Perry & Price
Encyclopedia
Perry & Price is a morning radio show which airs six days a week on KSSK-AM and KSSK-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii
. The show is currently the number one morning radio show in Hawaii, capturing a 25 percent share of the state's listening audience. It is also consistently number one in market share nationwide in the adult contemporary format.
died in 1983, KSSK moved then-afternoon host Michael W. Perry
to the morning slot and paired him with former football coach Larry Price, who at the time was vice president of public relations for the station. Although Price had done some TV investigative reporting, he'd "never done radio, never even thought about it... then I had to get used to talking to a red light (in the studio)." The first time the pair had met was during one of the Jerry Lewis telethon
s in the 1970s. According to Perry, "[Larry] dared me to jump into a large pool of Jell-O fully dressed. I did that, for Jerry’s kids, but vowed revenge. I have been extracting that revenge very slowly over the past 25 years."
From the beginning, people in the industry and in the listening public were skeptical that the show would work. According to Price, "Here's a haole guy with a local name and local guy with a haole name... One is from Virginia, the other is from Kalihi. How can these guys get along?"
One item that Perry & Price kept from Aku's morning show was the "Coconut Wireless" name and sound effect that begins their news reports. According to Perry, "I think [Aku] had been using that [name and effect] since 1966."
The Posse has been so successful with catching criminals that a local bank created a C.A.T.C.H. (Citizens Against Troublemakers and Criminals in Hawaii) Fund. For every crime incident that the Posse successfully resolves, the bank donates $1,000 to the fund. Near the end of the calendar year, listeners vote to determine which local charity receives the proceeds from the fund.
's at The Beachcomber (its current location). The show reportedly has one thing commercial radio has lacked for many years—a sense of spontaneity. According to Price, "it's wild, it's unpredictable... uncertainty makes it interesting." Through the years, the Saturday morning show has attracted local and national celebrities, including Dolly Parton
, Oprah Winfrey
and Arnold Schwarzenegger
. The show airs live from 8 to 11 a.m. Hawaii time most Saturdays. On Saturdays that the show is not held, the station airs a compilation ("The Best of the Saturday Morning Show") of sound bites from previous shows during the same time slot.
Their political commentary has occasionally drawn fire, such as when one of their comments elicited an angry phone call from then-mayor Eileen Anderson
. A more controversial incident happened in 2007, when Hawaii Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser (D-Kauai, Niihau) called in to talk about a legislative session that had wrapped the day prior. During the 15-minute interview, Hooser used the word "honest" in asking the hosts and listeners to assess some of the issues that arose in the session. That led to Price asking Hooser where he was from (California) and whether he had blue eyes (he did). Price then said:
As a result of the exchange, several Democrats and their supporters lambasted Price, calling him racist. On the following show, Price apologized, saying:
Perry defended his co-host, saying:
While Hooser appreciated the apology, he believed that Perry and Price, as well as KSSK, were not taking the situation seriously. Several callers to the radio show agreed, comparing Price to CBS Radio
's Don Imus
, a shock jock
who had been fired over a controversial remark about the Rutgers University
women's basketball team. In response, Perry said:
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...
. The show is currently the number one morning radio show in Hawaii, capturing a 25 percent share of the state's listening audience. It is also consistently number one in market share nationwide in the adult contemporary format.
History
After KSSK morning DJ Hal "Aku" LewisHal Lewis (Aku)
Hal Lewis , aka J. Akuhead Pupule or Aku, was the morning air personality in 1965 at KGMB, an AM station in Honolulu, Hawaii.-Brief biography:...
died in 1983, KSSK moved then-afternoon host Michael W. Perry
Michael W. Perry
Michael William Perry is the co-host, along with Larry Price, of the Perry & Price show on KSSK-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also hosts the Hawaiian Moving Company television show on KGMB in Honolulu.- Biography :...
to the morning slot and paired him with former football coach Larry Price, who at the time was vice president of public relations for the station. Although Price had done some TV investigative reporting, he'd "never done radio, never even thought about it... then I had to get used to talking to a red light (in the studio)." The first time the pair had met was during one of the Jerry Lewis telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
s in the 1970s. According to Perry, "[Larry] dared me to jump into a large pool of Jell-O fully dressed. I did that, for Jerry’s kids, but vowed revenge. I have been extracting that revenge very slowly over the past 25 years."
