Saturday, October 18, 1997

SPECIAL UPDATE

Sportscaster Kekaula
may be fired

Angered by technical glitches,
he assaulted his executive producer

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

KHNL-News 8 sports director Robert Kekaula has been suspended without pay indefinitely after he assaulted the news department's executive producer, and he may be fired, sources said yesterday.

Kekaula grabbed Alex McGehee by either the shirt collar or neck during an argument in the middle of the newsroom.

The incident, which took place Oct. 10, was witnessed by several news staff members. Kekaula, arguably Hawaii's most popular sportscaster, also does play-by-play reports of University of Hawaii football for KHNL's sister station, KFVE.

McGehee and John Fink, KHNL president-general manager, declined to discuss the matter. News director Chuck Parker was not available for comment yesterday.

Though McGehee was not injured, he was emotionally shaken, witnesses said.

Kekaula was angered by what he apparently believed were frequent technical problems during his early afternoon reports. During the Oct. 10, 12:30 p.m. broadcast, McGehee forgot to roll a satellite transmission feed, causing Kekaula "another embarrassing incident," a KHNL source said.

The men argued, then Kekaula grabbed McGehee, pinning him against a desk, witnesses said. Newsroom staff were unable to stop the fight, witnesses said.

As soon as Kekaula released McGehee, McGehee notified KHNL's human resources director of the incident, because neither Fink nor Parker were in the Sand Island Access Road building. Parker later told Kekaula that he was suspended without pay from his $100,000-a-year job, a source said.

Kekaula apologized right after the incident, telling some people that "I'm not going to defend myself because I can't. I shouldn't have touched him. I'm wrong."

Kekaula also called McGehee the night of the incident and left an apology on the producer's answering machine, and promised that a similar incident would never happen again. McGehee returned to work on Monday.

Since the incident, Kekaula, who has said he is willing to attend anger management counseling, has told friends and associates that "I feel (KHNL) is going to fire me." Kekaula, who has 2-1/2 years remaining in his contract, has been with KHNL since the news department was established about three years ago.

On several occasions he has called his sports duties, especially doing UH football play-by-play, as "my dream job."

KHNL earlier this week was leaning toward suspending Kekaula, but the sports anchor and his attorney were informed yesterday that the company now wants to "negotiate terms of termination."