Flossie, Meet Olena

So is it, enter a pageant, win a pageant, and then become a KHON2 employee?

Yep, that’s EXACTLY how it is…if you have REAL credentials (e.g. a Master’s Degree), don’t bother unless you can produce the shiny crown. I’m a former contestant of one of those big state pageants, but just fell short of winning the crown. I went to KGMB years ago not even looking to be on air (hoping eventually) with a master’s degree in hand and experience but was told I would need to leave the islands and “pay my dues.” Winning a pageant here means you are a pseudo-celebrity for life. It can guarantee you jobs that would require the average hard-working person a degree. A former Miss HI is the head of Public Relations for a 5-star hotel here…with a mere high school diploma.

That’s RIDICULOUS! You’re probably too good for them anyway.

Isn’t Malika Dudley on another station as a reporter? She’s a Miss Hawaii.

In fact, I think she gave a live audio report this morning after attending a Big Island State Civil Defense meeting. I was channel hopping so I forget what station.

Head of PR at a 5-star hotel? I’ll ask my insider at Halekulani about this…

Leave the island to “pay my dues” so is that why there’s a high turnover of reporters? I see a new face but after a relatively short time, they’re gone.

Interesting stuff!

actually… imho, i don’t think it’s so much of stretch to go from the pageant circuit to hawaii newsreporting. first off, 90% of hawaii news is boiler plate crap anyway! ala wai sewage leak, brush fire in wahiawa, missing hiker, blah blah blah. i obviously wouldn’t rely on her to do any hard-hitting investigative journalism, but any idiot can do ‘man-on-the-street’ interviews, so why not have that idiot be a hot babe? she’s probably well spoken from years of vocal lessons and is comfortable in front of a camera, and is obviously photogenic. i’m not saying it’s not unfair, but i don’t blame khon for hiring her.

-s

First of all, angry asian girl, you rock. You completely get it and I wish I could give you a high five. Having lived the pageant experience, I could tell you stories.

gee why, if your “insider” is Erika Kauffman, than I will guess that she’ll probably lie to you about having some sort of degree from the religious cult that her family belongs to. She doesn’t even have an associate’s degree and that is fact. And I believe the high turnover in local television has to do with the fact that there really is no money in being a local television reporter unless your Joe Moore and folks like poor Ron Mizutani, Leslie Wilcox, and Tina Shelton are smelling the roses that that fossil isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon and that there is a lot more money to made doing consultative work. Being on the news here is all about exposure and I suppose for the hasbeen sorority of “Miss Hawaii’s” it prolongs their fast-expiring shelf life as local celebrities.

I agree with other anonymous that news here isn’t really what you would call Grade A journalism, but still there are people in that newsroom right now who I’m sure at least have journalism degrees working their butts off and wondering why their being passed up for on-camera opportunities just because they didn’t win a local pageant.

Yes, you’re right Malika is at KGMB, hence the irony of my first story. Oh, and when Trini was originally hired at KHON to do weather, she was in the midst of her 10-year program to get her bachelor’s degree. So, yes, angry asian girl, she was hired because she had been Miss Hawaii USA. No other reason.

Anonymous, hey thanks for the insider view of the intertwined world of beauty pageants and broadcast television news. Such sordid details!

Almost makes me want to do a check on current newscasters and their backgrounds, especially in the beauty pageant arena.

Nope, my insider is not Erika herself, but I have to protect my identity of Pulp readers.

Talking about man-on-the-street interviews, my favorite is this one from a while back.

-S, you should get this anonymous poster to host the 939 2nd anniversary party!

actually…like Trini, Malika I think is a weather girl, just fyi.

Not only is Malika, a KGMB weather girl, but she’ll be part of their new morning Sunrise show doing a kids segment along with the weather.

That is terribly exciting for Malika, considering the one time I caught her doing weather she pointed to Maui and called it Kaui. AUWE!