KPOA

KPOA
Name	KPOA
City	Honolulu, Hawaii
Frequency	93.5 FM
Format	Community radio / Hawaiian music
Owner	Pacific Island Broadcasting Association
Airdate	1978
Erp	25,000 watts
Haat	210 m
Class	C2

KPOA is a community-oriented radio station serving Honolulu and the island of Oʻahu with a focus on Hawaiian music, local news, and cultural programming. Founded in the late 1970s, the station operates as a nonprofit broadcaster that connects listeners with traditional Hawaiian mele, contemporary local artists, and community affairs. KPOA blends cultural preservation with public service broadcasting, maintaining ties to island institutions and civic events.

Infobox and Overview

KPOA transmits from a site near Diamond Head and maintains studios in central Honolulu County. The station identifies with Hawaiian language revival movements and collaborates with organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu, and cultural groups including ʻAha Pūnana Leo and the Polynesian Voyaging Society. KPOA’s schedule typically includes programs devoted to mele, chants associated with the legacy of King Kamehameha I, interviews with kūpuna linked to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau narratives, and segments promoting festivals like the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Aloha Festivals.

History

KPOA began broadcasting in 1978 during a period of increased interest in Hawaiian cultural resurgence following the establishment of institutions such as Kamehameha Schools and the rise of activist networks connected to events like the ʻHawaiian Renaissanceʼ. Early leadership included alumni of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa programs in Hawaiian studies and media, and the station provided a platform for artists associated with labels like Hokuloa Records and venues such as Waikiki Shell. Over decades KPOA weathered regulatory changes from the Federal Communications Commission and technological shifts introduced by broadcasters including NPR affiliates and commercial stations like KHON-TV. Collaborations with voyaging canoe organizations and cultural practitioners tied to the Polynesian Cultural Center shaped its role in heritage transmission.

Programming and Format

KPOA’s format emphasizes Hawaiian language programs, traditional mele, contemporary island music, and community affairs. Regular shows feature kī hōʻalu slack-key guitar sessions referencing artists linked to the legacy of Gabby Pahinui and contemporary performers who have performed at venues such as the Blue Note Hawaii. Interview guests have included cultural practitioners involved with the Bishop Museum and researchers from the Hawaiʻi State Archives. Specialty segments highlight festival programming for events like the Kauaʻi Mokihana Festival and the Lanai Pineapple Festival, and educational collaborations have involved the Hawaiʻi Department of Education and haumāna from immersion schools.

Transmission and Technical Details

KPOA operates with an effective radiated power of 25,000 watts and a height above average terrain of approximately 210 meters, classed as C2 under Federal Communications Commission allocations. The transmitter site affords coverage across urban Honolulu and suburban districts including Kapolei, Kailua, and Pearl City. The station has upgraded from analog to digital workflows in partnership with engineering firms that have worked with stations such as KEXP and KRCL, and it streams content online to reach diasporic communities in the Main Hawaiian Islands and on the mainland, including listeners in Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco.

Community Involvement and Events

KPOA sponsors and promotes cultural events, fundraisers, and educational workshops for schools and cultural organizations. The station has hosted benefit concerts featuring artists associated with the Merrie Monarch competitions and fundraisers supporting relief efforts after natural disasters that prompted responses from agencies like Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense and nonprofit partners such as the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. Outreach includes on-site broadcasts from cultural venues such as Iolani Palace and public service collaborations with the State of Hawaiʻi for voter registration drives and emergency information during storm events.

Notable Personnel

On-air hosts, station managers, and producers at KPOA have included alumni of the University of Hawaiʻi system and cultural practitioners connected to the networks of Bernice Pauahi Bishop legacy organizations. Notable figures who have appeared or worked with KPOA encompass kumu hula, slack-key masters bearing lineages tied to Kealiʻi Reichel and affiliates of ensembles that have recorded at studios used by groups such as Nā Hōkū Hanohano nominees. Technical staff have included broadcast engineers formerly associated with outlets like KITV and consultants who have worked on infrastructure projects alongside companies that have served public radio stations nationally.

Awards and Recognition

KPOA has been recognized regionally for cultural programming by local institutions, receiving commendations from entities including the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and cultural awards presented at gatherings such as the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. The station’s contributions to Hawaiian language media have been acknowledged by education and cultural organizations that coordinate with the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities and preservation groups tied to the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.

Category:Radio stations in Honolulu Category:Hawaiian music Category:Community radio stations in the United States