Behind the Mic: Michael Kay Re-Ups at YES; Turner Sports Snags Rachel Nichols Away From ESPN

Michael Kay has signed a multi-year extension with the YES Network to remain its lead New York Yankees play-by-play voice.  Kay will also continue hosting YES’ award-winning CenterStage with Michael Kay show, along with other shows and specials on the network.  Kay has served a the voice of Yankees baseball since YES Network launched in 2002…

…CNN and Turner Sports have hired veteran ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols. Nichols will serve as a sports reporter for CNN and Turner Sports and will anchor a new weekend sports program on CNN/U.S. beginning later this year. Her CNN program will focus on the most interesting stories and personalities in the world of sports. In her role with Turner Sports, Nichols will handle a wide variety of assignments across the division’s vast sports properties including the NBA and Major League Baseball. Additionally, Nichols will cover all major sporting events, including the Olympics for CNN. Her first assignment will be the Super Bowl in New Orleans…

…According to SI.com, UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture has signed into a multi-year deal with Spike TV to appear in multiple projects for the cable channel, as well as other possible ventures within the media conglomerate’s family of networks. As a part of the multi-faceted agreement, Couture’s first role will be as a coach in the forthcoming Bellator MMA reality Series, which begins shooting in February and airs later this year. Couture most recently served as an on-camera analyst for the UFC’s live events on Fox…

…World Golf Hall-of-Famer Lanny Wadkins has returned to the broadcast booth full time this week as lead analyst for Golf Channel’s Champions Tour coverage. Wadkins will be Golf Channel’s lead analyst for the network’s 22 Champions Tour events. He also is scheduled to appear on various Golf Channel news and instruction programming throughout the year. Wadkins previously served as lead golf analyst for CBS Sports from 2002-2006…

…Four-time PGA Tour winner Notah Begay III became a full-time member of NBC’s and Golf Channel’s on-air teams beginning with Golf Channel’s coverage of the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this month. Begay will serve as a walking course reporter during NBC and Golf Channel tournament broadcasts. He also will be a frequent contributor to Golf Channel’s daily news programs, including Golf Central and will serve as an analyst for the network’s Live From news coverage. Begay made his Golf Channel on-air debut as a studio analyst for the network’s Live From the Masters news coverage in 2010, and has contributed to the network’s Masters and U.S. Open news coverage the past three years…

…KXAS/Channel 5 in Dallas has announced that Matt Barrie, one of the station’s sports anchor/reporters, will leave the station effective March 3 to take a position with ESPN. Barried had been with NBC 5 since 2008. While at NBC 5, Barrie has won Emmy, Edward R. Murrow and National Association of Black Journalist awards.