Hawaii's Musical Newspapers to Merge

From 1971 to 1993, Gannett owned Honolulu's Star-Bulletin, then they sold it to purchase the Honolulu Advertiser, while the Star-Bulletin continued publishing under a joint operating agreement.

In 1999, Liberty Newspaper and Gannett announced the severance of this agreement along with plans to shutter the Star-Bulletin, which caused local activists concern and as a result, the State of Hawaii ordered them to look for a buyer.

Black Press of British Columbia purchased a controlling interest in the Star-Bulletin, set them up as a standalone company, then lost money on their investment for the next nine years.

On February 25th, the 55,000 circulation Star-Bulletin and its parent announced that they had reached an agreement to buy the 130,000 circulation Honolulu Advertiser from Gannett for an undisclosed sum.

Most likely, Gannett sold because Honolulu is the only market, where they do not not enjoy a monopoly; The Star-Tribune will now have that monopoly, if a buyer for the smaller paper can not be found and they'll gain a modern printing plant, something the smaller paper had lacked.

The U.S. Justice Department has ordered Oahu Publications to put the Star-Tribune on the market for antitrust purposes, but since no buyer is expected and the state has indicated that they will not stand in the way of a merger, the employees of the Advertiser have started fearing for their jobs and questions are being raised about future ad costs, when Honolulu becomes a one paper town in about six weeks.

Lede: Why Not James K. Polk Day?

Senate President Colleen Hanabusa wants President Obama's Aug. 4 birthday to be a state holiday, right up there with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole Day, King Kamehameha I Day and even Christmas.

State Rep. Della Au Belatti, D-25th (Tantalus, Makiki, McCully), would like the Jan. 20 date of Obama's presidential inauguration to be forever known in the Islands as Barack Obama II Ohana Day.

And even Republican state Rep. Gene Ward, R-17th, (Kalama Valley, Queen's Gate, Hawai'i Kai), hopes to turn 4,124 square feet of overgrown scrub land owned by the state Department of Transportation into President Barack Obama Birthplace State Park.

Honolulu Advertiser

Unembeddable Video: An Oahu Homecoming

After spending a couple of minutes previewing President Obama's upcoming Christmas vacation, Hawaii native and ABC Correspondent Yunji de Nies dreams a little about eventually finding her way home.

Hawaii May Go Under-Represented

Much has been made in Hawaiian political circles about what may appear to be a very subtle dig by Sen. Daniel Inouye toward the news of Rep. Neil Abercrombie's impending resignation, perhaps to run for Governor. But, the whole comment could appear in a different light, when one learns they may not hold a special election to replace him.