Hannemann Radio Show Doesn't Cross Legal Line

http://mufihannemann.org/

The campaign of Mufi Hannemann, a candidate for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District, officially began just two months ago.

But the voice and thoughts of the former Honolulu mayor have been broadcast live for two hours every Saturday since New Year's Day. "Mufi's Jukebox Jamboree" broadcasts from noon to 2 p.m. on KKOL "Kool Gold" 107.9 FM.

Hannemann is not paid for his work. In fact, he pays KKOL for the privilege to spin tunes from the Beatles, Elvis, the Rascals and contemporary Hawaiian artists, and to talk story with callers.

(Hannemann declined to tell Civil Beat how much he pays for the show.)

And while one candidate getting that much air time may not seem exactly fair to the others running for the same office, there's nothing legally wrong.

Until Hannemann officially files with the state Office of Elections to run in the Aug. 11 primary (anytime between Feb. 1 and June 5), he is not in violation of Federal Communications Commission rules on candidates hosting radio shows.

Nor is he likely to run afoul of the Federal Elections Commission, which oversees campaign finance laws and is involved with enforcement matters and advisory opinions regarding such shows.

In the meantime, however, Hannemann's oldies program brings him into car radios and homes across the state, an advantage not presently enjoyed by his CD2 opponents

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