Korean-language station under new management

One of Honolulu's two Korean-language radio stations has been sold for $790,000.

KHRA-AM 1460, licensed to KMC Broadcasting LLC, was sold by Honolulu businessman Tony Young Ho Kim to California-based RK Media Group Inc., led by Phill Sohn.

Sohn is 30-percent owner of KMPC-AM 1540 in Los Angeles, known as Radio Korea.

Honolulu's other Korean-language station, KREA-AM 1540, airs Radio Seoul programming.

KHRA went off the air in October of 2006, when it lost is programming provider. In July of last year Kim told the Star-Bulletin he hoped to have a new source of programming lined up soon, but yesterday he was unable to specify a date that the station resumed broadcasting.

A year ago Kim had purchased the Garden House building at South Beretania and Piikoi Streets and told the Star-Bulletin he had "too many businesses," including Ala Moana Golf Shop, Jewels of Hawaii and the radio station.

The station deal has Sohn's KMPC providing programming to KHRA under a time brokerage agreement that will be in effect until the deal is finalized, which involves Federal Communications Commission approval and closure of the financial transaction.

Kim purchased KHRA from Trade Center Management Inc. in 2003 for $680,000. Trade Center Management bought it for $575,000 two years earlier from CXR Holdings Inc., a unit of Georgia-based Cox Radio Inc. .

The station has previously borne the call letters KRTR, KGMZ and KULA.

The call letters of its new Los Angeles sister-station, KMPC, have a rich radio heritage and have been uttered by some of the medium's most luminous stars, including Gary Owens. You might remember him from the TV show "Laugh-In," if you are of a certain age.

Hollywood royalty were among its owners, including Bing Crosby, comedic and death-defying silent movie actor Harold Lloyd and Gene Autry -- but that was a long time ago, when the call letters belonged to a station at 710 on the AM dial.

Now at 1540 AM in LA, the station has had several sets of call letters and became KMPC, an all-sports affiliate of Sporting News Radio in 2000.

It has aired Korean-language programming since 2007.

Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, 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