KHNR Honolulu moves from 870 to 880
Mar 1, 2007 13:40:04 GMT -5
Post by reception on Mar 1, 2007 13:40:04 GMT -5
www.molokaitimes.com/articles/7228115613.asp
By Brennan Purtzer
2/28/2007 11:56:13 AM
Fire and flame danced on the West End land, where a Christian radio station had once broadcasted an AM signal throughout the Pacific.
Just months after he had bought the Kaluakoi estate he had been living on for the last seven years, Molokai resident Merv Schweigert saw the fields in front of his house inadvertently lit on fire last Monday afternoon by a construction crew in the process of removing the conspicuous AM radio towers that had been perched there since 1981.
"Every time you do construction, the nature of the work has a possibility of fire risk," said Bill Davies, a Salem communications representative.
The station, KHNR-870, which was last managed by Salem and originally built by the Reverend Billy Graham to beam towards Honolulu, had an interesting history of it's own.
According to a long-time Hawaiian radio executive, Graham had built the 50,000-watt station, believing the signal could extend across the ocean and reach markets in the Philippines. It could not.
The Molokai firefighting crew was out in full force, with every man and every backup engine in position to assist. Nine firefighters were from Maui by Pacific Wings, and two Hughes 500 choppers were brought in to combat the flames, which burned a total of about 120 acres and headed down the Kaka'ako Gulch, and mildly threatened the Schweigert residence.
"There wasn't any damage anywhere," said Schweigert, who had worked with Salem communications over the last seven years, until their broadcasting ceased last December 5.
Though no property damage was registered, and the flames were knocked down the same day, tourists and residents were annoyed by the disrupted traffic on Kaluakoi Road.
"There were a lot of irate people shut out of their homes," said Davies.
Schweigert says he doesn't have any plans for the property itself, though he intends to continue living there.
"At least it happened now, before the kids came and set it on fire in the Summer," said the good-humored Schweigert.
By Brennan Purtzer
2/28/2007 11:56:13 AM
Fire and flame danced on the West End land, where a Christian radio station had once broadcasted an AM signal throughout the Pacific.
Just months after he had bought the Kaluakoi estate he had been living on for the last seven years, Molokai resident Merv Schweigert saw the fields in front of his house inadvertently lit on fire last Monday afternoon by a construction crew in the process of removing the conspicuous AM radio towers that had been perched there since 1981.
"Every time you do construction, the nature of the work has a possibility of fire risk," said Bill Davies, a Salem communications representative.
The station, KHNR-870, which was last managed by Salem and originally built by the Reverend Billy Graham to beam towards Honolulu, had an interesting history of it's own.
According to a long-time Hawaiian radio executive, Graham had built the 50,000-watt station, believing the signal could extend across the ocean and reach markets in the Philippines. It could not.
The Molokai firefighting crew was out in full force, with every man and every backup engine in position to assist. Nine firefighters were from Maui by Pacific Wings, and two Hughes 500 choppers were brought in to combat the flames, which burned a total of about 120 acres and headed down the Kaka'ako Gulch, and mildly threatened the Schweigert residence.
"There wasn't any damage anywhere," said Schweigert, who had worked with Salem communications over the last seven years, until their broadcasting ceased last December 5.
Though no property damage was registered, and the flames were knocked down the same day, tourists and residents were annoyed by the disrupted traffic on Kaluakoi Road.
"There were a lot of irate people shut out of their homes," said Davies.
Schweigert says he doesn't have any plans for the property itself, though he intends to continue living there.
"At least it happened now, before the kids came and set it on fire in the Summer," said the good-humored Schweigert.
The lowered power covered Molokai and East Honolulu fine but it was nonexistent especially in Kalihi because of interference from three AM towers in the area. >:( KHNR AM 870 was actually a simulcast of KHNR FM 97.5, a news-talk station. I preferred to listen to the AM but that's for another topic. The lowered power therefore served no purpose because it didn't cover all of Honolulu. The week of February 4, 2007 I called Salem Communications of Hawaii and they couldn't give me an answer as to the status of KHNR AM.