In March 2025, Salem Media struck a deal to sell its secular Classic Hits FM, Christian Talk & Teaching FM, Conservative News/Talk AM with an FM translator, and Country FM serving Honolulu to a locally based company led by Monroe D. Greer.
Now, it is welcoming a veteran programming leader who once handed the music and air talent for three crosstown radio stations.
Earning the role of Sr. VP of Programming at Mālama Media Group is Rick Thomas.
This puts him in the driver’s seat regarding what comes out of the speakers at conservative News/Talk KHNR-AM 690 and K232FL at 94.3 MHz; KGU-FM 99.5 “The Word” and KHCM-FM 97.5 in Honolulu and KKOL-FM 107.9 in Aiea, Hawaii.
Thomas returns to O’ahu after three years in Tampa-St. Petersburg for Beasley Media Group, where he served as Brand Manager.
He’s no stranger to the Hawaiian Islands, as he was a Brand and Content Leader for Top 40 AC and Hot AC stations in Honolulu for SummitMedia from December 2020-January 2023 and between July 2009 and May 2013 was Group Director of Programming for the former Ohana Broadcasting. In that role, he created the Rhythmic Adult Contemporary presentation heard on KUMU-FM, a station similar in tone to XHRM “Magic 92.5” in Tijuana-San Diego — a station Thomas programmed from June 2005-July 2009 alongside XHTZ “Z90,” the Rhythmic Top 40 brand.
In Honolulu, at Ohana, Thomas also launched KDDB as “Da Bomb,” originally as a hip-hop fueled Rhythmic Top 40 station as he converted KQMQ-FM to Island Reggae as “Da Paina.” Today, KQMQ is “HI 93,” while KDDB and KUMU continue as mainstream Top 40 and Classic Rhythmic Top 40 stations under Pacific Media Group ownership.
Thomas reports to Mālama Media Group Managing Partner and Market President Josue Villa. He commented, “We’re excited to welcome Rick, who will oversee programming for our six-station Honolulu cluster and help lead what comes next across our brands, our talent, future acquisitions, and the connection we have with the communities we serve.
He brings a career most people in radio know well.”
This includes a tenure with the former CBS Radio in New York, as PD of now-defunct “92.3 AMP Radio,” and as PD of both KTWV “The Wave” and KRTH “K-Earth 101” in Los Angeles. From 1992-1995, he was PD of KYLD “Wild 94.9” in San Francisco-Oakland.
Thomas’ career as a programmer began for the late Willie Davis at his All Pro Broadcasting, serving as PD of WLUM-FM in Milwaukee from 1988-1990, when it aired a Top 40 presentation. From 1998-2003 he was with iHeartMedia predecessor as Pacific Region Brand Manager, and from January 2004-May 2005 served as Director of Programming for Univision Radio in San Antonio. The latter role included “98.5 The Beat,” an English-language hip-hop station.
From March 2017-October 2019, Thomas was Cox Media Group’s Tampa Operations Manager. He would then relocate to Denver to serve as VP of Programming for Max Media under a 15-month contract.
Villa continued that the hiring of Thomas is “more than a new role. It’s a return home. Rick raised his family here. He understands Hawaii, this market, and what it takes to make radio that people genuinely care about.”
Mālama Media Group head Greer added, “Rick and I go back 45 years. We came up together at XHTZ in San Diego, crossed paths again at KOY-FM in Phoenix, and then again at XHRM in San Diego. When you share that kind of history with someone, you don’t just know their resume; you know who they are.
“I’ve watched Rick grow from a talented young programmer into one of the finest executives in this business, and through all of it, he has never changed. He’s the same person of good character and integrity that he was when we were both figuring it out together all those years ago, which is exactly why I’m so proud and excited to finally be working alongside him again. This one means the world to me on a deeply personal level.”
Thomas added, “Coming back to Hawaii feels like coming home. I raised my family in Honolulu. I have a special love for creating great radio and serving the people here. I’m grateful to Monroe and Josh for their trust and for welcoming me into what they’re building at Mālama. E Hana Kākou. E Kūkulu Pū.”
— Reporting by Cameron Coats, in New York, and RBR+TVBR in Paia, Maui, Hawaii
