Hawaii News Now will interview me next Wednesday morning (April 19, 2017) for their Sunrise on the Road show.
They are going to be in Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival and want to talk about agriculture on the Big Island and statewide, and also about our medical cannabis operation.
I believe it will air about 6:30 a.m. You can livestream it here.
Leslie Lang writes:
Hawaii News Now ran a story last night on Richard Ha's being up for renomination to the state Department of Agriculture board, and state Senator Russell Ruderman's email to other senators about being "revulsed" at the idea of Richard being reappointed to the board.
Click here for Hawaii News Now video clip
People have submitted an overwhelming number of letters to the legislature supporting Richard's renomination. Here's a link to all of them.
I'll post here just a few of them; they are the ones that people copied to Richard:
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Stuart T. Nakamoto, Ph.D.
Professor and Extension Economist, Agricultural Economics and Marketing of Perishable Products
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences
Agricultural Sciences Bldg 314B
mailing address:
UH-CTAHR HNFAS
1955 East-West Road, AgSci 314B
Honolulu, HI 96822
***
We are Hawaii’s farmers & ranchers and floral & nursery growers who collectively produce more than 80% of the agricultural products, including food, grown in Hawaii. Additionally we are supported by community groups, agricultural support groups and key individuals and individual farmers and ranchers, large and small. Our alliance includes the commodity groups, individual farmers and ranchers, Ag land owners and support groups, and community groups listed on the attached roster.
Richard Ha is one of the most respected and innovative agricultural leaders in the state. He has been farming successfully for over 35 years. He is a leading advocate for small farmers, and is widely respected by his fellow board members on the Hawaii Board of Ag, where he has served for the past 4 years. His widely shared opinions on peak oil, alternative energy solutions and profitable, sustainable farming are above reproach. We need an army of Richard Ha’s. He’s a smart, selfless, likeable guy who knows what he’s talking about, and is an innovative, progressive and experienced farmer. And who doesn’t know Richard’s famous quote “If the famer makes money, the famer will farm”.
Richard is a current and active Board member for the following Boards; The Hawaii Board of Agriculture, Kohala Center, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board (HIEDB), Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) steering committee, Chair- Big Island Community Coalition and a Founding member of Hawaii Farmers & Ranchers United (HFRU).
Please support Richard Ha’s Nomination to the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.
Farming & Ranching is not what we do ~ It’s Who We Are
For Questions or Comments Please Contact:
Chris Manfredi, President, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
Alex Franco, President, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.
***
Honorable Chairman Nishihara,
Sincerely,
Robert Rapier Chief Technology Officer, Merica International, Kamuela, Hawaii
***
Aloha Senators and associates,
I have known and worked with Richard Ha for a few years, and one thing I believe everyone can agree on is that he always looks out farms and farmers. He himself has been a farmer for decades and has been highly successful maintaining a productive and profitable farm even amid increases in costs and fluctuations in the market.
I'm a young professional working with sustainability and rural communities. As is common among my generation, I myself have substantial quandaries with GMOs, in particular around the misuse of patent infringement laws intimidating and suing farmers over uncontrollable and unintentional cross pollination, among other things, as can be seen in the following report by the Center for Food Safety http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/reports/1780/monsanto-vs-us-farmers-2012-update#
Though I do not support many of the corporations and policies around GMO, I do support the farmers right to choose their own crops and pursue a variety of options for their business in balance with the community's well-being. Richard Ha takes a balanced approach to this issue, understanding both the farm and farm business side of the issue as well as the greater implications to our communities. Richard Ha cares deeply about his community and his workers as can be seen in the changes to his own practices and unique and direct support to his workers.
The question of his qualifications should not be if he is for or against GMOs, but does he approach this issue in a balanced and logical way. He does that far more than most. There is a myriad of information and misinformation around GMOs and it is crucial to have someone on the Board of Ag who is open to hearing all sides.
The Board of Ag should be supportive of new advancements and technologies that support farmers and benefit our communities, but it should be rigorous in its unbiased assessment of these new opportunities for farms. Richard Ha has always and will continue to advocate for the well being of farmers and Hawaii, and will do so in an open minded manner. That is why I do, and you should, support his nomination to the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.
Mahalo for your time,
Katie Schwind
***
Aloha Senator Nishihara Agriculture Committee Chairman,
My name is Michael Tarring. I am President of Ohana Banana Farm Inc. I have been farming for thirty years and currently farm apple bananas on 120 acres of land in Keaau. Were we produce 2,500,000lbs. of high quality apple bananas sold through out the state of Hawaii. We also employ 27 workers on our farm full time.
Mahalo
Michael Tarring
Ohana Banana Farm Inc.
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To whom it may concern,
My name is Henk B. Rogers. I am writing with regards to the nomination of Richard Ha.
I believe Richard to be the right man for the job. He has all the necessary qualifications from extensive experience as a farmer to having the perfect character for the job. I read that Senator Ruderman has a “revulsion” to Richard’s nomination because of his stance on GMOs and Geothermal. I strongly disagree with Senator Ruderman who seems to be acting out of uninformed emotion.
Geothermal is one of Hawaii’s greatest clean energy assets. It is base-load which makes it the easiest to implement clean energy. People who oppose geothermal do so in complete ignorance of the damage done by existing oil/diesel fired power plants and the great track record of geothermal.
People who oppose GMOs are not thinking about the rise in population in the world and what that will mean. Our population is slated to reach 10 billion by the end of the century. We either grow food more efficiently through GMOs or we cut down the last of the rain-forests to make room for more ag-land. I don’t support Monsanto’s predatory business practices, so fix the business model. We need GMOs. Richard is not afraid to take controversial positions on important issues. He is exactly the kind of man you need on the Board of Agriculture.
Aloha,
Henk B. Rogers
***
Dear Senator Kahele,
You may remember that I did a lot of writing some time ago on the subject of agriculture. Weekly columns for the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board were called "Focus on Agriculture" and concentrated on the successful economic impact of diversified agriculture.
During that time — and we are going back 20+ years here — I came to know and admire Richard Ha. He was always available to talk about bananas, tissue culture, mountain biking as eco-tourism, sustainable choices for small farmers, and many other topics. I remember covering an event when Richard and his wife June were recognized for their sustainable efforts at an international conference called Food Choices 2000. He has farming experience himself plus much broader interests for the betterment of our island.
He continues in his new location to promote the business of farming and he continues to adapt technologies — the hydroelectric generation of power for the farm is one example.
I support the reappointment of Richard Ha to the State Department of Agriculture board.
Thank you,
K.T. Cannon-Eger
***
Aloha Ag Committee Chair Senator Nishihara and Committee Members,
This letter is written on behalf of Governor Abercrombie’s nomination of Richard Ha to the State Board of Agriculture.
During my eight year tenure as the Hawaii County Director of Research and Development under Mayor Harry Kim (2000-2008), I found myself intrigued, interested, and impressed by the global yet locally grounded perspectives of Richard Ha as we served on various committees and met on a number of topical issues. We may not have agreed on every specific point, but I never questioned his credibility, his wisdom, nor his integrity. Richard Ha is a man of the highest moral character who is willing to stand for his truth while consistently encouraging opposing voices to come together for dialogue and compromise.
Part of our Department’s purview was Agriculture, a huge and complex arena. Highly regarded and respected within the movers and shakers of Hawaii Island’s agricultural community is Richard Ha. >/p>
Somewhat of a Renaissance man, he is willing to challenge the status quo or popular majority if he has determined through data and scientific analysis that such a challenge is warranted and for the greater good. He does this knowing the cost to both his personal and professional reputation. And he has done so on both sides of the normal divide in agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture will be well served with such an objective, experienced, committed, and intelligent member on its Board.
Please support Richard Ha’s nomination to the Board of Agriculture.
