First of all, the Honolulu-Oahu Radio Dial pages have been updated at the main site as well as on this blog. Here are the links:

Honolulu-Oahu Radio Dial (January 2012 update)

Honolulu-Oahu Radio Dial (January 2012 blog update)

Last month, radio station KORL expanded from 2 signals to 4. KORL now broadcasts on the FM dial at 97.1, 101.1, 101.5 and 107.5. All station feature a different format: 97.1 – Japanese J-Pop Hits 101.1 – “Today’s Modern Mix” (Adult Top 40) – 101.5 – “Hawaii’s Smooth Jazz” and 107.5 – Hawaii’s K-Pop (Korean). KORL is operated by HHawaii Media. Discussion about KORL’s changes can be found on our media message board. KORL is still pending a return to 1180 on the AM dial.

HHawaii Media’s KPHI radio has moved from 101.5 FM to 96.7 FM according to the station’s website.

KUMU‘s morning personality Frank B. Shaner was recently let go by the station. His last day on-air was on December 27.

ABC-TV’s “The River” a program that is being filmed in Hawaii debuts on the network on February 7.

Hawaii Public TV broadcasts on Channels 11.1 and 11.2 as KHET in the Honolulu area and several other channels on the neighbor islands and on cable.

More information at this link.

UPDATE: PBS Hawaii resumed broadcasting on Saturday.

With the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System less than one week
away, the leaders of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sent an open letter to all stakeholders today, including governors, federal legislators, broadcasters, news networks and other organizations, asking for their continued help in educating their respective communities about the test.

Although the Emergency Alert System is decades old and often tested and used at the local level, it has never before been tested on a nationwide scale. This first-ever test will occur at 2:00 pm eastern on Wednesday, November 9, 2011. The test will occur simultaneously across the U.S. and its territories and will last approximately 30 seconds, after which regular programming will resume. The test will look and sound very
similar to the local tests of the Emergency Alert System that occur frequently.

“The various disasters our country has faced this year underscore the need for effective and well-tested emergency alert and warning systems that could be used in a time of real emergency, at a moment’s notice,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote in their letter to stakeholders. “The purpose of the test is to allow FEMA and the FCC to assess how well the Emergency Alert System would perform its primary function: alerting the public about a national emergency.”
As Fugate and Genachowski explain in their letter, testing this existing technology will help identify any positive changes that could be made as FEMA, the FCC and other partners continue working to build a modernized and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.

In preparing for this test, FEMA and the FCC have been working closely with the broadcast and disability communities, as well as state, territorial, tribal and local partners, and many other stakeholders to help broadcasters to make this test as accessible as possible.

As the test approaches, Fugate and Genachowski are spearheading an aggressive public education campaign to ensure that all Americans are aware of the test and know what to expect. As part of these efforts, they are asking stakeholders to make sure their communities are aware of key facts about the test, including that the test will appear on all broadcast radio and television stations, cable television systems, satellite radio and television systems, and wireline video service systems. The test will not impact landline or mobile phones, power grids, or Internet connectivity.

FCC | FEMA | EAS

Hundreds Cut By Clear Channel Yesterday (All Access Music)
Free content but registration required to view.

Some of the Hawaii people mentioned:

KHJZ & KUCD/HONOLULU PD RYAN SEAN,

KHJZ – KUTMASTER SPAZ and JIMMY DA GEEK morning show
KUCD middayer/Production Director HAZ-MATT

KHVH-A/HONOLULU afternooner MIKE BUCK, Morning Show Producer JOE KING, Creative Services Director REBECCA PENNEY, weekender STEVE BOHLEN, and Board Op. FRANC KAMU

KSSK-A/F/HONOLULU night-timer CHRIS PETERS

KUCD/HONOLULU Air Talent/cluster Production Dir. MATTHEW “HAZ-MATT” WELLS.

Cuts are reported to be budget related and a new programming strategy.

More from All Access (free content, registration required)

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/98200

Honolulu Star-Advertiser (paywall content – must pay to view)
http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?acti…y&id=132679193

Discussion Topic @ HawaiiThreads.com

“We wanted to take a moment to tell you about an important site improvement that will affect the way in which users comment on news stories on our website. Following a site improvement on October 20 commenting on news stories will require signing in through a Facebook account.  This improvement will allow even more of the community to engage in news story commenting and provide a better overall site experience for all of our users.   Because of the transition, existing commenting accounts will no longer be able to login.

This change does not affect your ability to upload photos and videos to u local with your existing u local account.  We encourage you to continue to do so.  You will also continue to be able to engage other u local members and comment on media within the u local section using your existing account.     “

Have you sent in your entry to win the fabulous Elvis in Hawaii book…we’re celebrating 50 years since the Blue Hawaii movie…and make sure you’re in to win…..!!

The answer is in the Blue Hawaii, Elvis and Hawaii Radio 1961 feature at www.radioheritage.com and the question is:

How many hours each week did KIPA Hilo broadcast in Japanese in 1961?

Entries close at midnight July 14, 2011 your local time and date. Judges decision is final.

The prize is a great book of wonderful photographs of Elvis Presley in Hawaii, including some taken at popular radio station studios in Honolulu in 1961, so if you haven’t sent in your entry already, make sure you do so before July 14.

Radio Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit cultural organization connecting popular culture, nostalgia and radio heritage. Our global website is www.radioheritage.com. To unsubscribe email info@radioheritage.net. Become an annual supporter for as little as US$25 and please help keep the site and services free. 100% volunteer run. Online since 2005.

Radio Heritage Foundation www.radioheritage.com

More information at the following links:

• Hawaiian Telcom TV kicks off around Oahu

While Olelo states that the digital box is free, Oceanic’s own website under pricing lists a $7.12 charge for a digital box.

Commentary: I wonder how many analog customers will opt for the digital box? While digital may offer more TV services, the going rate for the basic digital package is $75 a month. When I last subscribed to Oceanic cable’s analog, the price was about $63 for 78 channels. The cable franchise fee will probably remain the same whether a subscribers gets all of the Olelo channels or not.

Hawaiian Telcom is the state’s largest phone company. They recently came out of bankruptcy. Due to a changing marketplace where many people have opted for cellular phone service instead of a traditional landline, the phone company has decided to pursue to cable TV option and offer its services as a package along with telecom and internet services.

More details at the following links:

Hawaiian Telcom gets a license for cable TV
Hawaiian Telcom Gets OK To Offer Cavble TV
DCCA Press Release (PDF)

Publisher’s Comment: Competition is usually a good thing. We’ll see how this pans out for consumers in relation to prices and packaging offered by Hawaiian Telcom. Hopefully the new competition will bring cable TV prices down or at least stabilize them at a certain level. It is also hoped that better TV channel packages are offered or even the possibility (highly unlikely) of ala carte cable.