TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Local viewers of "Wall Street Week" on Hawaii Public Television won't have Louis Rukeyser to kick around anymore. Rukeyser fans urge
Public TV to air new
show of ousted hostDirty laundry aired by Rukeyser on the Public Broadcasting System show Friday cost him his gig as host of the 32-year old finance program.
He told viewers of plans by Maryland Public Television to revamp the show his company, Rukeyser Television, co-produces and of MPT's intention to shrink his role to that of senior commentator. His contract was to expire this summer, making way for MPT's alliance with Fortune magazine, owned by AOL-Time Warner Inc. The retooled "Wall Street Week With Fortune" is to take to the air in the fall.
During what turned out to be his last telecast he encouraged viewers to contact local PBS stations and demand they air the new show he's planning.
"We received about 40-something e-mails," KHET Communications Director Kay Kasamoto said, "and about another 20-something calls."
"Most of them are simply asking that we show Rukeyser's new program," she said. "We will be sharing viewer comments with PBS and Maryland Public Television."
There is no new show yet but Rukeyser has told national media such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News that he has been approached by other TV executives and will make a decision about the new show in the coming days.
"There's no concrete information," Kasamoto said. "We're not even sure if he'll be offering the new show to PBS."
Her understanding is that KHET will air the new version of "Wall Street Week," which will seek new, younger viewers.
Locally Rukeyser had a very strong following, she said. KHET officials learned early on not to engage in fund-raising pledge drives on Friday nights during his show.
"We would be flooded with phone calls from viewers," Kasamoto said.
The Friday night show garnered one rating point with a two share.
That means 1 percent of the households with televisions watches the show and 2 percent of the people watching TV at that hour are tuned in to that show.
Should PBS get Rukeyser's new show and offer it to local public television stations, it is unclear whether KHET would pick it up. "We can't answer that question," Kasamoto said. "It's still too premature."
In the meantime, "as far as we know, 'Wall Street Week' will air without Rukeyser," KHET Vice President of Programming and Production Ed McNulty said. The show is likely to be guest hosted until Fortune Magazine Editorial Director Geoffrey Colvin and another yet un-named co-host take over the newly formatted show in the fall.
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