KHON-TV Channel 2 Friday, December 17, 2004
(Top story 6:00 and 10:00 PM - 02:21 running time)

State threatens action over critical TV spots

Gregg Takayama

State officials are considering legal action to halt controversial television ads that accuse airport administrators of wrongdoing. The ad uses footage from the state's TV spots about roadwork to accuse the transportation director of hiding information.

The ad says: "State Transportation Director Rodney Haraga isn't saying much about Hawaii 's latest airport scandal."

"We're pretty angry because we think it's a bunch of innuendos and we know it's false and maybe these guys think if they spread the innuendos along enough people will believe it," says Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

The ads are paid for by a group of small commuter airlines headed by the Maui-based Pacific Wings and claim airport officials unfairly favor larger airlines such as Aloha Island Air.

The president of Pacific Wings, Greg Kahlsdorf, says he's already spent more than $8,000 on the ads -- and he's prepared to spend more.

He declines on-camera interviews but his ad raises several accusations.

The ad says: "More questions about conflicts of interest, more disclosures of mismanagement, waste, fraud and abuse."

Its web site accuses airport official Roy Sakata of accepting free airline trips -- but Ishikawa says there's nothing wrong.

"Roy Sakata is a retired Aloha Airlines pilot and part of his retirement benefits include free or discounted travel with Aloha Airlines," says Ishikawa.

And he says the state attorney general is researching possible legal action against the ads aired by the small airline group called Prop.

"We're looking to see whether these Prop ads can be run or whether they can use our state ads without our permission -- and we haven't got any decision yet from the AG's office."