Cecil Heftel
Encyclopedia
Cecil Landau Heftel, popularly known as Cec Heftel (September 30, 1924 – February 4, 2010) was an American
politician
and businessman from Hawai'i
. He served in the United States House of Representatives
from 1976 to 1986 for the First Congressional District, encompassing most of urban Honolulu.
, Arizona to study at the Arizona State University
where he obtained his bachelor's degree in 1951. Heftel moved on to the University of Utah
and New York University
for graduate work. He settled in Honolulu and established Heftel Broadcasting. He owned KGMB
-AM-FM-TV and several other television and radio stations across the country. From 1943 to 1946, Heftel left his business to serve in the United States Army
.
In 1957 Heftel was a pioneer for what was then called Top 30 programming, when he purchased KIMN in Denver. In one of the nation's most competitive radio markets, KIMN became the dominate #1 rated radio station. Heftel sold the station in 1960, returning to Hawaii, but once again in 1973 re-entered the mainland with the purchase of WHYI-FM, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, identifying the station as Y-100. In 1974, Heftel hired consultant John Rook, who secured the services of Jackson, Mississippi programmer Bill Tanner, who crafted a Top 40 format described by Tanner as being "predictable unpredictability" that propelled the station to the top of the south Florida ratings, where it stayed for several years. The station was later sold by Heftel.
Cecil Heftel also purchased WJAS-AM in Pittsburgh which he later sold.
Heftel had a knack for getting in and out of station ownership in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. As broadcast revenues are tied to audience interest (ratings) and to advertising cycles, it can be a great business or a poor one. Heftel's mostly AM group of Top-40 stations was sold in the late seventies. The next group of stations Heftel purchased consisted of FM stations which were coming into their own in the early seventies. These were sold off in the 80's and included WZPL (move in to Indianapolis) and WLLT (Cincinnati).
Heftel partnered with Scott Ginsburg for a time in 1986-1987 as H & G Communications. This group included WLUP AM/FM Chicago, stations in Miami, and other cities.
The Last Heftel Broadcasting accumulation of stations consisted of NY, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Miami. These were taken over by Clear Channel Communications in a 1996 tender offer. This in turn was merged with Mac Tichenor's Tichenor Media system into a new Heftel Broadcasting. That changed its name to Hispanic Broadcasting Corp (now Univision Radio
).
. Four years later, he was elected to Congress from the First District and was reelected four more times. While in Office, Heftel was part of the U.S. fact-finding mission to the Philippines, largely responsible for the forced ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos
. Heftel resigned on July 19, 1986 to run for governor
, but lost the Democratic primary to John Waihee
. Heftel blamed the loss on a smear campaign against him.
In 1998, he briefly returned to the political realm, authoring a book, End Legalized Bribery, in which he attempted to prove that the current state of campaign finance
corrupts politicians, prevents qualified individuals from running for office, and costs citizens billions of dollars in pork barrel
spending and corporate welfare
. The book also contained arguments in favor of a national Clean Elections
law and mandatory free commercial airtime for political candidates.
After 18 years out of the spotlight, the 80-year-old Heftel made a successful return to elective politics by being elected in November 2004 to the state Board of Education
for the Oahu-At Large seat.
in San Diego
, California. He was 85. (Numerous websites claim he died February 5, but his widow says he died on February 4.)
On June 13, 2011, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
introduced legislation to designate the post office at 4354 Pahoa Avenue in Honolulu as the "Cecil L. Heftel Post Office Building".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and businessman from Hawai'i
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He served in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1976 to 1986 for the First Congressional District, encompassing most of urban Honolulu.
Early years
Heftel was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1924 where he attended public schools. He then moved to TempeTempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, Arizona to study at the Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
where he obtained his bachelor's degree in 1951. Heftel moved on to the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
for graduate work. He settled in Honolulu and established Heftel Broadcasting. He owned KGMB
KGMB
KGMB is the CBS-affiliated television station for the state of Hawaii that is licensed to Honolulu. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 23 from a transmitter in Palehua....
