The saying goes, "It';s not personal, it';s business." For the Carolina
Hurricanes it was business. But, for their Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Chuck
 Kaiton, not returning to the radio airwaves for the team is very personal.
It';s personal because, for the first time in 39 years, he is not working on
radio preparations for the upcoming season.

Always the consummate gentleman, though, he has nothing negative to say about
the Hurricanes or ownership.

On May 27, when it surfaced that the team may not proceed with Kaiton, I wrote,
 "Kaiton is a legend, having never missed a game in his entire career. Radio
people deal with colds and the flu and sore throats like everyone else, but
Kaiton has not once been sidelined by any ailment. He is the sound that
Hurricanes fans expect to hear booming through their radios when they can't get
 to the game or in front of their television."

His trademark closing out of every broadcast was the running tally of games.
The streak has come to an end, stopping at 3,412 games.

I spoke with Kaiton at length Wednesday evening and it';s clear that Kaiton is
a professional and certainly understands "it';s business." His biggest request
was that I let the fans know how much he appreciates them and their
overwhelming support. He said he is not defeated and that the word
"retirement" is not in his vocabulary.Kaiton Move Simply Business for the
Hurricanes

The Hurricanes announced Kaiton';s departure on Tuesday, July 24. Team
president and general manager Don Waddell said in a statement, "After a series
 of discussions with Chuck and his representation throughout the summer, Chuck
informed us today that he will not be returning as our radio broadcaster. We
thank Chuck for his service over 38 seasons and appreciate everything he has
done to represent this franchise for such a long time."

The owner of the Hurricanes, Tom Dundon, told a local Raleigh, NC sports talk
show that a plan to finalize Kaiton';s time with the team through a two-year
deal, wherein there was a definite end and the time could have been spent
honoring Kaiton, was talked about even before he became the owner, but "that
didn';t get done."Tom Dundon, center (Carolina Hurricanes)

Dundon also said that he was open to doing a similar type of plan with Kaiton
on a one-year deal, even though it went against his instincts. Dundon said, "It
 probably was time to move on, but we were willing to go that one more year.
But, it didn';t work out."Kaiton a Victim of Alleged Poor Radio Ratings

The reality of technology is not lost on Dundon, who said that people can watch
 a game on their mobile devices and are likely only taking advantage of radio
when they are in their car. He said that his experience in Dallas was listening
 to a simulcast of the Dallas Stars on the radio, and that the Hurricanes will
implement the simulcast model going forward. Dundon said he "wants to put all
the money on the ice."Chuck Kaiton, now the former radio voice of the Carolina
Hurricanes

Interestingly, the subject of listenership and ratings was a driver of this
entire situation with Kaiton. At one point it was reported that only 500-2,000
 people are listening to a Hurricanes radio broadcast on any given night.
However, Kaiton told me that he is not aware of any official ratings research
that has been done.

A call Thursday to the office of his agent, Lou Oppenheim confirmed that
neither Kaiton nor his agent were shown any ratings research. Regarding the
estimate of only 500 to 2,000 people listening Kaiton said, "Any numbers that
got thrown out there are totally fictitious unless somebody can prove to me
that they';ve taken ratings."

In summary, regardless of whether or not there is actual ratings data, the
Kaiton era is over. It';s emotionally challenging, and for many fans, is not
the most popular decision - but again, it';s business. Kaiton understands that
and did not seem bitter one bit when talking with me on Wednesday. Kaiton said,

It';s not my place to be bitter. It';s not my place to be upset with a
situation that I can';t control.

Kaiton also said that he would like to have continued to work with the
Hurricanes, but also admitted, "If they have other ideas or financial
constraints, I don';t have any control over that. I don';t take it for granted
that anybody has to give me a job just because I';d done it for all these
years. I';ll let fans make their decision on what they think of this stuff on
how I was treated. I';m not going to say anything because I don';t really have
an axe to grind with the ownership. This could have happened to me 20 years
ago. But, I';ve been lucky enough to have worked with some really good people."

Don't frankly care about the fallout of this tweet. When you let a hall of fame
 broadcaster like Chuck Kaiton go, really makes me wonder...

- Greg Fishel (@gbfishel) July 24, 2018

In private Kaiton may be emotionally distraught, but in public, he remains the
ultimate professional and refuses to say anything negative about the Hurricanes
 or Dundon.Offer Valued Kaiton at 80 Percent Less

Kaiton told me that at the end of last season, in or around June, he was told
that he would be offered significantly less to continue broadcasting the
Hurricanes games on the radio. His loyalty to the team for nearly 40 years and
his string of 3,412 games called, notwithstanding, Kaiton essentially was told
that his value to the organization had dropped 80 percent.Television announcer
John Forslund and radio announcer Chuck Kaiton of the Carolina Hurricanes
(Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHL via Getty Images)

Kaiton told me, "Right after the season, they talked about possibly wanting to
simulcast the broadcast. I was kind of surprised to hear that at first. And
then about close to two months ago, they came up with an offer that really I
wasn';t interested in taking but I kind of contemplated it for a while. I was
hoping that it would go back and forth and that my representative would talk to
 them and see if they could do better and it just didn';t happen."

Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer reported on Tuesday that Kaiton';s
agent, Oppenheim told him that Kaiton was offered an 80 percent cut. DeCock
wrote, "Kaiton's agent submitted a counterproposal to the Hurricanes after
Kaiton's contract expired on June 30, but the team stood firm on its final
offer to the broadcaster, which included what Kaiton's agent, Lou Oppenheim,
said was an 80 percent pay cut as the Hurricanes and new owner Tom Dundon
attempt to reckon with their money-losing radio broadcast while giving Kaiton
the opportunity to recoup some of the losses by selling sponsorships, an
arrangement more typical on the minor-league level."

Kaiton told me he viewed the offer from Hurricanes owner Dundon and the
organization as an "invitation to leave more than anything else." Kaiton also
said,

It was a substantial decrease which I really wasn';t interested in taking. I
hoped it could be a little better but there was no flexibility basically on the
 Hurricanes'; part at all. I think they had it in place that they didn';t want
an autonomous radio broadcast anymore.

Kaiton said that through his agent he offered the counterproposal to do just
home games if that would solve the economic side of the problem. Kaiton said,
"I didn';t really want to do that, but that was my suggestion." Obviously that
suggestion did not come to fruition.Kaiton, Start Pounding the Pavement!

Kaiton wondered aloud to me if the team had packaged the radio broadcast
properly. Through the years the Hurricanes have not had a very aggressive
community awareness campaign. I wrote in 2015 about going to a local sports
restaurant and not being able to find the Hurricanes game on even one of their
over 40 televisions. The Hurricanes were not promoted aggressively in their
home market under previous ownership.

DeCock reported that there was an aspect of the Hurricanes'; offer that
indicated he could sell sponsorships to help make up for his cut in pay. The
first thought one has is that it is demeaning to even consider asking a Hall of
 Fame broadcaster with nearly four decades with the team, to suddenly start
cold calling and pitching sponsorships for the team';s broadcast.

Kaiton acknowledged that this was not realistic, but also that he had paid his
dues early in his career pounding the pavement and the phone. Kaiton said that
he worked in sales as a college broadcaster and in the minor leagues, but that
once a broadcaster makes it to the big league, their attention of necessity has
 to be focused on the games and in preparation.

Kaiton also mentioned that he did a lot of his own production. Segments like
the popular "Kaiton';s Corner" wherein listeners would email a question about
hockey that he would answer on the air during intermission, were parts of the
broadcast Kaiton really enjoyed. Kaiton said, "I love doing radio because I
love the sport and the one-on-one connection with the fans, the people on the
other side. Anyone who says radio is dead is wrong."

Chuck Kaiton's one of the best people in our game....Hurricanes games won't be
the same without him

- Bruins Radio Network (@Bruinsradio) July 26, 2018

What';s Next for Kaiton?

The future is wide open for Kaiton who sounds like a guy half his age when
talking about what';s next. A different NHL team, satellite radio and even
local projects with a financial planner are opportunities Kaiton is exploring.
But first he';s going back to Hartford for a Whaler';s reunion put on by the
local double-A baseball team, and then crossing the country to visit his
family.

Kaiton is obviously a professional and could be hiding any bitterness he may
have over the separation with the Hurricanes. However, I choose to believe what
 I have come to know from a guy I talked to numerous time in the press area
during Hurricanes games, that I interviewed in 2015 for  two-part series on
his career, and who told me in no uncertain terms that he is not bitter.

Kaiton said, "I wish it could keep going but what are you going to do? A lot of
 things you can';t control. I';m lucky I';m still alive and healthy and looking
 for the next chapter. I want to stay in the NHL there';s no doubt about that."
 Seattle may be fielding a team in the near future. Maybe...

The post Hurricanes Iconic Radio Voice Chuck Kaiton Isn';t Bitter appeared
first on The Hockey Writers.

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