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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
Oahu deal approved
for neighbor island
broadcasterThe FCC reported yesterday it had approved the license transfer of KORL-AM 690 from New Wave Broadcasting LP to Hochman-McCann Hawaii Inc.
President George Hochman confirmed the transfer had been approved.
"Now we have to close," he said. The $550,000 transaction should close before the end of the year.
The station will continue to carry Radio Disney programming from the mainland until the deal closes and the station moves to new studios on the fourth floor of Pioneer Plaza.
The 700-square-foot space will entail "a couple studios and a desk," Hochman said.
Ethnic and local talk programming will fill the station's airwaves and it will be time-brokered, "because I don't want to go out selling spots."
That means Hochman will sell chunks of time for programming, as opposed to 30- to 60-second increments to fit into programming he provides. Those who pay to put their own shows on the air can sell their own commercial time to offset the cost and perhaps make a few bucks.
He also has no designs on going head-to-head with Texas-based Clear Channel Communications Inc. or Atlanta-based Cox Radio Inc. which operate Honolulu's dominant radio stations.
"Anybody who would, that's just silly," he said.
Hochman's music stations are KITH-FM 98.9 and KTOH-FM 99.9 on Kauai and KONI-FM 104.7 on Lanai.
Official oops
Sometimes you can't even trust the federal government.A daily update issued by the Federal Communications Commission sent up eyebrows among those in the know last week. It reported that it had dismissed seven applications for broadcast license transfers involved in a flurry of acquisitions on the Big Island.
Not so.
Radio industry geeks like your columnist lurk around dweeby documents daily, trolling for such information.
In this case, the information the commission reported Nov. 13 was incorrect.
"My understanding is that somehow the FCC misinterpreted a filing and posted inaccurate information," said Chuck Bergson, president and chief operating officer of Pacific Radio Group Inc., in an e-mail.
"The corrections have been made and are now on file."
The deals are still under consideration by the commission and are still being contested by another Big Island broadcaster.
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
