The person most commonly known as “DJ Maleko” through his show on KUCD-FM 101.9, soon will become known statewide by his full name, Maleko McDonnell, as the longtime radio personality joins KITV today as a reporter.
He’ll be doing both jobs for the foreseeable future.
“It’s very exciting,” McDonnell told TheBuzz on Friday.
During his grade-school years, “I’d sit in front of the TV and watch Joe Moore with my parents, and I was like, ‘You know what? I want to do that,’” he said.
During high school at Saint Louis School, McDonnell anchored the weekly announcements transmitted into classrooms via closed-circuit television. “We did a weekly news program and shot and produced and wrote stories” for it. “It was great, a lot of fun,” he said of his first journalism-related experience.
He studied mass communications with an emphasis on journalism during college.
“Somewhere along the way I did radio for fun, and it became my career,” he said of his 17 years at “Star 101-9.”
He will be keeping the radio gig, continuing to host his afternoon drive show “Maleko’s Room” on “Star,” because “it didn’t feel right to just walk away” from his commitment to Honolulu’s iHeartMedia group.
In addition to being an on-air host, McDonnell also serves the radio group as digital program director.
“We’re very happy for him,” said iHeartMedia Honolulu Market President Chuck Cotton. “We think the cross-relationship between Star and KITV will be a good one. … It’s a great opportunity for him, and it obviously plays well for us,” Cotton said.
As it happens, McDonnell’s new boss also is named Chuck.
McDonnell was one of several candidates for an open reporter position, “some from all over the country and a few good local candidates,” said Chuck Parker, news director at KITV. The station really wanted to hire locally, and “we’re really happy to have him join our team and bring his broadcast qualities to our TV station.”
McDonnell is one of the people in the local broadcast industry who seems to be everywhere, all the time.
He regularly serves as master of ceremonies for a variety of events, from large community events to weddings, has served with nonprofit organizations and has appeared in theatrical productions locally as well as on “Hawaii Five-0.”
“The theater thing has always been a sacrifice of time to do,” he said, and he has dialed back his involvement with plays. “I don’t think I’ll be doing any theater,” he said, but acknowledged that working as a news reporter and being part of the Society of Professional Journalists’ satirical “Gridiron” show every other year “seem to go hand in hand. I’m definitely looking forward to that,” he said enthusiastically.
With the musical parody of news and newsmakers not set to occur until 2017, McDonnell looks forward to the new phase of his career, which puts him one step closer to his childhood aspiration.
“Chuck (Parker) has been really great about bringing me in,” McDonnell said. “Moving in to television, there are things I’ve got to learn … so I’ll be training for a bit, figuring out where I fit best, and I think ultimately I’ll land where it’s most appropriate. I’m open to whatever — I’m excited.”
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ON THE NET:
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