3 Honolulu
radio stations
shuffle ownership

California-based Salem Communications Corp. took over KGMZ-FM 107.9 from Atlanta-based Cox Radio Inc., which in turn assumed operations of AM stations 650 and 940 from Salem.

Salem, doing business locally as Salem Media of Hawaii Inc., now owns and operates seven Oahu stations, the most allowed in a market this size: KAIM-FM 95.5 "The Fish," which plays contemporary Christian music; conservative news-talker KHNR-FM 97.5; KHUI-FM 99.5, playing traditional Hawaiian music; oldies-formatted 107.9; KGU-AM 760, which airs Christian teaching and talk; and KAIM-AM 870 and KHCM-AM 1170, which will share a morning show but will carry separate country-music programming for the rest of the day.

The KAIM-AM transmitter is on Molokai and provides a clear shot to the eastern side of Oahu, while KHCM's West Oahu location covers that side of the island, said Vice President and General Manager T.J. Malievsky.

Salem hired all but one radio personality from KGMZ, as former midday hostess Sista Sherry is primarily employed by Cox as a morning show co-host on KRTR-FM 96.3. Salem weekend personality Katrina Kellie has been promoted and will fill middays on the oldies station. The station's other full- and part-time personalities, including legendary radio man and concert promoter Tom Moffatt, have been hired by Salem.

Cox's new station at 650 AM has been assigned the call letters KRTR-AM and will play what Vice President and General Manager Mike Kelly called easy-listening music. The station at 940 AM will carry a traditional Hawaiian music format, "and we're going to do some block programming for Hawaiian issues," with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kelly said. There will also be some Hawaiian-language programming, Kelly said.

He said he believed 940 AM would receive its new call letters by this morning.

With the deal, Cox owns and operates six Oahu stations including KCCN-FM 100.3, which plays contemporary Hawaiian and island music.