Respectfully disagree. You're approaching this from a highly logical point of view, which I appreciate, that's normally how I'd view things.
It's not logical. It's Canadiana, like the Hip, and health care, maple syrup and beavers. Ron off HNIC is an affront to Canada's national pride. Canada will lose their mind. Front page national news. You cannot do it gracefully.
Don Cherry lasted 15 more years then he should have in a modern national broadcast. I loved Don, I'd watch him tomorrow, but there was plenty of excuses to move on before they finally had no choice. Why? Because Hip, Syrup, Beavers, and frigging Coaches Corner with Don on the first intermission of HNIC.
I'm telling you, it's the same thing. Moving off Ron is not really an option unless he Bob Cole's his way gracefully, that being with his approval, it's not there yet.
He's not back next year because Rogers thinks they get better ratings moving off him. Rogers is worth like 40 billion, they've done the math. Losing Ron is a losing businesss move for HNIC. It'll change, it is changing, but not enough yet.
You cannot evaluate HNIC from a purely business point of view. It's way more then that.