From the beginning, people in the industry and in the listening public were skeptical that the show would work. According to Price, "Here's a haole guy with a local name and local guy with a haole name... One is from Virginia, the other is from Kalihi. How can these guys get along?"
One item that Perry & Price kept from Aku's morning show was the "Coconut Wireless" name and sound effect that begins their news reports. According to Perry, "I think [Aku] had been using that [name and effect] since 1966."
The "Posse"
One of the show's mainstays, which the station as a whole has adopted, is its cell phone "posse" network. Listeners make up this posse and serve as the watchdogs of the community. They call in to report traffic incidents and also report crimes and real-time updates (for example, where a stolen vehicle was last seen), although the station discourages people from directly confronting the criminals. Sometimes the network is even ahead of the local police, who are said to have radios tuned to the station to catch updates.The Posse has been so successful with catching criminals that a local bank created a C.A.T.C.H. (Citizens Against Troublemakers and Criminals in Hawaii) Fund. For every crime incident that the Posse successfully resolves, the bank donates $1,000 to the fund. Near the end of the calendar year, listeners vote to determine which local charity receives the proceeds from the fund.
The Saturday Morning Show
Perry & Price's Saturday Morning Show, a live breakfast show, started from the Ilikai Hotel's Champeaux. Since then, the show has been held at the Sheraton Waikiki's Hanohano Room, the John Dominis restaurant, and Jimmy BuffettJimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville is the name of a United States-based casual dining American restaurant chain and a chain of stores selling Jimmy Buffett-themed merchandise...
's at The Beachcomber (its current location). The show reportedly has one thing commercial radio has lacked for many years—a sense of spontaneity. According to Price, "it's wild, it's unpredictable... uncertainty makes it interesting." Through the years, the Saturday morning show has attracted local and national celebrities, including Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. The show airs live from 8 to 11 a.m. Hawaii time most Saturdays. On Saturdays that the show is not held, the station airs a compilation ("The Best of the Saturday Morning Show") of sound bites from previous shows during the same time slot.
Emergency information
In addition to their weekday and Saturday morning shows, Perry and Price have also gone on the air during emergencies, as KSSK is the state's designated emergency action system radio station. For example, when two earthquakes caused a power outage on Oahu in 2006, Perry and Price went on the air to deliver information from Hawaii State Civil Defense to their listeners."Coconut Wireless" news and commentary
Perry & Price's "Coconut Wireless" news and commentary typically sees Perry taking the lead on national and international politics, while Price focuses on local politics, news and sports. Although the duo's slogan is "Perry on the left and Price on the right," their political views are the other way round. Perry describes himself as having "become much more conservative over the years... even though I was a Kennedy liberal. Hawaii is actually a much more conservative state than people realize." Price meanwhile is a dedicated middle-roader.Their political commentary has occasionally drawn fire, such as when one of their comments elicited an angry phone call from then-mayor Eileen Anderson
Eileen Anderson
Eileen Anderson is the first and so far only woman to serve as Mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. She was in office from 1981 to 1985. A Democrat, Anderson served in various positions in the city and county and the state...
. A more controversial incident happened in 2007, when Hawaii Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser (D-Kauai, Niihau) called in to talk about a legislative session that had wrapped the day prior. During the 15-minute interview, Hooser used the word "honest" in asking the hosts and listeners to assess some of the issues that arose in the session. That led to Price asking Hooser where he was from (California) and whether he had blue eyes (he did). Price then said:
As a result of the exchange, several Democrats and their supporters lambasted Price, calling him racist. On the following show, Price apologized, saying:
Perry defended his co-host, saying:
While Hooser appreciated the apology, he believed that Perry and Price, as well as KSSK, were not taking the situation seriously. Several callers to the radio show agreed, comparing Price to CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
's Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
, a shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
who had been fired over a controversial remark about the Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
women's basketball team. In response, Perry said: