Trail Blazers dump multiple broadcasters in new owner’s latest belt-tightening moves

The Trail Blazers broadcast department will look vastly different next year. 

In another wave of cost-cutting moves under new owner Tom Dundon, multiple Portland broadcasters won’t return, and some were laid off. 

Play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Calabro, who’s called games for the team since 2016, told The Athletic on Wednesday that his contract expired June 30 and he decided not to return after receiving a low offer for a new deal. 

“It was an easy decision: not worth my time,” Calabro told outlet. “Which is sad, because the roster and the people there are great.”

Similarly, Travis Demers, who also had his contract expire at the end of June, wasn’t retained by the Trail Blazers after serving as the team’s radio play-by-play announcer for the last seven years,

A return for Demers in a lesser role hasn’t been ruled out, a source told The Athletic. 

Following 19 seasons with the Blazers, Demers’ radio partner Michael Holton was let go from the team. 

Holton played for the team from 1986-88 and spent the last nine years as radio analyst and co-host for halftime and postgame TV shows. 

The team also let go of TV studio host Neil Everett, co-host Jamie Hudson and broadcast statistician Tom Haberstroh. 

Dundon’s cost-cutting moves come after he laid off around 70 employees this spring, the majority of whom were vice presidents on the team’s business side. 

In addition to layoffs, Dundon, who also owns the NHL’s Hurricanes, also slimmed down travel accommodations and removed commemorative T-shirts for fans at home playoff games. 

During an April appearance on Barstool’s “Pardon My Take,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended Dundon’s business approach. 

“People are starting to say he’s not really willing to spend the money. Remember, this is a guy who just won a bidding war, [spent], call it $4.5 billion to buy the team, and they’re calling him cheap. It just can’t be,” Silver said.

Dundon’s approach isn’t new. 

When he bought the Hurricanes in 2018, Hall of Fame broadcaster Chuck Kaiton, who had been with the team since 1979, declined a significant pay cut and left.

Dundon also recently faced criticism for not including the names of certain players and staff members on the Stanley Cup while including his kids’ names.