OHA vote halts due diligence on possible KITV acquisition

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs stopped its immediate push to study a possible purchase of KITV and KIKU-TV after trustees voted 4-5 against spending up to $172,500 for confidential due diligence, leaving the question of Native Hawaiian ownership of a major television station unresolved. The vote on May 28 also split the board on a larger issue that went beyond media real estate: who controls the stories, priorities and public understanding that reach homes across Hawaii, including the Big Island.

Trustees in favor were Chair Kaialii Kahele, Dan Ahuna, Keoni Souza and Brickwood Galuteria. Voting no were John D. Waihee IV, Carmen Hula Lindsay, Kelii Akina, Kalei Akaka and Luana Alapa. OHA had estimated the due-diligence phase would take about 90 to 120 days and would have examined finances, FCC licenses, infrastructure and programming potential tied to “certain assets and real property controlled by a production and/or broadcast company serving the Hawaii market.” Sources familiar with the discussions identified the target as Allen Media Group-owned KITV-KIKU.

KITV, known as KITV4 Island News, is one of Hawaii’s three major broadcast news operations alongside Hawaii News Now and KHON2. Allen Media Group bought KITV and its satellite stations in 2020 for $30 million, later added KIKU-TV, and announced earlier in 2026 that it was exploring sales of stations in multiple markets. OHA had already moved in March 2026 to seek a media brokerage firm to value and examine Hawaii broadcast assets, signaling that the board was at least willing to test whether a purchase made strategic sense.

Supporters framed the idea as a rare chance to translate Native Hawaiian ownership into real influence. OHA said the potential benefits included more Native Hawaiian storytelling, greater visibility for ōlelo Hawaii, workforce and leadership pathways in communications and technology, and better fairness, accuracy and dignity in the way Native Hawaiians are portrayed. For viewers on Hawaii Island, that could mean more sustained coverage of rural communities, Native Hawaiian issues and local language programming rather than another symbolic ownership change with little effect on newsroom priorities.

OHA also said any future major acquisition would have to meet fiduciary obligations, operational readiness, transparency, accountability and public trust. The board’s hesitation echoes a familiar caution at OHA: in 2006, trustees rejected a proposal to buy KGMB after a committee had already approved $50,000 for due diligence. That earlier fight drew concerns about a government agency controlling a locally owned news outlet, and the same tension now shadows any effort to turn broadcast ownership into cultural power.