I recently celebrated 32-years as a talk show host with iHeart Media and KHVH Radio. It dawned on me with my 65th birthday that I have spent virtually half my life behind the microphone at KHVH and a total of over 40 years of radio broadcasting.
What the what?
There are those with lifetime careers that exceed mine. On the other hand there are those who feel having a job for more than 10 minutes is 9 minutes too long.
Again, what the what?
Allow me to share a bit of sausage making about the broadcast industry.
The radio business is divided into “dayparts.” They are morning drive, middays, afternoon drive, evenings and overnights. The dayparts are determined by ratings companies such as Arbitron. A radio station and shows appearing in a particular daypart earn ratings or listenership. There are formulaic computations that determine audience size and demographics based on the completion and submission of mail in ballots.
Yes, listeners vote for their favorites.
Morning drive is considered prime time due to the concentration of listeners on the road at one time. The morning drive daypart traditionally ranges from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. In years past I have broadcast “The Rick Hamada Program” from 5-9 a.m., 6-10 a.m., and now it airs from 6-9 a.m.
Radio is a primarily music-driven medium. These are divided into formats. Our iHeart Radio station, FM923 and AM59 KSSK, is AC or Adult Contemporary music. Island 985, KDNN is Hawaiian Contemporary Hit radio while my station, KHVH, is of the News/Talk format. Others at iHeart Radio are Alternative (Star 991), Sports/Talk (Fox Sports 990), PoP1019 is Asian Contemporary Radio (Korean) and 939 The Beat is Hip Hop hits. You can download the free iHeart Radio App and access all our local stations.
Although I began in music radio it’s the news/talk format is where I found my home. As a younger man music was a centerpoint in my life. I performed in school choirs, our own high school band, community and collegiate musicals and music DJ’ing for events and nightclubs.
After a long night in the clubs and an equally long drive home living in the Bay Area I discovered talk radio. It was a welcome change from the hours of pounding music to just listening to conversation, news updates, sports coverage and whatever was top of mind. I began to look forward to that time and started listening during my downtime during the day.
I was hooked.
A career detour traveling the world as cruise staff and eventually cruise director on luxury lines brought me to Hawai‘i and I never left.
Why 30-plus years in one job and hopes for 30-plus more?
Every day is new.
I traffic in information, I relish the communication, the creation and maintaining of relationships and helping our community whenever possible. I especially enjoy fixed position interview segments featuring Mayor Rick Blangiardi, HPD Chief David Lazar and other leaders where listeners can call-in, have access, ask questions and/or share comments.
Talk Radio is Relationship Radio. The audience is privy to the words, thoughts, beliefs and comportment of the host and guests. In our days of texting, emails, social media and non-personal communication I’ll take the old school of talk radio and love to be a part of it every day.
Rick Hamada can be reached at rickhamada@aol.com.
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