Hiki Nō student news network launching

They’re on the verge of making history. Several hundred students from Kauai, Niihau, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island are working feverishly on their first newscasts – their opportunity to tell the stories of their communities to a statewide television audience and on the worldwide web.

With the guidance of their teachers and support from the PBS Hawaii team – Hiki Nō Executive Producer Robert Pennybacker, Managing Editor Sue Yim, and Producer/Editor Lawrence Pacheco – these students are creating the first statewide student news network in the nation. Each newscast will be produced by an average of nine school teams.

The Bank of Hawaii Foundation donated $100,000 and will be the exclusive Hiki Nō broadcast and webcast underwriter. “There are stories unique to every community on every island, and Hiki Nō allows students to share their perspectives on community issues with all of us,” said Donna Tanoue, President of the Bank of Hawaii Foundation. “We’re looking forward to seeing students tell their stories their way.”

Leslie Wilcox, PBS Hawaii President & CEO, said, “We deeply appreciate the Bank of Hawaii Foundation’s investment in the future, giving students across the state equal access to a powerful learning vehicle for 21st-century skills. The program builds critical thinking and teamwork, and we’ll see collaborative leaders emerge.”

In this first season, Hiki Nō will air every Monday at 5 PM, starting February 28, with encores scheduled for Mondays @ 5 pm, Tuesdays @ 12:30 pm, Fridays @ 9:30 pm, Saturdays @ 12:30 pm, and Sundays @ 3:00 pm. Hiki Nō programs will also be available at www.pbshawaii.org/hikino

Participation in Hiki Nō is open to all middle and high schools in the state at no cost. School teams producing the debut newscast are:

• Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, Kauai
• Kalani High School, East Honolulu
• Kamehameha Schools Kapālama High School
• Kawananakoa Middle School, Nuuanu
• Konawaena High School, West Hawaii Island
• Maui High School, Kahului
• Maui Waena Intermediate School, Kahului
• Sacred Hearts Academy, Kaimuki
• Waipahu High School, Central Oahu

Major Development Funding for Hiki Nō is from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, Hawaii Community Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and citizens of Hawaii.

For more information on Hiki Nō go to www.pbshawaii.org/hikino or contact Susan Yim, Managing Editor for Hiki Nō at syim@pbshawaii.org.