Tuesday, February 10, 1998

VonAppen gets
new TV deal

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

University of Hawaii head football coach Fred vonAppen and KFVE-TV (Channel 5) reached an agreement Friday that not only settled a past debt, but will put vonAppen back on the air this fall as well.

KFVE general manager John Fink confirmed yesterday that on Dec. 31 his station squared the $18,000 debt owed vonAppen as part of his original contract.

He also said that vonAppen will appear on The Coach's Show that airs every Monday at 10 p.m. All the coaches in the major sports are taking part in this newly formatted show hosted by sportscaster Marvin Buenconsejo. Men's head basketball coach Riley Wallace was the guest on last month's inaugural show.

As part of the new contract between KFVE and the UH athletic department, a highlight show of all Rainbow sports began last year. It marked the end of the long-running coach's show that dates back to Frank Arnold.

But to help UH defray some of the costs of the coaches' yearly contracts, Fink agreed to bring back a show that has always done poorly in the ratings.

VonAppen, who has been in an open dispute with the athletic department over television money owed him since last summer, agreed to be on The Coach's Show. The new deal is similar to the one he originally signed in 1996.

"We are spiritually bonded," Fink said of his new agreement with vonAppen. "We took care of last year's stuff before reaching an agreement on the new show.

"He and (UH women's volleyball head coach) Dave Shoji will be the main coaches on the show in the fall. We're happy to have all our coaches involved in the show.

"This has never been a ratings winner, even when the football team went 11-2 in 1992, but as part of our commitment to the UH athletic department, we're willing to help pay for this part of the coaches' contracts."

Fink said the regular highlight show on Sunday night will remain in place. The coaches will take part in that show as well, something vonAppen was willing to do.

"I laud John for getting this thing worked out to everyone's satisfaction," vonAppen said yesterday.. "I will be happy to take part in any show. He was more than fair."

Fink said no shortcuts would be taken in this new show that is up against four local newscasts, including the one on sister station KHNL (Channel 8).

"People can always use their tape machines for The Coach's Show," Fink said. "In the past, we've tried this show nearly every part of our schedule and the ratings have been the same."

http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu