Staples Twitter: Chris King & Greg “Red” Picker fired as radio voices of the isles.

[PK Cronin]

Howie Chimes in. He’s not wrong

I understand wanting to pile on but I'd like to hear or give time to the Islanders to layout what their plan is before freaking out. If it's just replacing those two with someone better, that's completely fine. If it's actually eliminating ways to listen to the game then we should all be annoyed.

 

[MJF]

I understand wanting to pile on but I'd like to hear or give time to the Islanders to layout what their plan is before freaking out. If it's just replacing those two with someone better, that's completely fine. If it's actually eliminating ways to listen to the game then we should all be annoyed.

I’m sure we’ll be doing what the Devils and some other teams are doing…streaming via the NHL app.

 

[The Lighthouse]

I’m sure we’ll be doing what the Devils and some other teams are doing…streaming via the NHL app.

Yes they definitely will have some sort of online listening if nothing else. Just a question of whether it's simulcast or other guys.

 

[Lek]

Maybe the only way to officially hire them as GM and AGM was to fire them from the radio gig first?

 

[PK Cronin]

I’m sure we’ll be doing what the Devils and some other teams are doing…streaming via the NHL app.

Hopefully that works better than streaming the games. Without a cable subscription I can't watch some of these playoff games because they're not offered on ESPN+, despite being an ESPN broadcast.

 

[MJF]

Hopefully that works better than streaming the games. Without a cable subscription I can't watch some of these playoff games because they're not offered on ESPN+, despite being an ESPN broadcast.

Radio is free on the NHL app, no?

 

[PK Cronin]

Radio is free on the NHL app, no?

I believe so, but with watching they provide an option that re-directs you to the streaming services providing the broadcast. So I have ESPN+ to watch the NHL all year and then the playoffs come around and I can't access the streams because they aren't on ESPN+ anymore. It's just ridiculous in 2025.

 

[The Lighthouse]

 

[Lame Lambert]

Also, do we know if this was a decision by Hofstra or a decision to not renew the contract with the team? Back when I went there King was a professor in the communications department and the broadcast was mostly produced by students.

 

[Lights911]

Unfortunate.

 

[MJF]

Also, do we know if this was a decision by Hofstra or a decision to not renew the contract with the team? Back when I went there King was a professor in the communications department and the broadcast was mostly produced by students.

Did he teach his screech?

 

[Lame Lambert]

Did he teach his screech?

I didn’t know anyone in the program unfortunately.

 

[MJF]

I didn’t know anyone in the program unfortunately.

Boy did you take the wrong major

 

[Lame Lambert]

Boy did you take the wrong major

Oh I am well aware

 

[Chockey22]

I don't really get the histrionics over this. I'd be really curious to see the radio listenership numbers - again I'd be surprised if they were significant at all. There are other, newer ways to provide a listening opportunity for fans, and the new media landscape means there are a lot of ways to do that. I feel bad that two good people have lost their jobs, but I agree with those who recognize that they weren't actually very good, and being run out of Hofstra seemed minor league anyway. New technologies always disrupt old technologies, and some people have a hard time accepting that.

 

[The Lighthouse]

I don't really get the histrionics over this. I'd be really curious to see the radio listenership numbers - again I'd be surprised if they were significant at all. There are other, newer ways to provide a listening opportunity for fans, and the new media landscape means there are a lot of ways to do that. I feel bad that two good people have lost their jobs, but I agree with those who recognize that they weren't actually very good, and being run out of Hofstra seemed minor league anyway. New technologies always disrupt old technologies, and some people have a hard time accepting that.

Simulcasting isn't new, as this organization is familiar with after trying it around 2010 - not a fantastic era.

 

[Chockey22]

Simulcasting isn't new, as this organization is familiar with after trying it around 2010 - not a fantastic era.

True, but if it is done well, it could be improved for the current era. There’s a few teams that do it, so we’re not alone - and social media, internet, satellite present new opportunities and options for listeners. There’s an opportunity to do something interesting and new, or improve the simulcast in various ways. It’s not my area, but there’s lots of creative people who I am sure could develop interesting ways to do this.

 

[MJF]

Simulcasting isn't new, as this organization is familiar with after trying it around 2010 - not a fantastic era.

The Isles simulcast the 1980-81 and 81-82 seasons with Jiggs and Eddie

 

[The Lighthouse]

The Isles simulcast the 1980-81 and 81-82 seasons with Jiggs and Eddie

Interesting, did not know that.

True, but if it is done well, it could be improved for the current era. There’s a few teams that do it, so we’re not alone - and social media, internet, satellite present new opportunities and options for listeners. There’s an opportunity to do something interesting and new, or improve the simulcast in various ways. It’s not my area, but there’s lots of creative people who I am sure could develop interesting ways to do this.

Yeah, I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Throttle]

True, but if it is done well, it could be improved for the current era. There’s a few teams that do it, so we’re not alone - and social media, internet, satellite present new opportunities and options for listeners. There’s an opportunity to do something interesting and new, or improve the simulcast in various ways. It’s not my area, but there’s lots of creative people who I am sure could develop interesting ways to do this.

I agree. And those guys should have been managing their careers in this era so they weren’t reliant on this.

Considering the Isles have a history of people passing through to other organizations or the league, kinda obvious how to view things and running this operation out of a college and being on 1950s technology, it wasn’t like this is some unexpected situation in the grand scheme of things

 

[Chardo]

I don't really get the histrionics over this. I'd be really curious to see the radio listenership numbers - again I'd be surprised if they were significant at all. There are other, newer ways to provide a listening opportunity for fans, and the new media landscape means there are a lot of ways to do that. I feel bad that two good people have lost their jobs, but I agree with those who recognize that they weren't actually very good, and being run out of Hofstra seemed minor league anyway. New technologies always disrupt old technologies, and some people have a hard time accepting that.

I'd be surprised if they were even measurable, let alone significant. My guess would be less than 100 listeners at any given time, maybe way less, with a post-game spike of fans driving home from the arena.

In an era where you can stream the TV broadcast on your phone, hockey on radio is a waste, especially for a small market team.

 

[Rehabguy]

I didn't particularly enjoy listening to the Isles on the radio. Seemed like I was listening to a college game rather than a professional broadcast. Maybe it was the audio equipment they used and the screechy college cheers.

 

[Green]

Nowadays with everyone having a phone on them so if they want they could stream the game and the Isles fans base being as small as it is I can't imagine more than a dozen or so people would be listening to an Islanders broadcast on the radio at any given time, not sure how much those guys got paid but I am guessing it was probably a bad business decision for years and they just decided to end it now, wouldn't surprise me if this is the management's first cost cutting due to the unrenewed season tickets

 

[Thrasymachus]

His personal connections aside, he did get better over time. I think he could have a spot somewhere with the team but neither of them are what I think of when I think of a professional broadcaster. Picker needs to grow more, the way Kevin Burkhardt did (Burkhardt is obviously better but he's grown a lot since he was on SNY for 1 minute a night).

And I would be a better hockey player over time if Capuano had kept putting me on the 4th line year after year.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Anyone under the age of 35 actually listen to the Isles on the radio?

And if yes, wouldn't it be as a last resort because they were unable to be in front of a tv or unable to watch a stream on their phone?

The solution of listening to the radio is because there is a problem that you can't watch. So it's really to hear the game real-time to avoid "spoilers" so who really cares on who/how they get the audio real time? For example, you won't get as much of the imagery described through traditional radio call, but you're still going to get who scored, how, at what time, etc.