-AM-FM-TV and several other television and radio stations across the country. From 1943 to 1946, Heftel left his business to serve in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
In 1957 Heftel was a pioneer for what was then called Top 30 programming, when he purchased KIMN in Denver. In one of the nation's most competitive radio markets, KIMN became the dominate #1 rated radio station. Heftel sold the station in 1960, returning to Hawaii, but once again in 1973 re-entered the mainland with the purchase of WHYI-FM, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, identifying the station as Y-100. In 1974, Heftel hired consultant John Rook, who secured the services of Jackson, Mississippi programmer Bill Tanner, who crafted a Top 40 format described by Tanner as being "predictable unpredictability" that propelled the station to the top of the south Florida ratings, where it stayed for several years. The station was later sold by Heftel.
Cecil Heftel also purchased WJAS-AM in Pittsburgh which he later sold.
Heftel had a knack for getting in and out of station ownership in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. As broadcast revenues are tied to audience interest (ratings) and to advertising cycles, it can be a great business or a poor one. Heftel's mostly AM group of Top-40 stations was sold in the late seventies. The next group of stations Heftel purchased consisted of FM stations which were coming into their own in the early seventies. These were sold off in the 80's and included WZPL (move in to Indianapolis) and WLLT (Cincinnati).
Heftel partnered with Scott Ginsburg for a time in 1986-1987 as H & G Communications. This group included WLUP AM/FM Chicago, stations in Miami, and other cities.
The Last Heftel Broadcasting accumulation of stations consisted of NY, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Miami. These were taken over by Clear Channel Communications in a 1996 tender offer. This in turn was merged with Mac Tichenor's Tichenor Media system into a new Heftel Broadcasting. That changed its name to Hispanic Broadcasting Corp (now Univision Radio
Univision Radio
Univision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications, Inc., which also ownsthe Univision television network. The company was formerly known as Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation. It is the eighth largest radio company in the United States, and the largest Hispanic radio...
).
Political career
Upon returning to his business in Honolulu, Heftel decided to run for political office. He became a delegate to the 1972 Hawai'i State Democratic Convention. There, he was elected in caucus to become a delegate to the Democratic National ConventionDemocratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
. Four years later, he was elected to Congress from the First District and was reelected four more times. While in Office, Heftel was part of the U.S. fact-finding mission to the Philippines, largely responsible for the forced ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
. Heftel resigned on July 19, 1986 to run for governor
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
, but lost the Democratic primary to John Waihee
John D. Waihee III
John David Waihee III served as the fourth Governor of Hawaii from 1986 to 1994. He was the first American of Native Hawaiian descent to be elected to the office from any state of the United States. After his tenure in the governor's office, Waihee became a nationally prominent attorney and...
. Heftel blamed the loss on a smear campaign against him.
In 1998, he briefly returned to the political realm, authoring a book, End Legalized Bribery, in which he attempted to prove that the current state of campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
corrupts politicians, prevents qualified individuals from running for office, and costs citizens billions of dollars in pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending and corporate welfare
Corporate welfare
Corporate welfare is a pejorative term describing a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment on corporations or selected corporations. The term compares corporate subsidies and welfare payments to the poor, and implies that corporations are much less...
. The book also contained arguments in favor of a national Clean Elections
Clean elections
"Clean Elections" is a term used to describe a particular system of government financing of political campaigns, in which the government provides a grant to candidates who agree to limit their and private fundraising efforts and limit their campaign-spending.- In the United States :Clean Election...
law and mandatory free commercial airtime for political candidates.
After 18 years out of the spotlight, the 80-year-old Heftel made a successful return to elective politics by being elected in November 2004 to the state Board of Education
Hawai'i Department of Education
The Hawaii State Department of Education is the most centralized and only statewide public education system in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners can also be thought...
for the Oahu-At Large seat.
Death and legacy
Heftel died on February 4, 2010 from natural causesDeath by natural causes
A death by natural causes, as recorded by coroners and on death certificates and associated documents, is one that is primarily attributed to natural agents: usually an illness or an internal malfunction of the body. For example, a person dying from complications from influenza or a heart attack ...
in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California. He was 85. (Numerous websites claim he died February 5, but his widow says he died on February 4.)
On June 13, 2011, U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
Colleen Hanabusa
Colleen Wakako Hanabusa is the U.S. Representative for . She is a member of the Democratic Party. She was formerly a member of the Hawaii Senate, representing the 21st District since 1998...
introduced legislation to designate the post office at 4354 Pahoa Avenue in Honolulu as the "Cecil L. Heftel Post Office Building".