The new voice on KRTR-FM 96.3 as of yesterday morning is that of Hawaii radio veteran Steve Kelly.

The station's Atlanta-based parent company, Cox Radio Inc., sent out a news release nationwide that was picked up by several trade publications.

“;Steve Kelly's experience in the Honolulu market makes him the perfect fit for Krater 96,”; said Mike Kelly, vice president and general manager, in the statement.

“;No relation, just bribery,”; Steve Kelly laughed.

He co-hosts with “;Sista”; Sherry Clifton on the morning show from 5 to 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday, after a long absence from live radio in Hawaii.

He has been hosting shows recorded for three stations in Japan since the 1980s, but had been working in time-share sales here since the late 1990s.

Was it easy to regain his “;air legs,”; akin to “;sea legs?”;

“;Once I had my first little talk on the mic with Sherry, that put me at ease right away,”; Steve Kelly said.

Each industry is its own small world, but in our islands, “;small”; takes on new meaning in which one winds up working with the same people at different sites over a career.

Kelly spent time catching up with “;people from the past”; after his air-shift yesterday.

He had worked in radio in Salt Lake City and came to Hawaii for a gig at the old KIKI-AM 830; went to sister-station KIKI-FM 93.9; the old KKUA-AM 690; its sister-station KQMQ-FM 93.1 and, disclosure time, at KSSK-FM 92.3 overlapping some of your columnist's tenure there.

Signing on to DTV

Honolulu is the fifth-lowest of the 210 Nielsen ratings markets to request DTV converter box discount coupons, according to the government.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration yesterday estimated Honolulu's over-the-air TV household participation at 32 percent, which could leave two-thirds of Hawaii's roughly 20,000 non-cable and non-satellite TV households without the tube come noon, Jan. 15.

At that time, full-power TV stations will shut off their analog signals on each island except Kauai.

However, not every Hawaii market is Nielsen-measured and viewers may be getting the message better than the ranking indicates.

Prior to last month's early transition announcement, Hawaii DTV coupon requests were at 26,659, said Chris Leonard, president of the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters.

The figure has jumped nearly 20 percent to 31,792, he said.

Each household can request two coupons and they are transferable, said Bart Forbes, public affairs specialist at NTIA, which is sending a staff member to brief communities next week.