KGMB - History

History

KGMB-TV was the first television station in Hawaii airing its first programs on December 1, 1952. It was owned originally by J. Howard Worrall. They carried programming from all three major networks but was a primary CBS affiliate owing to KGMB-AM's long affiliation with CBS Radio. The station lost NBC when KONA-TV (now KHON-TV) signed-on two weeks later, and lost ABC when KULA-TV (now KITV) launched in 1954. In 1973, a partnership led by future Hawaii congressman Cecil Heftel bought KGMB-AM-TV, then turned around and sold the KGMB stations to Lee Enterprises in 1977. The company sold off KGMB-AM in 1980 and is now KSSK-AM. In 1982, they dropped the -TV suffix from the call sign.

The real-life KGMB news crew was often featured in one of the longest running police dramas on CBS in the 1970s, Hawaii Five-O. The station continue to have ties to the iconic series' Reboot, as CBS allows KGMB to let their viewers preview the season premiere episode early at the Waikiki Shell every September.

In 2000, Lee exited television and sold most of its television holdings (including KGMB) to Emmis Communications. Emmis already owned KHON-TV, so it had to get a waiver of the FCC's duopoly rules which normally forbid common ownership of two of the four largest stations in a single market for the purchase of KGMB. This waiver was renewed several times while Emmis owned both stations. At that time, KHON moved its studios to KGMB's facility.

From 2002 to 2004, KGMB carried select programming from now-defunct UPN, via a secondary affiliation shared with KHON. UPN programming had previously been seen on KFVE from 1995 until 2002, when the station switched its primary affiliation to The WB. KIKU picked up secondary UPN affiliation in Fall 2004.

As Emmis itself prepared to exit the television industry, it sold KHON to the Montecito Broadcast Group in 2006. Emmis then announced on February 20, 2007 that KGMB and its satellites had been sold to MCG Capital Corporation for $40 million. The FCC granted approval for this sale in late-May and was completed on June 4.

For many years, KGMB billed itself as "One of the Good Things About Hawaii" with its rich history of local television programming exclusively in Hawaii, especially in such shows as Skipper Al and Checkers & Pogo (both children's programs; the latter being the most remembered, airing from 1967 to 1982 and featured the late Morgan White), The Hawaii Moving Company (Originally a Disco/Dance program that transitioned into a general interest show), and the 1982 TV special Rap's Hawaii starring the late Rap Reiplinger. This slogan was made famous by an a cappella jingle which is still heard on KGMB today. It can now be heard at the end of KGMB's morning newscast, "Sunrise," leading into The Early Show. Later, with an emphasis on weather, the station branded itself "Hawaii's Severe Weather Station".

Shortly after MCG Capital Corporation took over, KGMB adopted a logo similar to one it used in the early-1980s and also rolled out a new news package and website.

On August 18, 2009, MCG Capital Corporation and Raycom Media (owner of KHNL and, at the time, KFVE) announced a shared services agreement which would see Raycom merge the three stations' operations into the KHNL/KFVE studios on Waiakamilo Road in Honolulu (KGMB would vacate its studios on Kapiolani Boulevard). Though non-news programming would remain in place, the 3 stations' news operations would be combined under one banner. The arrangement would also see a channel swap, with KGMB moving from PSIP channel 9 to channel 5 and KFVE move from 5 to 9.

The resulting ownership arrangement of the stations has generated some controversy, as Raycom would gain ownership of KGMB when it moved to channel 5 and KFVE would be owned by MCG Capital on channel 9. Organizations such as media watchdog group Media Council Hawaii viewed the plan as a way to circumvent FCC rules preventing one company owning two of the top four stations in any market. (The FCC only recognizes ownership of facility identifications, which remain attached to their channel numbers, and not ownership of a station's call sign or intellectual properties. In this case, Raycom keeps ownership of Facility ID 34445, KGMB's new home, while MCG Capital still owns Facility ID 36917, KFVE's new home.) Raycom president Paul McTear has staunchly defended the SSA, saying it would "preserve three stations that provide important and valuable local, national and international programming to viewers in Hawaii." Further controversy over the SSA grew with the revelation in a Honolulu Star-Bulletin report on November 7, 2009 that Raycom will pay MCG Capital an amount of $22 million (according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission)--which, in effect, would constitute a sale of KGMB from MCG Capital to Raycom. Both companies did not mention any exchange of money during its August SSA announcement, only "assets." The FCC, in response to Media Council Hawaii's filing of an objection over the SSA, has asked Raycom for detailed, unredacted agreements in relation to the SSA.

The SSA and on-air swap took effect on October 26, 2009, with KGMB moving from PSIP channel 9 to channel 5 and changing branding from "KGMB 9" to just "KGMB." An estimated 68 positions from a total of 198 from the three stations would be eliminated as part of the agreement.

On May 8, 2010, the remaining items and memorabilia that was left at KGMB's former studios were auctioned off, with proceeds going to charity.