediately returned.
The cuts move beyond on-air talent.
The TV production crew has also been reduced. As of now, the Blazers are without a Producer after Greg Fonseca left the Blazers to take a job with NBA Broadcasting. Graphics will reportedly be reduced, all of which could affect the quality of broadcasts.
And while the status of Demers remains unclear on the radio side, it’s possible the Blazers could use a TV simulcast for radio, or to see radio call road games remotely. (TV talent is required to travel).
When Dundon purchased the Carolina Hurricanes in 2018, he notably let the radio broadcast team go, which featured Hall of Fame and long-time radio announcer Chuck Kaiton, in favor of airing a simulcast of the TV broadcast audio when Kaiton wouldn’t take an 80% pay cut to stay with the team.
No NBA teams currently do a TV simulcast. Only the Toronto Raptors radio team doesn’t travel with the team for road games.