Newsday reports that the New York Islanders have fired their radio play-by-play team. Instead, radio affiliates will get a simulcast of the TV audio next season.
Islanders play-by-play broadcaster Steve Mears and analyst Chris King were told last week by team President Chris Dey that their contracts would not be renewed, the newspaper reported. The move came after Madison Square Garden Network, which like Newsday is owned by Cablevision, gave the Islanders permission to simulcast the TV broadcast team of Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe on radio. The team itself is owned by Computer Associates co-founder Charles Wang.
King had been broadcasting Islander games on radio for 11 years. Mears joined the crew three seasons ago.
