Hawaii Public Radio

Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR), is a network of non-commercial, listener-supported stations broadcasting two streams on fifteen frequencies across the state of Hawaii. It is the statewide member of National Public Radio (NPR). The stations originate from the studios of The Hawaii Public Radio Plaza on Kaheka Street, near the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio

Type	Public Radio Network
Country	United States
First air date	1981
Broadcast area	Hawaii
Owner	Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Affiliation(s)	National Public Radio Public Radio International American Public Media
Official website	Official website

History/programming

The network's original station, KHPR 88.1 FM, signed on the air in Honolulu on November 13, 1981. It originally operated with a staff of two people—general manager Cliff Eblen and music director Bob Miller. Originally operating from rented space at the University of Hawaii, it moved to its current studios in July 1987. A year later, HPR became a true statewide network with the sign-on of a station in Maui, reaching listeners on Maui and Hawaii Island.

HPR's programming choice increased in October 1989, the second program stream, KIPO 89.3 FM, began broadcasting jazz and folk music. In August 2000, expansion continued with the addition of KANO 91.1 (Hilo), broadcasting KHPR classical music and news program stream to East Hawaiʻi Island. In 2010, two new boosters are installed on Mt. Kaʻala on Oʻahu's North Shore, and beam both KHPR 88.1 and KIPO 89.3 at the terrain-shielded North Shore, as well as at the south and east shores of Kauaʻi (June). The following year, expansion of the KIPO signal to Maui was implemented and KIPM 89.7 went on the air in the spring; KIPH 88.3 serving Hāna, Maui began service shortly after.[1]

With these infrastructure additions, statewide coverage of two streams became possible, and in the spring of 2012, the two HPR program streams were rebranded as HPR-1 and HPR-2.[1]

On February 13, 2013, KHPH 88.7 (Kailua-Kona) brought HPR programs to the many terrain-shielded pockets along West Hawaiʻi, including Waimea. That same year, KIPL 89.9 (Līhuʻe) went on the air, making available HPR-2ʻs news, talk, and international music available to the majority the remaining areas of Kauaʻi island.[1]

HPR-1 offers news, talk, entertainment, and a variety of music programming, including NPR's weekday news shows Morning Edition, All Things Considered, as well as HPR's own weekday news and current affairs program The Conversation. Weeknights feature Evening Jazz and Bridging the Gap, an eclectic music program; both music shows produced in-house. Saturday programming includes This American Life, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and Radiolab, as well as locally produced Brazilian Experience, showcasing Brazilian music. Sundays feature a mix of spirituality programming (On Being and New Dimensions), ideas (TED Radio Hour) as well as music shows include Kanakapila Sunday, showcasing Hawaiian music, and American Routes. The station also broadcasts the BBC World Service overnight after midnight.[2]

HPR-2 ("your home for classical music") is Hawaii's only dedicated classical music station, offering a mix of national and locally produced shows. Local shows include Morning Cafe/Morning Concert, Classical Pacific, Howard's Day Off, and The Early Muse. The station also broadcasts symphony performances from Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Francisco, and others. Select performances of Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Hawaii Youth Symphony are also broadcast.[3]

Stations

HPR operates as two distinct services. "HPR-1," based on KHPR, originally focused on classical music and fine arts programming. "HPR-2," based on KIPO, originally aired NPR news and talk, along with jazz and blues music at night. On February 14, 2017 Hawaii Public Radio realigned its two program services — HPR-1 now carries news and talk and jazz, while HPR-2 switched to classical music. From the very beginning, HPR intended to offer two distinct programming services when it acquired the resources and transmitters to do so.[4] Both services have been streamed live on the Internet since 2001.

HPR-1 service

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	ERP W	Height m (ft)	FCC info
KANO	89.1 FM	Hilo	18,000	219.8 meters (721 ft)	FCC
KHPH	88.7 FM	Kailua	6,500	931.5 meters (3,056 ft)	FCC
KHPR	88.1 FM	Honolulu	39,000	514 meters (1,686 ft)	FCC
KIPL	89.9 FM	Lihue	1,000	537.4 meters (1,763 ft)	FCC
KJHF	103.1 FM	Kualapuu	3,400	511 meters (1,677 ft)	FCC
KKUA	90.7 FM	Wailuku	14,500	1,752 meters (5,748 ft)	FCC

HPR-2 service

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	ERP W	Height m (ft)	FCC info
KAHU	91.3 FM	Pahala	18,000	219.8 meters (721 ft)	FCC
KIPH	88.3 FM	Hana	250	−41.7 meters (−137 ft)	FCC
KIPM	89.7 FM	Waikapu	14,500	1,752 meters (5,748 ft)	FCC
KIPO	89.3 FM	Honolulu	38,500	514 meters (1,686 ft)	FCC

There are also six low-power translator stations that fill in gaps in coverage:[5]

• K203EL at 88.5 MHz, serving Haleiwa and Schofield Barracks HPR-1
• K235CN at 94.9 MHz, serving Waimea on the Big Island HPR-1
• K264BL at 100.7 MHz, serving East Oahu HPR-2
• K269GD at 101.7 MHz, serving Moloaa on Kauai HPR-2
• K239BV at 95.7 MHz, serving Kawaihae to Captain Cook on the Big Island HPR-2
• K283CR at 104.5 MHz, serving Waimea on the Big Island HPR-2

In addition, HPR-1 and HPR-2 may also transmits on Charter Spectrum digital channels 864 and 865 or Hawaiian Telcom TV digital channels 661 and 662 for the entire state of Hawaii.[6]

Until September 2008, the signal of KIPO was limited to 3,000 watts to avoid interference with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) monitoring stations in Pearl City. This effectively limited its coverage to the south shore of Oahu. A new 26,000 watt transmitter for KIPO went on the air on September 20, 2008, enabling the signal of KIPO to reach all areas of Oahu. Plans are in the works to expand the HPR-2 stream to the other islands as well. In April 2011 KIPM in Wailuku signed as KIPO's satellite outlet.[7] Two more HPR-2 satellites signed on over the next three years, enabling Hawaii Public Radio to realign its services into a true two-channel network.

References

1. "History of HPR". www.hawaiipublicradio.org. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
2. "HPR-1 Schedule". www.hawaiipublicradio.org. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
3. "HPR-2 Schedule". www.hawaiipublicradio.org. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
4. "HPR Program Realignment - February 14, 2017". hawaiipublicradio.org. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
5. https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/where-listen
6. Digital Cable Program Guide / Lineups Archived 2011-02-25 at the Wayback Machine - Oceanic Time Warner Cable (accessed March 20, 2011)
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-08-20. Retrieved 2009-10-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• HPR's website
• "You've Come A Long Way, Baby", HONOLULU Magazine ~ November 2006