Mahalo nui loa,
Jane Higa Testa
***
Dear Sen. Kahele,
As a small farmer in the Umauma area of Hakalau, I am endorsing Richard Ha for reappointment for the State AG board. I believe Mr. Ha's successful commercial experience for 35 years shows he understands the needs of Hawaii's agriculture. We need to maintain a Ag Board that has a balance of all ideas.
Your assistance is appreciated.
Rodger Hansen
Hakalau HI 96710
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Chairman Nishihara,
As the Chairman of the State Committee of Agriculture, I would like to address you to express my support.
I support Richard Ha’s candidacy to serve on the Hawai’i Board of Agriculture. Mr. Ha is a farmer with 35 years experience who has worked tirelessly for the agricultural communities of this State. He recognizes the importance of agricultural and has spent his life learning about and working on the land. He is unshakeable in his desire to lead our State toward sustainability.
He sees food security as a priority and understands the connection of agriculture and energy. Lowering food cost for both the farmer and the customer is most important.
Richard Ha supports all farmers including the conventional, permaculture and organic farmers. He works well with people from all backgrounds. He is very capable and humble…. giving of himself. The State is fortunate to have such a qualified person willing to give his time and talents to his fellow citizens.
Mr Richard Ha is an outstanding candidate to continue serving on the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.
Mahalo,
Lynn Hamilton
Ka’u Hawai’i
***
Dear Hawaiian Senators,
I am a consultant in the area of energy/economy/environment. Formerly I worked as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers and Salomon Brothers and now sit on the Board of Directors of: Bottleneck Foundation, Post Carbon Institute, Institute for Study of Energy and Our Future, and Institute for Integrated Economic Research. In the course my energy/economy work I have many colleagues on Oahu and the Big Island and have met and interacted with Richard Ha frequently over the past several years.
The world is headed for a transition – it may be smooth or it may be rough, but the primary drivers of economic growth – cheap energy and available credit, are waning. Hawaii especially is vulnerable to high oil prices as you use oil directly for electricity and import oil indirectly in the transportation costs of most goods. Richard Ha is very knowledgeable about the energy foundation of our economies. He is a visionary on how to use local inputs in a sustainable way to produce basic needs (food, electricity). He is selfless and cares deeply about Hawaii's future in an era of expensive oil, particularly as it pertains to food production and healthy, balanced diets.
I don't claim to know the future, but business as usual, in my opinion, will produce some unpleasant non-linear results. Hawaii had a much larger population in the past so ambitious locally derived plans are definitely possible to succeed. Adaptive, flexible, ecologically informed thinking by pro-social, civically engaged leaders is what will make Hawaii a better place in the future. If I lived in Hawaii I would be going door to door in support of Richard Ha for Ag Board. Your county/state needs more thinkers/doers like Richard, not fewer. I hope you do some research on what he's accomplished and Hawaii's future doesn't become victim to politics as usual. Richard is a unique local resource you should take advantage of.
Sincerely, Nate Hagens
Nathan John Hagens
Director Institute for Integrated Economic Research
***
Richard Ha has brought and will continue to bring, reasonable, balanced thought and determination to the State Board of Agriculture in the most pono manner for all. He doe NOT have blinders on and thinks "outside the box" – He is what we need – please, do what we know is good, re-appoint Richard Ha.
HAWAII LABORERS-EMPLOYERS COOPERATION AND EDUCATION TRUST 1617 Palama Street · Honolulu, HI 96817 · Phone: 808-845-3238 · Fax: 808-845-8300 · URL: hilecet.org
Dear Chair Nishihara, Vice-Chair Kouchi and members of the Committee:
My name is Clyde T. Hayashi and I am the Director of Hawaii LECET. Hawaii LECET is a labor- management partnership between the Hawaii Laborers Union Local 368, its 5,000+ members, and 250+ unionized contractors.
We support GM 598, submitting for consideration and confirmation to the Board of Agriculture, Gubernatorial Nominee Richard Ha. We believe Mr. Ha is more than qualified to be part of the Hawaii State Board of Agriculture. During his first term on the Board of Agriculture, Mr. Ha has proven to be a staunch advocate for agriculture and food security and a great friend of local farmers.
Mr. Ha and his family run a 600 acre farm in Pepeekeo on the Big Island, which I have visited several times. Their Hamakua Springs Country Farms grow bananas which feed many local families. In keeping with his strong beliefs on sustainability, Mr. Ha added a hydroelectric plant on his property which will help him avoid the high electric prices on the Big Island and allow his farm to become much more sustainable.
Mr. Ha has been a leader in the fight to have science lead our agricultural policies. He has been recommending the formulation of a task force or working group to facilitate objective discussion on the issue of GMOs. Mr. Ha believes having a taskforce where people from all sides of this issue can present their view with supporting evidence in an atmosphere conducive for open discussion will be beneficial for the industry and for the community. Anti-GMO groups and individuals have chosen to push for passage of laws without having this discussion. Mr. Ha has been unafraid to stand-up to those who have instead chosen to use scare tactics, aggressiveness and personal attacks to promote their message. It is unfortunate that there are people with differing viewpoints who are opposing his nomination.
I consider the local papaya industry to be the best example of how the discussion on GMOs has become much too subjective and emotional. The ringspot virus nearly destroyed the entire papaya industry. In response, local scientists developed the Rainbow papaya, a GMO papaya, which saved the industry. Most local people know that papayas are a GMO product, yet many continue to buy and consume them. We all probably know people who eat papayas every day or nearly every day. There are those who say that GMO products hurt or kill people and want to ban GMO papayas entirely. If what they are saying is true, then why does Hawaii, with so many of our local residents consuming GMO papaya, have the highest life expectancy of any State?
In addition to his support of the local agriculture industry, Mr. Ha is also a staunch advocate of geothermal energy. He believes geothermal energy is the best way to stabilize electric costs, a huge factor and expense in agriculture. Affordable electricity is needed for our local farmers to have a better chance to survive and prosper.
Mr. Ha is a life-long farmer who understands the challenges that local farmers face. He is a staunch advocate for agriculture and food security. He is a leader in the development of geothermal energy which will provide stable, affordable electricity and he is a community leader who is a strong advocate for the Thirty Meter Telescope and for the Big Island Science and Technology industry. Mr. Ha is exactly the kind of leader we need on the Board of Agriculture.
Mahalo for the opportunity to express our strong support for Mr. Richard Ha.
***
***
Aloha Senator-
I would like to offer my support for Mr. Richard Ha to be appointed as a member of Agriculture Committee. I have known Mr. Ha from a number of years now. We occasionally meet at community meetings as well as public forums. I found him being a good listener and supportive of a project I am interested in.
You see, I am a founding member as well as an officer for the Piihonua Hawaiian Homestead Community Association in Hilo, Hawaii. We have been blessed with having a year round stream in the back of our DHHL homestead. I found out that he was also interested and working on installing a hydroelectric at his farm, so I would always ask him on the process and issues he needed to address obstacles to overcome.
I had previously gone to the Department of Land and Natural Resources here in Hilo to find out how we can generate electricity from our stream. They basically tried to talk me out of it because they informed me that I needed to go to various other state and county regulatory agencies and they were not sure which ones and what department I had to go to. Needless to say, I was disillusioned to learn that our Association has access to a natural resource we can easily harvest, but not able to tap into this energy source.
In any event, upon talking with Mr. Ha, he informed me that he took years to go through the “red tape” but finally was able to get the proper permits from the various regulating state and county departments. However, he has it up and running at his farm. He offered his help and when I am ready, he would advise me of the process. He invited me to visit his farm and view his hydroelectric system which he has installed and currently in use on his farm.
When I fly along the Hamakua Coast on Hawaiian Airlines, I see many rivers and streams that run from Mauka to Makai, I can just imagine the farms and homes which can benefit from a simple hydroelectric system to power their homes and farm enterprises. His knowledge, experience and skill level would go greatly forward to help his neighbors and friends lucky enough to have flowing water next to their lots.
The Hamakua Coast was the bedrock for agricultural lands that was used to grow sugar in its heydays. I feel that with Hawaii’s effort to become self-sufficient in food, the Big Island could and should be the breadbasket of Oahu and Maui who are converting prime agriculture lands into housing. Here on the Island of Hawaii, we are blessed to have good soil and ample rain to grow anything we wish to harvest. Richard would be a tremendous asset to have on the Ag Committee since he has the vision and attitude to overcome obstacles and challenges.
I found out from a technicial at CHTAR that the Island of Hawaii has 11 of the 13 types of growing climates. Therefore, we should be able to sustain our population with locally grown produce such as vegetables, fruits, and livestock. This has Mr. Ha’s career choice. Hawaii would be better served by a person of his knowledge, skills, and experiences in agriculture and related fields. In this manner, Hawaii is able to import less and less of what we consume and create jobs and careers for future farmers and ranchers. I should know, I was a Sales Manager for a Big Island Supermarket Chain for over 20 years. We bought our goods via Matson and Air Cargo. Many of the products “locally grown” would benefit our State of Hawaii residents if grown here. And this is what I feel Mr. Ha brings to the table as a member of the Agriculture Department and I wholehearted support his continued presence on the Agricultural Board.
Sincerely,
Ronald T. Kodani
Vice President, Piihonua Hawaiian Homestead Community Association
***
TESTIMONY OF SCOTT E. ENRIGHT
CHAIRPERSON, BOARD OF AGRICULTURE
Chairperson Nishihara and Members of the Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on Governor’s Message 598 for the consideration and confirmation of Richard Ha to the Board of Agriculture. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) strongly supports Mr. Ha’s nomination and reconfirmation to the Board of Agriculture.
Richard comes from three generations of farmers and has ***an extensive local agricultural background. Richard is the founder and president of Hamakua Springs Country Farms, a 35 year old diversified agriculture operation consisting of 600 acres and employing 70 workers. As president of Hamakua Farms, Richard has a wealth of knowledge about the agriculture industry in Hawaii and the challenges and opportunities the industry faces.
Richard is also an active participant in the local community. He is the founding member and president of the Big Island Community Coalition, member of the Hawaii Clean Energy Steering Committee, board member of the Kohala Center and co-chair of the geothermal working group. As a current member of the Board of Agriculture, Richard is a vital contributor to Board deliberations, bringing a farmer’s perspective to all discussions.
Based on Richard’s extensive local agricultural experience, community involvement, and solid track record as a current Board member, the HDOA strongly supports the consideration and reconfirmation of Richard to the Board of Agriculture.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony.
***
SUBJECT: Governor’s Message 598 Reappointing Richard Ha to the Board of Agriculture,
State of Hawaii
Aloha Chair Nishihara, Vice Chair Kouchi and members of the Senate Agriculture Committee,
Richard Ha is a hard working and successful farmer who has served Hawaii extremely well as a member of the Board of Agriculture (BOA) for the past four years. He should be confirmed to a second term on the BOA where he can continue to be a thoughtful advocate for agriculture in Hawaii. His family farm, Hamakua Springs, is at the forefront in terms of demonstrating the practical application of 21st century cultivation practices such as greenhouse and hydroponic techniques, aquaponic technology, food safety practices and alternative energy utilization. Similarly, the innovative marketing of his farm’s products has opened the door for many other farmers to realize its significance to the success of an agricultural enterprise. Essentially, Hamakua Springs is a working model for successful agriculture and Richard has always demonstrated his willingness to share his experience and knowledge with anyone who wishes to engage. Having known Richard for over 30 years and having served with him on the BOA, I can say unequivocally that he is an honorable person who has a deep commitment to Hawaii which is reflected in his dedication to the agricultural industry in our state. I have also observed that he works extremely well with the other members of the BOA to develop solid solutions for, at times, complex issues that demand extensive research and collaboration. His encouragement to new farmers who appear before the BOA for leases or loans is heartfelt and inspiring to them. The agricultural industry in all its aspects will continue to grow and thrive with Richard’s leadership.
Please consider my strong support for Richard Ha in your deliberations. You can be confident that he will serve all of Hawaii well as a member of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.
Mahalo for the opportunity to share my view.
Russell S. Kokubun
***
Aloha Senators,
I am writing this letter in support of the reappointment of Richard Ha to the State Board of Agriculture.
My name is Petra Wiesenbauer and I have been a Big Island resident for over 15 years. I live in Leilani Estates by Pahoa and am the owner of Hale Moana Bed & Breakfast. I have known about Richard Ha for many years, but met him personally in May of 2012, when the Hawaii Island County Council tried to pass a bill to establish a one-mile buffer zone around the Puna Geothermal Venture, in which properties could have been bought out by the County and then were to be kept uninhabited. It would have been a disaster for the residents of this area. At the time we had formed a residents group opposing the bill and in support of constructive collaboration with PGV. We had asked Richard Ha to join our group and support us in our venture. With the help of Richard Ha we were able to make our voices heard and in the end the bill did not get signed into law. Instead a process began together with a consultant (Peter Adler) to support safety and health in this area and make future decisions based on facts and not fears or assumptions.
It was at that time that a continued relationship developed with Richard Ha and I have since been able to witness many of his concepts, approaches and innovative projects.
Richard Ha is a remarkable person and some of the most outstanding characteristics about him include the following:
Re-appointing him to the Board of Agriculture will be a benefit to the Ag community and the State of Hawaii. His visions can help the farming community to adopt strategic and all-encompassing solutions. With his strong focus on food and energy sustainability for this great State of Hawaii and his connectedness with many other strategic thinkers and innovators all across the country, it would be a great loss for us, if his nomination was not approved.
I sincerely ask you to support the re-appointment of Richard Ha to the Board of Agriculture.
With warm Alohas,
Petra Wiesenbauer
Hale Moana Bed & Breakfast
Pahoa, HI 96778
***
By Leslie Lang
Rick Blangiardi was keynote speaker at a Hawai‘i Island Economic Development Board meeting on Wednesday. He spoke about how today’s (and yesterday’s, and tomorrow’s) rapidly changing technology is changing the news business. It was interesting to hear an overview of how much TV has changed, and how quickly, and why.
Blangiardi worked in media for decades, both here in Hawai‘i (he started with KGMB back in 1977) and on the mainland—where, among several other positions, he was president of the Spanish-language television network Telemundo. Now he’s back in Hawai‘i, where he first moved in 1965 and where he said his heart has been ever since.
In 2009, he took over as general manager of Hawaii News Now (HNN), a new concept in television here:
Hawaii News Now is the name of the news department shared by three television stations in Honolulu, Hawaii: CBS affiliate KGMB (channel 5), MyNetworkTV affiliate KFVE (channel 9) and NBC affiliate KHNL (channel 13). The newscasts are produced by Raycom Media, which owns KGMB and KHNL and operates KFVE (owned by MCG Capital Corporation) through a shared services agreement. – Wikipedia
Remember how every evening there used to be an announcement, like, “Tonight’s 10 o’clock news will start at ten minutes after 10”? Programming wasn’t the same as on the mainland, he said, “and we didn’t follow any of the rules.”
Not only did Hawai‘i have to wait for its copies of mainland programs to physically arrive by boat (isn’t that amazing to think about now!), but many people were not able to see television broadcasts at all, because the island’s topography caused poor reception in some areas. There was no cable distribution, and it was a wholly different ballgame.
In 1989, computer technology came to television, and that’s when it became possible to measure the television watching audience here. Hawai‘i became part of the national television index, and television stations here were asked to clean up their act and start their programs on time. That’s when the 10:00 news started airing at 10.
In the last four to five years, he said, changes have been unprecedenced. The collapse of the state’s economy in 2008 “brought all of us to our knees,” he said. Even before that, stations had been struggling for advertising dollars. The advertising marketplace had changed and it was hard to support the four local news operations Honolulu had at the time.
In 2007, a group of investors bought the highly-competitive-with-each-other television stations. There was a lot of scrutiny about the deal, he said, but they carefully vetted everything through lawyers and FCC regulations before announcing the consolidation of stations. The stations became Hawaii News Now, and it created an incredible opportunity.
Their plan was to combine resources and provide something Hawai‘i had never seen before. Using these extensive resources, and the ability to hire the best people, they commited to producing what’s now 40.5 news hours per week and became a 24-hour news operation.
Technology has opened up a whole new perspective. Now, he said, people go to the computer and expect news around the clock. For instance, during a recent period of huge surf on O‘ahu, HNN had 10 million page views on mobile platforms in a week, and another 2.5 million on the web.
Two hundred and seventeen thousand people like Hawaii News Now on Facebook. “If they ‘like’ you, they’re inviting you in,” he said. “You’re part of the family. It’s like when the kids go to college; we hear about it. It’s all unprecedented. The readers can reach in and touch us. Everybody has some kind of device in their hand and people expect to be able to communicate like that now. (HNN Reporter) Mileka Lincoln, she’s a rock star! It’s a whole different dynamic.”
The other huge change, he said, is that they no longer only broadcast over the air. The technology they use to distribute their programs is pretty sophisticated and wide-ranging now—methods I imagine no one dreamed of back when he started in television.
What especially seemed to resonate with the group of HIEDB forward-lookers is when he said that every plan and every decision they make is done with an eye toward the future. He said it’s taken him four years to get the staffing at HNN just right, and now he feels very good about the people working there and how they are moving Hawaii News Now toward a still-changing future. He’s also glad they’ve been able to bring talented people back home from the mainland, where they moved to pursue careers, and give them good jobs here—like the aforementioned Mileka Lincoln.
“Hawai‘i is more sophisticated than many other places when it comes to wired technology,” he said. “We’ve really evolved into a 21st-century electronic company.” HNN is a statewide television organization and tries to be inclusive of the neighbor islands; he points out that the morning program Sunrise is going on the road 15 times this year. When they come to the Big Island each spring to cover Merrie Monarch, he said, they actually put their expensive truck filled with very high technology equipment on the barge and bring it with them—but even that technology is changing now.
Technology has always driven the television business, he said, but never to the extent things are changing today as we continue to careen into the Digital Age. He said that he’s always asking his staff: “Where are the new ideas? What are we going to do that’s new and different? What are we doing right now, at the end of February, that’s different from what we did a year ago?”
Richard Ha said later that this is a question people in every industry, who understand all the changes we are going through right now, should be asking themselves.
He told me he was interested in how Rick used his iPhone to illustrate how dramatically things had changed in the last four or five years. Handheld mobile devices made it possible for people to report things instantaneously—just click and send. And then people wanted to receive their news the same way; on their handhelds.
“It was an unprecedented change, and HNN challenged themselves by thinking outside of the box,” said Richard. “We are constantly challenging ourselves, too, by asking how we can stay relevant to a rapidly changing tomorrow.”
Richard Ha writes:
We have gone into “hurricane mode” here. Tropical Storm Flossie is due to hit the Big Island around 6 a.m. tomorrow morning.
From Hawaii News Now at 8 p.m. Sunday:
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) –
Tropical Storm Flossie continues to maintain strength as it inches closer to the islands. As of 8 p.m. Sunday, maximum sustained winds were 60 miles per hour, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) in Honolulu.
Forecasters said at 8 p.m., the storm was located about 260 miles east of Hilo, or 465 miles east of Honolulu. It was moving toward the west at 18 miles per hour.
Winds in excess of 60 mph can knock down banana plants and damage our tomato houses. Our worker safety is top priority.
We’ll see what the 11 p.m. weather report says. I’ll try to post again with an update tomorrow morning, early.
