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Tiny Tadani leaves
KUMU morning radio
show to join KHUI

LOCAL media figure Tiny Tadani left the KUMU-FM 94.7/AM 1500 morning show yesterday, but will return to morning radio at 6 a.m. on Aug. 22 at KHUI-FM 99.5.

KHUI has been known as "The Breeze," but the station will be remonikered "The Hui," as it adjusts its music format.

"They're going to slowly turn it into a more listenable, familiar-type, song-friendly station ... for the local person like me," Tadani said.

Featured artists will include Kalapana, Cecilio & Kapono and Country Comfort: "the kind of stuff we heard growing up," Tadani said.

KHUI's general manager, T.J. Malievsky, has said he felt the station's Hawaiian songs were geared toward a mainland, Internet audio audience under its former program director, Mahlon Moore, who recently left.

Moore continues to operate his own Internet music station at www.breezeofhawaii.com.

"I'm going to start off by myself," Tadani said, but Dawn O'Brien, known to his radio listeners as Dawn-dot-com, will help out as Tadani's producer. "We're best friends," Tadani said.

O'Brien also is a co-host for the New Hope Christian Fellowship TV program "Connecting Point."

One hour of Tadani's KUMU morning show had been aired live from 7 to 8 a.m. on Oceanic cable Channel 16, and that will resume from the Hui's studios, probably next month, he said.

"I used to call it the KUMU Breakfast Club," but the name will change to something like, "Radio Tiny," Tadani said. His "Tiny TV" show on OC 16 will not be affected by the change.

At KUMU, former Tadani co-host Mandy Suganuma will fly solo for the time being, said John Detz, president of station owner Visionary Related Entertainment.

Detz and Station Manager Ed Kanoi are weighing options, "having just been informed this morning" of Tadani's intended departure, Detz said yesterday.

Hawaiian-made advice

The 10th annual Made in Hawaii Festival, staged by the Hawaii Food Industry Association at the Neal Blaisdell Center, could be the great opportunity for as many as 90 first-time exhibitors.

That has been the experience of 10-year show veteran Diane Crawford, who founded Tahitian Goddess in 1991. The company makes jams, jellies, chutneys and marmalades -- and business has grown since her first time at the festival in 1995.

"People that come there are interested in finding out who you are, and if you're a newcomer, they're most interested in tasting your product or seeing what you create," she said. They can also learn where to buy the products.

This year's new exhibitors include Toni's North Shore Knits, which crochets custom-made swimsuits, said Mandy Westfall, exhibitor coordinator.

This year's special preview, just for retail buyers, is from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, August 19. The doors open to the public at 10 a.m. that day. The event runs through Sunday, August 21.

The retail buyers' preview has contributed to Tahitian Goddess' success each year.

"Absolutely. I just wish they all came on Friday (morning)," because when the doors open and the entertainment stage gets cranked up, "it's hard to hear ... and it's so loud, but you're trying to be polite, and be there," for the retail buyers as well as the public.

If a small operator gets pressed for container loads of orders and can't meet such demand, Crawford suggests a reply along the lines of, "I can't right now, but if you give me some time I'll be able to," she said.

"But I think most of the time, most (exhibitors) are out there wanting to really share what they've made ... with the local folks."

Business success can't always be foreseen.

"Nobody really gives you a blueprint of what it's going to be like. You have to learn it as you grow and you have to learn not to grow too fast. That's important," Crawford said.

This year, 348 exhibitors have purchased 425 booths and look forward to attendance at least as strong as last year's record attendance of more than 37,000.