Hawaiian Telcom Inks AMG Carriage Deal

PAIA, MAUI, HAWAII — The broadcast media company owned by Byron Allen that acquired a pair of television stations serving the Hawaiian Islands — one from the Lilly family and another from Richard French — has secured a retransmission consent agreement with a local MVPD that includes continued carriage of seven cable TV channels.

Allen Media Group said early Thursday that it has reached “a multi-year comprehensive portfolio agreement” with Hawaiian Telcom for the retransmission renewals for ABC affiliate KITV-4 in Honolulu and non-affiliated KIKU-20.

AMG acquired KIKU in September 2021 from Richard French’s RNN for $4 million. That transaction came roughly one year after AMG purchased KITV from the Lilly family’s SJL Broadcasting in a deal valued at $30 million.

The Hawaiian Telcom agreement also includes the continued availability of JusticeCentral.TV, Comedy.TV, Recipe.TV, Cars.TV, MyDestination.TV, ES.TV, and Pets.TV on Hawaiian Telcom systems.

Furthermore, AMG’s TheGrio and HBCU Go will be added to the lineup for Hawaiian Telcom subscribers.

Byron Allen commented, “Hawaiian Telcom has been an extraordinary partner and recognizes the tremendous value our television stations and cable television networks bring to their subscribers.”

Hawaiian Telcom is the second MVPD across the state of Hawaii, with Charter Communications’ Spectrum a legacy provider that was previously Oceanic Time Warner Cable.

— Bodhi Hunt, for RBR+TVBR