Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 27, Number 9, 1 September 2010 — ʻŌiwi TV: unlocking a Hawaiian treasure trove [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻŌiwi TV: unlocking a Hawaiian treasure trove

By Ann Botticelh found myself with a little extra time one recent evening, so I decided to visit Kohala. Unele Fred Cachola greeted me at the Kamehameha Statue in Kapa'au and took me on a huaka'i that traced the route taken by Chief Nae'ole to save the infant Kamehameha I from an edict of death. Along the way I learned how Kapa'au, Hala'ula, Hawi and Makapala earned their plaee names. It was a quick and enriching trip. It took 20 minutes, and I never left my living room. Mahalo, 'Ōiwi TV. For the growing audience of digital eahle TV subscribers, learning about Hawaiian issues and hearing Hawaiian perspectives is as easy as tuming to Oeeanie Digital Cable ehannel 326. This interactive video-on-demand platform serves up a heaping plateful of

offerings, in your ehoiee of ■ 'Ōlelo Hawai'i or English I language, from news to indepth features to Hawaiian language lessons. The brains behind this innovative eommunieations vehicle are Na'alehu Anthony and Keoni Lee, i who met as students in the | University of Hawai'i's MBA program. In their vision, 'Ōiwi TV will

heeome the hrst stop tor puhlie discourse about important Hawaiian issues and stories. The ehannel debuted in March 2009, and has already begun proving the prescience of these young Hawaiians. The main feature on the ehannel consistently generate 17,000 views every month. The advantages of the video-on-demand format, whieh operates like a DVR, are abundant.

• Viewers ean tune into any offering at their convenience, and watch programs as often as they'd like. • The programs remain on the ehannel, sorted by category, such as history and culture, keiki, or by sponsor, such as Kamehameha Schools. • The channel's inventory serves as a learning tool. Included are powerful documentaries chronicling

historical and contemporary issues. • The Hawaiian-focused content allows sponsors to provide important information directly to audiences interested in Hawaiian issues. I am proud that Kamehameha Schools has been an early adopter of this visionary effort. Through 'Ōiwi TV, we have been

abie to bnng the neh Iessons of our outreach programs to haumāna who would otherwise not be able to enjoy them. We have offered "read-along" versions of our Kamehameha Publishing keiki books, and the viewership numbers tell us they are very popular. We have produced panel discussions on the challenges facing Hawai-ian-focused charter schools, and the benefits of the education they

offer. We will eonhnue to sponsor programs that amplify Hawaiian perspectives. We hope, someday, to see 'Ōiwi TV available in schools classrooms, so that teachers ean supplement their curriculum with videos that share mana'o from many perspectives. We believe in its promise as an effective and direct form of mass eommunieahon to those who want to connect to the Hawaiian culture. Always thinking ahead, Anthony and Lee also operate a web site, www.oiwi.tv, that mirrors Digital Cable ehannel 326. Lor those who have access to lightening-quick computers, that is a wonderful alternative. But for those of us who don't, or who like to settle in front of the television with our families and enjoy a good program together, 'Ōiwi TV can't be topped. Check it out. Fm glad I did. ■ Ann Botticelli is Vi.ce President of Community Relations and Communications at Kamehameha Schools.

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