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TheBuzz

BY ERIKA ENGLE

A confluence
of call letters

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KGMB and KHON are enjoying the benefits of a single owner. The stations will soon split some programming from the United Paramount Network, whose five-year affiliation agreement with KFVE-TV expired Sept. 2. UPN is owned by CBS parent Viacom. KGMB is Hawaii's CBS affiliate.

The Honolulu-Community Media Council and the Society of Professional Journalists' raised collective eyebrows upon learning the stations will not offer competing wall-to-wall election coverage Saturday.

Instead, KGMB will air a high school football doubleheader pitting Hawaii's top teams against two California powerhouses. One or both games will also air on the West Coast, according to Rick Blangiardi, the local executive calling the shots for Indiana-based Emmis Communications Corp. It owns KGMB and KHON under a waiver of federal regulations.

"I think elections probably represent the quintessential community event and as such I place a high regard on our responsibility," Blangiardi said. "Having said that, by coincidence we have an unprecedented high school double- header on the same day.

"The essence of television is to take people where they can't go themselves," he said.

Double-teaming

Emmis is importing former KGMB sportscaster-turned-ESPN-anchor Larry Beil for the play-by-play; KGMB Sports Director Liz Chun will handle sideline reporting; and KHON sports reporter and anchor John Veneri will cross the street for color announcing.

"I have the flexibility to do that," Blangiardi said. "But I would not normally put talent on both stations like that."

KGMB will not ignore the election, he said. Results will appear on the screen during the games and live coverage will air during half-time breaks and a 30-minute break between games, he said.

The plan is likely to free up KGMB resources for use by KHON. "I think we'll use whatever we can to maximize coverage," Blangiardi said.

Meanwhile at KFVE, WB programming will air from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 5 to 10 p.m. Sundays. "They do not program Saturday nights which works perfectly for us because for half the year we have UH sports," said John Fink, vice president and general manager of KHNL and KFVE-TV. The other half of the year will be programmed with movies or shows pre-empted for games.

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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