The Academy Awards broadcast was audio-only for as many as 44,000 to 45,000 Hawaii TV households for about an hour and a half Sunday night, assuming they were tuned in to the show.

“;I apologize profusely to our viewers, and I am personally embarrassed that it happened,”; said Mike Rosenberg, president and general manager of KITV, Hawaii's ABC affiliate.

KITV appealed to ABC for permission to rebroadcast the part of the show that viewers missed, and ABC pursued the possibility but “;the Academy (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) will not let us do that,”; Rosenberg said.

The video-signal loss “;was one of those Murphy's Law-type situations. Everything works for 1,000 days or whatever, and on the biggest night of the year, we disappoint our viewers.”;

The digital video signal was lost at 5:53 p.m. when a primary encoder failed and the backup encoder also failed, Rosenberg said.

“;The timing of it could not have been worse,”; he said. It took about 90 minutes to repair the primary encoder for viewers who get the station over the air or watch via DISH Network or DirecTV.

Oceanic Time Warner Cable high-definition package subscribers also lost video on Channel 1006, but could turn to KITV on Channel 6.

USURPING HAWAII'S CACHET

The Talbott Hotel in Chicago is promoting a springtime Hawaiian vacation — in the Windy City.

Telling potential guests they needn't fly all the way to the islands, the boutique hotel is offering a “;Chicago Hawaiian Holiday Package”; through May 1, starting at $329 a night.

It will include treats such as chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, a special room key, a tropical floral arrangement from Hilo and pineapple tea.

Everybody in Hawaii drinks pineapple tea, right?

The package also includes a $50 gift certificate to Roy's restaurant (in Chicago, not Hawaii Kai or Waikiki).

LINGUISTIC LUNACY

The fabricated word staycation is overused enough, but the travel industry is also trying to work “;mancation”; into the lexicon.

Stop the insanity! It's a good thing Merriam and Webster have already gone to the Oxford English Dictionary in the sky.

With that bit of venting out of the way, “;TheBuzz”; can now inform you that TripAdvisor travelers have ranked Kailua as the No. 6 best dude-friendly destination.

It was cited as an outdoor/adventure destination, noting, “;On an island of public beaches featuring beautiful weather year-round along with amazing activities like shark diving, Kailua offers a once-in-a-lifetime exotic escape with the guys.”; One TripAdvisor user said since visiting Oahu he has been trying to figure out a way to live here.

Meanwhile, TripAdvisor's Top 10 Girlfriend Getaways list ranks, at No. 9, Waikiki, for sun, surf and shopping.

TripAdvisor notes Hawaii's reputation as a romantic destination but says it's just as good for girlfriends who “;can enjoy soaking up the sun on Waikiki Beach, take group surfing lessons from a handsome instructor, or shop 'til they drop at the Ala Moana Center.”;

The TripAdvisor user quoted in the list raved about “;this city”; as a place that will be loved by nightlife, bar and nightclub enthusiasts. “;If you're looking for a quiet place, avoid it!”;

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Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Reach her by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).