The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 141

The Honolulu Advertiser Week of June 4-10, 1995 TV Week Hawaii's Guide to broadcast and cable television Copyright 1995, Hawaii Newspaper Agency onventional wisdom. Throughout history, otto r-j it's held that the world is flat, that man can 'Hawaii News8' pushes the envelope by flouting convention viewers. The results of that research pointed to three areas a new Hawaii newscast should address. "Fundamentally, we decided that, first of all, local news wasn't interesting in its presentation and, secondly, that the concerns of the general public were missing," says Brandt. "Typically (on local television), we saw issues being discussed by politicians and other leaders without any input from the people those issues were affecting.

For example, when the (most recent) legislative session closed, we went to the parking lot at K-Mart to find out what ordinary people thought about it." "Third, another part of News8's research pointed out that Hawaii news viewers wanted better, more comprehensive weather coverage than they'd been getting, as well as someone who LrfSl litis -V fMllilittiiftft not fly that you can't do this and you can't do that. To others indeed, to many whom history hails as pioneers and visionaries, it's an oxymoron that begs to be challenged and overcome. That attitude is evident at KHNL Channel 13, which premiered its "Hawaii News8" (9:05 p.m., seven days a week, KHNL Channel 13 and KFVE Channel 5) six weeks ago amid skepticism from the Honolulu's close-knit media community that it wouldn't fly. "With no history behind us, we decided we needed a different style, that we needed to take a different approach than (the other news programs) in the market," says Hawaii News8 News Director Paul Brandt. "We figured that, as the new kids on the block, we needed to give viewers a choice of something different." News8's half-hour broadcast is precisely that.

Viewers tuning in to its premier broadcast were, for lack of a better term, jolted by the program's rapid pace and staccato edits. That first impression was no acci- "News8" is rewriting the rules on how a major market newscast should look and feel. dent. At the same time it is building Hawaii's fourth locally-produced newscast, News8 is rewriting the rules on how a major-market and national and international newscast should look and feel. As with changes sweeping through many industries over the past few years, computers are at the core of News8's presentation.

KHNL and KFVE's parent company, King Broadcasting, has invested $5 million in the News8 program to create a news-room and product unlike any other. KHNLKFVE General Manager Doug Armstrong notes that the decision to embrace News8's cutting-edge technology was based as much on good investment strategy as marketing. "What we 're doing here is what every other news department will be doing in a few years. they could rely on to provide dependable coverage of weather conditions and forecasts in the event of an emergency, such as Hurricane Iniki." News anchor Dan Cooke agrees, noting that when he meets viewers in public, they frequently express enthusiasm for News8's distinctive 3-D, computer-generated map of the island chain and its myriad weather conditions. When asked about the future, Brandt anticipates additional growth and fine-tuning of the News8 format, with continued emphasis on "pushing the envelope" of local news.

"In '96, 1 think you're going to see us doing more newscasts as much or more than the other stations," he says. "Basically, we want to be a major force in the market a strong competitor." That's a lofty goal. The new kids on the block at News8 are upstarts in a well-established market of old boys in the TV news business. Conventional wisdom would suggest that, at the very least, Hawaii's fourth local newscast faces an uphill battle. Like other pioneers before them, the people behind Hawaii News8 are out to prove conventional wisdom wrong.

Byjeff Nicolay The author is an HNA copywriter. Pho by DavidMM PhMofnphy REBELS WITH A CAUSE: News anchor Dan Cooke (left) and Sports Director Robert Kekaula have shaken up the local TV news industry with "Hawaii Newsfi," airing nightly on KHNL Channel 13 and KFVE Channel 5. digital right away, rather than a few years down the road." As Brandt notes, long before a single fiber-optic cable was installed, the station conducted extensive research to determine how News8 could better serve Hawaii "What we're doing here (in terms of News8's digital infrastructure) is what every other television news department will be doing within a few years," he says. "Since we were starting from scratch anyway, we decided to take the plunge and go fully World's most famous undersea figure surfaces Big city cop leaps from the comics page to do battle with colorful villains to chat wiui equally famous interviewer In a rare topside moment, Jacques Cousteau is 'Talking I With David Frost, Friday on KHFJ Channel 11 Page 6 1 Warren Beatty directs and stars in 'Dick Tracy, Sunday on KTTV Channel 4.