KTOH Kauai – Territory of Hawaii

Back in World War II, the offic of War Information opened KTOH (“Kauai Territory of Hawaii”). KTOH became KONG and more altterly, KQNG.

KTOH is back on the air but this time it’s FM 99.9 playing a continuous loop of “The History of Rock & Roll” . They are advertising Kalaheo as the broadcast location but I believe it is on the Stangle tower, the same as KSRF & KSHK. The Jack Harter helicopter tours are operating out of the building that were the KTOH studios on Ahukini Rd in Lihue. That’s the road coming out of the Lihue Airport. I am listening to the new KTOH and they are calling themselves “Hits 99”.

Feedback file: From Ken Elliott

To date, I have little information about this period of my father’s life during WW II. I was born in Aug. 1943 in New Orleans, LA. I still have a letter he sent to me in Jul. 1946 (which for years I was obviously unaware of). His return address at the time showed him as a Cpl in the Armed Forces Radio Station. I also have a letter sent to him in Aug. 1946 from a Johnny Needham at KTOH in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii as the commercial manager. The letter reflects that he (Needham), my father and someone by the name Eddie (last name not mentioned) get in together and run a radio station.

After my fathers discharge I know he worked in New Orleans at WNOE, WDSU, WWEZ and WNOE. While in the mid 1950’s and into the early 1960’s he became locally known as “Jack the Cat” at WWEZ and became a legend in his time. He and two others wrote a song in 1954, which he produced and recorded at the WWEZ radio station known as “Mardi Gras Mambo”, which is played during each and every Mardi Gras season.