Sometimes you can
get the boot, even if
you own the company

Big island broadcaster Hugh "Buddy" Gordon is suing the company that fired him as general manager two years ago - the same company he partly owns.

He alleges wrongful termination, citing the state's Whistleblower Protection Act and is seeking unspecified damages.

"They're going to be shown at trial," he said.

Gordon is a minority owner of Big Island Radio, a company built by his father, the late Hugh Gordon, beginning in the 1940s.

Until his termination, he served as general manager for four radio stations, including KIPA-AM 620, and as an advertising sales executive who received no commission.

The company's majority owner is ASA Corp., a subsidiary of Persis Corp., headquartered in Honolulu and led by Michael Pfeffer. The companies, Pfeffer, and former Chief Financial Officer Glenn Yee are named as defendants.

None of those named in the suit could be reached.

Gordon alleges that officials conspired to fire him after he told them of the substantial cost that would be incurred to bring engineering deficiencies into compliance with Federal Communications Commission rules.

Gordon said the cost would be dependent upon how officials decided to make the needed improvements, but said the total would not be in the millions of dollars.

He declined to enumerate the problems but said "there are various violations, which I have documented."

Since his termination, Gordon has purchased and operates KHBC-AM 1060 radio in Hilo for which he says "local support has been great."

"But it's difficult, as you can imagine, running a stand-alone AM (station) in a market of 18 mostly FM stations. A stand-alone AM station with real live personalities, not all satellite (programming)."

Gordon also launched an events magazine titled "Na Hanana."

"It's meant to be a bible of what's happening on the Big Island," he said.

Since June it has been published every two months but there will be a December-only edition.

Big Island Radio last year sold its radio interests to various parties.