Kauai radio station owner
plans statewide network

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Associated Press

LIHUE >> Kauai radio station owner George Hochman isn't satisfied with owning stations on the Garden Isle and Maui.

Hochman -- better known as the on-air personality "The Boss" on his two stations, KTOH-FM, HITS 99; and KITH-FM, Island 98.9 -- said his company, H Hawaii Media, plans to expand next to the Big Island and Oahu, and eventually have two magazines and at least one radio station on each of the four major Hawaiian islands.

"Our goal is to be statewide," with radio stations, real estate and travel magazines across the state, said Hochman, 47, of Kalaheo, who owns H Hawaii Media with wife and business partner, Dianna Hochman.

Hochman already publishes Kauai versions of The Real Estate Book and Travelhost magazines. The Maui Real Estate Book debuts next month and the Maui Travelhost magazine will be on racks later this year, he said.

The company recently purchased oldies station KONI-FM on Maui for $1.15 million from Ivan Dixon, a former actor and director.

Meanwhile, KITH-FM dropped "Travelhost" from its name, opting to be known as Island 98.9. The station features Hawaiian and other local music, and on-air personality Kaiulani Edens in the morning adds to the local appeal for that station.

HITS 99 carries the call letters of the island's first radio station, KTOH, founded and formerly owned by Charlie Fern, former editor of The Garden Island.

After Ron Victorino, Sr., whose one-hour show "Memories of Kauai" airs each Sunday at 5 p.m., told Hochman the story of the historic call letters, Hochman contacted his radio attorney in Washington, D.C. to see if those call letters were available. They were, so Hochman secured them.

H Hawaii Media also holds statewide distribution rights for Travelhost magazine.

With three stations on two islands but a budget that won't allow for 30 personalities, there is much "cross-utilization of talent" -- some of the Maui on-air personalities may be heard on the Kauai stations, by recording "snippets" to drop into the semi-automated formats on both islands, Hochman said.

Listeners on Maui who tune into KONI (104.7 FM) may also hear the voice of Shelly Cobb, who lives on Kauai and does a morning show on HITS 99. And Paul "The Local Boy" Douglas does mornings on Maui and nights on Kauai, all from the stations' Rice Street studios inside Watumull Plaza.

Both Kauai stations have 100,000 watts of power, the most allowed under Federal Communications Commission rules, and with a total of four transmitters the coverage is essentially island-wide.