[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 16, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E367-E368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRATULATING KUAM FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO GUAM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 16, 2004

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commend and 
congratulate KUAM and its staff and management for 50 years of service 
to the community of Guam. Believe it or not, I was one of KUAM's first 
employees, starting work at the station 2 weeks before it went on the 
air.
  Prior to the advent of KUAM, the only radio service provided in the 
Marianas was Armed Forces Radio Services, which began broadcasting in 
Guam shortly after World War II. On March 14, 1954, after almost a 
decade of broadcasting, Armed Forces Radio Services went off the air at 
5:55 p.m.
  At 6:00 p.m., 5 minutes later, the Star Spangled Banner was broadcast 
on 610 AM and KUAM radio was born. This marked a significant milestone 
as it was the first commercial broadcast in Guam and the Marianas. 
Notable from the first day's broadcast was a congratulatory message 
from Frank Sinatra, who inadvertently ended his greeting with the 
Hawaiian Aloha instead of the Chamorro Hafa Adai. An

[[Page E368]]

affiliate of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) since its 
inception, KUAM Radio 610 offered a new community forum for 
entertainment, education, politics, and commercial advertising. At the 
time, only 35-55 percent of Guam homes had radios and a 15 second 
commercial cost as little as $3. The original owner of KUAM was Mr. 
Harry S. Engel, who owned and managed KVEN in Ventura, California. The 
idea of opening a radio station in Guam came to him after reading a 
magazine article about the post-war years of Guam.
  Two years later, on August 5, 1956, KUAM expanded its services to 
television, broadcasting a limited range of local and educational 
programming. Although not every household had a television, KUAM TV8 
revolutionized media in Guam, providing a new avenue for communication 
and entertainment. In addition to a number of local variety shows, KUAM 
TV8 also broadcast national programming, which was shipped to Guam to 
be viewed weeks or sometimes months after the original broadcast. In 
1970, KUAM TV went color.
  On September 1, 1966, KUAM added a third outlet to its media family 
by introducing a radio station on the FM dial. 93.9 FM eventually 
transformed itself from playing canned music to becoming a rock station 
with live DJs. In 1989, KUAM 610 changed its name to 610 Estasion 
Minagof, becoming Guam's first and only all-Chamorro station.

  Today, KUAM is locally owned and operated by Calvo Enterprises, Inc. 
as Pacific Telestations, Inc. KUAM's media services now include KUAM 
TV8, TV 11, I-94 FM, Isla-610 AM, and KUAM.com. KUAM actively gives 
back to the community through the KUAM Care Force with projects ranging 
from providing wheelchairs for disabled individuals who cannot afford 
them to supporting bone marrow drives to helping feed Guam's hungry. 
The media time KUAM makes available to non-profit organizations has 
been an invaluable service to the community.
  I was an employee at KUAM from 1954 to 1966. I worked my way from the 
bottom up, starting as a receptionist and eventually becoming a local 
news reporter, Program Director, and finally Women's Director. After 
attaining my FCC license I hosted programs on both KUAM 610 AM and KUAM 
TV8. Some of my highlights include hosting a Women's World program on 
both radio and television, telling children's stories, hosting a daily 
local events calendar, and even playing radio personality ``Lorelei'' 
who entertained the many servicemen stationed in Guam with sentimental 
music and a sultry voice. The name comes from a German legend of a 
siren name Lorelei that bewitched the hearts of sailors, causing them 
to crash their ships into the Rhine River.
  Although I am disappointed I was not able to celebrate with them in 
person, I wish KUAM a happy 50th anniversary and wish them success in 
their next 50 years.

                          ____________________