Categorized | Business

KTA to match $20,000 for East Hawaii radio transmitter

MEDIA RELEASE

KTA Super Stores will match $20,000 in donations from Hawaii Public Radio fans eager to bring over-the-air service for HPR-2, the network’s local, national and international news and information, local talk, jazz and blues programming service, to East Hawaii communities.

The gift, made in memory of Koichi and Taniyo Taniguchi, founders of KTA Super Stores and K. Taniguchi, Ltd., is the first lead and matching gift committed toward a $150,000 grassroots capital campaign to pay for equipment, installation, engineering and legal fees, and first year-overhead for the new state-of-the-art transmitter, the network’s second in East Hawaii.

Due to a decade-long FCC freeze on non-commercial licenses, terrain shielding and other challenges posed by Hawaii’s unique geography, East Hawaii has been the largest geographic area in the state without access to service for both HPR-1 and HPR-2.

HPR acquired the broadcast license for KAHU 91.7 in late summer and restored over-the-air service to the Pahala area.

Since then the station has begun a multi-step engineering and technical process that will result in a new state-of-the-art transmitter that will finally bring HPR-2’s services to the greater East Hawaii region.

In accepting the gift, HPR President and general manager Michael Titterton said, “This is just wonderful. Fourteen years ago HPR dreamed of building two high-quality networks to serve the whole state. Realization of that dream began with the construction of KANO-Hilo – which, in turn, began with a generous lead gift from Barry Taniguchi and KTA Stores. Now, as we prepare to put the finishing touches to the two-network project with the bringing of HPR-2 to East Hawaii, it’s only fitting that Hilo would be the place we’d cross the finish line. And it’s just marvelous that, once again, it’s Barry and KTA who are so generously taking the lead with a matching gift.”

Volunteers are actively seeking contributions to match the gift made by KTA Super Stores in order to keep the campaign on track for a planned Spring 2014 sign-on.

Donations are being accepted at www.hawaiipublicradio.org (click on Support, East Hawaii HPR-2 Transmitter) or at 808-955-8821 during business hours.

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