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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
Another change
at the controls looms
at Loomis-ISCAlbert R. Koehl, known to everyone as "Arkie," will be stepping down as president and chief executive officer of Loomis-ISC next week.
But wait, didn't he just get here?
He joined the advertising and public relations agency as senior vice president of operations and business development in October 2001 to facilitate the "exit strategy" of founder and president Jim Loomis. Koehl assumed the top title at the end of that year.
He turns 65 in a couple of months "and after 42 years of schlepping ads, I'm looking forward to taking it easy," he said. He might look at doing things of a "non-remunerative nature," adding, "this is a legitimate retirement, I'm not leaving 'to pursue other interests,' as they say."
Dawn Morais Webster, executive creative and integrated services director, will succeed Koehl.
She founded a marketing communications group called ISC in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia in 1994 and in 2001 the company invested in Loomis.
"I am delighted and honored to take over the reins at Loomis-ISC," Webster said in a statement.
"This is a great little team, high on enthusiasm, serving some wonderful clients."
Webster has had a home in Honolulu for the past five years and moved here permanently last year. She joined Loomis-ISC earlier this year.
Silent station sold (again)
A Big Island radio station that is not even on the air has changed hands four times this year.KKOA-FM 107.1 was sold by Maverick Media Inc. to Pacific Radio Group Inc. in April, but the transfer of ownership was delayed due to an across-the-board freeze by the Federal Communications Commission.
Because Pacific Radio's subsequent purchase of another cluster of stations would put it over a federal ownership limit, it had to sell three stations. KKOA was sold Pacific Radio's attorney, Dan Alpert of Virginia.
Alpert withdrew his application for FCC approval of his purchase last week and San Diego businessman Thomas Troland stepped up to the deal with Pacific Radio.
Alpert was to have paid $400,000 for KKOA but the new agreement gives Pacific Radio "an all cash deal," where his transaction included "a promissory note paid over time," Alpert said.
"Basically what happened is, a new player came to them with a better deal for them. A deal was worked out where I step aside," Alpert said.
He represented seller Pacific Radio Group in the new deal with Troland, president of Skynet Communications Inc. He established Skynet Hawaii LLC Oct. 6.
Troland recently agreed to purchase the license for the yet-to-be-built KIHH-FM 105.1 in Keaau from Wisconsin broadcaster Jon Le Duc for $350,000. The purchases are pending Federal Communications Commission approval, which generally is granted within 60 to 90 days.
The buy-sell deals caused Hilo Broadcasting LLC owner and radio station operator Hugh "Buddy" Gordon to file a complaint with the FCC earlier this month. He alleges that the transactions will give Pacific Radio Group unfair competitive advantage in the market.
Pacific Radio president and chief operating officer Chuck Bergson, Alpert and Troland all said Gordon's complaint had no bearing on the new deal.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com
