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TheBuzz Erika Engle |
The crumbling sale
of rock and soft-rock
radio stations
The sale of KUMU-AM 1500, KUMU-FM 94.7 and KAHA-FM 105.9 may be off. The time brokerage agreement for operation of the stations by Georgia-based Real Radio of America LLC has been terminated by Connecticut-based Maverick Media Inc., which still owns the stations.
CORRECTION
Wednesday, May 14, 2003» The host of the morning show at KUMU radio is Mandy Suganuma, not Mandy Armstrong as reported in TheBuzz column yesterday on Page C1.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.Staffers at the stations were informed yesterday via memo, which offered no reason for the decision.
The memo read: "As of today, Monday, May 12, Maverick Media has terminated its TBA with Real Radio. We look forward to working with our employees once again." Maverick President Gary Rozynek was not available for comment.
Maverick had announced an agreement to sell the stations to Real Radio in December; the time brokerage agreement paved the way for Real Radio to operate the stations and oversee advertising sales, pending completion of the $5.2 million purchase.
The transaction has yet to close, although that had been expected to occur in the first quarter of the year.
Two of the three Real Radio principals arrived in early January. Dan Bradley and Tim Rose are also partners with Gary Dodd in Georgia-based Bullie Broadcasting Corp. Real Radio was formed for the acquisition of the Hawaii stations.
Bradley and Rose moved to Hawaii to run the stations while long time General Manager Jeff Coelho retained his title and position on Maverick's behalf for the transition.
Rose took over the morning show and other adjustments were made to the on-air schedule, leaving veteran air personality Bill Baist unemployed. Maverick later pulled rank, as provided for in the time brokerage agreement, and pulled Rose off the air.
The agreement as filed with the Federal Communications Commission, reads: "Licensee (Maverick) reserves the right to refuse to broadcast, suspend or cancel any programs which are not, in licensee's sole discretion, exercised in good faith, of a quality consistent with its policies and standards."
Personalities such as Oceanic Cable's Tiny Tadani pulled some fill-in shifts and now Mandy Armstrong handles the morning show.
KAHA-FM adjusted its lineup after Program Director Marc Young got a job on the mainland.
Rose and Bradley were unavailable for comment, but sources at the station said they had cleaned out their offices.
In December, Bradley told TheBuzz what nervous KUMU and KAHA staffers could expect.
"We all want to do the right thing."
"We're not corporate guys with a headquarters somewhere, we come hands-on as owners and operators."
He described some staff members as having "been there forever ... I don't see any reason to do anything weird."
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
