WRAL-TV is featuring stories about local connections to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the nightly half-hour Olympic Zone. A story on Monday, July 26, 2021, hits particularly close to home for Capitol Broadcasting: an interview with Patrick Kinas, play-by-play announcer and the voice of the Durham Bulls, who is calling swimming at the 2020 Olympic games:
As the radio voice for the Durham Bulls, Patrick Kinas makes a living with his words, and he summed up the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic last year succinctly: It was awful.
Rather than the hustle and bustle of a minor league baseball season and his other radio gigs, Kinas was left with nothing to do as sports shut down for months.
Literally, I had zero on my schedule, he said recently. The Tokyo Olympics for Westwood One, the Bulls, college football in the fall everything was wiped off.
But the pandemic helped change his outlook on life and also led to an unprecedented opportunity.
A trip to a Panda Express restaurant in Raleigh and an interaction with a homeless man at the Wake Forest Road interchange for Interstate 440 led Kinas to buy the man lunch and listen to his story. That, in turn, led to routine food deliveries to the needy and a change of perspective.
I felt like my heart was always in a good spot before, but I think I've really grown to understand that there's so much more that I can do, Kinas said. As an adult in the community with a bit of a voice, [I had] to figure out what I can do to service my community, and that's something I really never thought about. I was more worried about who's starting tomorrow night for the Bulls.
Such humanity is the strength of his broadcasting, he said.
I've always been somebody whose broadcasting style was more about stories, less about stats, more about cool human anecdotes and less about batting average with runners in scoring position, he said, adding that the pandemic only reinforced that.
Now, getting through the pandemic, the stories are much more magnified, and we all have gone through this together, he said.
When the Olympics shifted to 2021, Kinas figured he wouldn't be involved. Westwood One had decided not cover the postponed Games on the radio.
That changed while waiting at a McDonald's drive-thru on his way to Greenville in April to cover an East Carolina University baseball game.
I will never screen a call from a New York area code again, he said of deciding not to answer the call.
The caller, an NBC executive, wanted to know if Kinas was interested in broadcasting the U.S. Olympic swimming trials and preliminary swimming heats in Tokyo.
I was just stunned, he said. I had to listen to [the voicemail] a second time. One, to just affirm I heard what I thought I heard, and then, two, to make sure I had her name right because I wasn't going to call her back and then misidentify her and then have the offer rescinded.
Kinas is no stranger to Olympic coverage. He covered the 2016 Games in Brazil on radio, highlighted by calling the finish of swimming legend Michael Phelps' final gold medal. But he said he cannot believe his good fortune this time, working on television at an event like no other.
Last summer, had the games taken place, [NBC] had their portfolio of broadcasters set, and I wasn't on it, nor did I expect to be, he said. Parents and some coaches and teammates of these athletes, they can't go. So, all of these athletes, all of these family members, all these fans, are going to be watching this us.
The opportunity created a new set of challenges, however. Instead of finding stories on a handful of swimmers who were likely to medal, Kinas has had to research hundreds of swimmers from around the world.
I've been spending probably eight or 10 hours a day for the last month working through these athletes and working through some of these stories, he said. A fair number of these athletes aren't your well-known household names, like Katy Ledecky and Caeleb Dressell and others. They will be from countries that we may or may not have necessarily heard of.
While the pandemic separated people for months, Kinas said he hopes the experience can also bring everyone together during the Games.
You start talking about how this player got through the pandemic or how this swimmer trained to get ready for the Tokyo Olympics when they didn't have access to gyms and pools. We all can understand that, he said. My job is to be that voice, find those stories and package them in a way that's makes the people watching and listening root for them a little bit more.
Kinas said he understands how the athletes feel, living out their Olympic dreams,
This is something I've been hoping for and dreaming about for years and years and years, he said.
WATCH: WRAL.com Video Durham broadcaster working to tell unheralded athletes' stories at Olympics
Thanks to WRALSportsFan and WRAL-TV's Cullen Browder for this Capcom story & video.
Tune in to WRAL-TV's Olympic Zone nightly for more stories like this one about Kinas. The live half-hour special will air Monday Saturday at 7:30pm ET during the Tokyo Olympics.
Capcom: Tune in to WRAL-TV for 2020 Tokyo Olympics Coverage, The Olympic Zone Returns
Find WRAL coverage, a schedule of events and more:
WRAL.com Olympics Coverage
WRALSportsFan.com Olympics Coverage
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...
WRAL-TV is featuring stories about local connections to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the nightly half-hour Olympic Zone. A story on Monday, July 26, 2021, hits particularly close to home for Capitol Broadcasting: an interview with Patrick Kinas, play-by-play announcer and the voice of the Durham Bulls, who is calling swimming at the 2020 Olympic games:
