Hawaii residents disappointed over decision to drop KIKU-TV’s popular Japanese and Filipino shows

When Howard Ishizuka heard the news that KIKU- TV would be dropping its popular Japanese and Filipino programming for a home-shopping network, the retired Navy engineer knew he had to do something about it.

As a longtime KIKU viewer, Ishizuka, 67, fondly recalls watching Japanese broadcaster NHK’s annual New Year’s Eve “Red and White Song Contest,” the police detective show “Partners” and the medical drama “Iryu” with family and friends. He also has vivid memories of his mom dozing off in her La-Z-Boy recliner after binge watching her favorite KIKU shows.

“I grew up watching the Japanese programs. There’s nostalgia there,” he said. “I guess it’s like losing a good friend.”

To protest the move, the Aiea resident penned a letter to the editor that was published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and contacted community groups, asking for help on how to save his beloved Japanese-­language programs. He received nearly a dozen replies, all expressing similar sentiments but so far no feasible suggestions for saving the shows.

Many other Hawaii residents felt sad and disappointed when KIKU’s parent company, RNN Media Group, headquartered in New York, made the decision to replace its Japanese and Filipino shows with ShopHQ beginning June 28. RNN did not respond to a request for comment from the Star-Advertiser.

In a statement on KIKU’s Facebook page last month, the station’s Vice President and General Manager Phyllis Kihara thanked viewers for their support over the past 40 years. Kihara later told the Star-Advertiser the station had received hundreds of calls, emails and messages expressing thanks and gratitude for its programming.

“The silver lining is the opportunity we’ve been given to hear from so many people in Hawaii about how much KIKU meant to them,” she said. “It’s very heartwarming to receive all of these messages from people.”

For many residents, the cultural programming isn’t just entertaining, it’s educational too. U.S. Census data shows that Tagalog, Ilocano and Japanese are among the top languages other than English spoken in Hawaii homes.

Nadine Nishioka, executive director of the Moiliili Community Center, a nonprofit that serves many Japanese families and seniors, said children enrolled in its Japanese-language school watch KIKU to practice and brush up on their skills.

Nishioka also has a personal affinity for several KIKU shows, such as the travel and culture show “Soko ga Shiritai,” which got her excited to visit Japan, and the period drama “Oshin,” which helped get her mom through a three-week hospital stay.

“It has a lot to do with culture because it’s their language,” she said. “In Hawaii, KIKU brought us together. I think it’s going to be something missed, and not just by Japanese and Filipino families. Regardless of what ethnicity you are, it’s going to take away the culture and that camaraderie.”

Larry Ordonez is host of “Filipino Radio” on KNDI and president of Ethnic Education Hawaii, which works to ensure local programming is broadcast in various languages. He said that for many Hawaii residents, KIKU’s shows are a lifeline and a cultural bridge.

Ordonez, who immigrated from Ilocos Sur in the Philippines to Hawaii 51 years ago and is fluent in Tagalog and Ilocano, said he receives far fewer calls from listeners when popular shows such as the news programs “Balitang America” and “TV Patrol” are on the air. He knows they’re watching KIKU.

He and Nishioka also point out that English is not the native language for many Japanese and Filipino seniors, so having shows they can easily understand is vital. That echoes census data showing that nearly one-third of Hawaii residents speak a language other than English at home. And of those residents, about 12% have limited or no English proficiency.

“(Many immigrants) leave their friends and family and don’t know anyone here. I’ve gone through that personally,” Ordonez said. “Having these cultural programs brings that closeness to home. If we don’t keep lighting the candle, it’ll be dark.”

Ishizuka is still hoping to find community members who can help save KIKU programming, whether that be through a grassroots effort or donations. Nishioka said the Moiliili center plans to show more Japanese programs and videos for seniors. And Ordonez and his radio station colleagues are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with local stations.

Japanese and Filipino programming is still available on the Nippon Golden Network, NHK World-Japan, The Filipino Channel and GMA Network, but they are subscription cable channels, unlike KIKU, which broadcasts for free.

Joanne Ninomiya, founder and president of JN Productions Inc., which managed KIKU’s foreign-language programming for more than a decade, said licensing Japanese shows is difficult and costly, especially for older programs. She said some programs, like the superhero series “Kikaida,” still have large followings.

“People I don’t know come up to me and say they used to watch KIKU and (share) their memories. There are so many anecdotes. I’m always taken aback,” Ninomiya said.

“The time spent with KIKU from 1993 to 2004 were some of the most enjoyable years for JN Productions, and I have so many fond memories of the people I worked with in Japan, my staff back then, the viewers and sponsors. It was very rewarding.”

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Jayna Omaye covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member with Report for America, a national serv­ice organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities.