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Acclaimed Former NPR Journalist Neal Conan Joins HPR as News Analyst

  Neal Conan, longtime public radio journalist and the final host of NPR's daily call-in show "Talk of the Nation," has become a regular contributor to Hawai?i Public Radio’s news department. His reports, called "Pacific News Minute," started on June 8th. They will focus on his area of expertise, stories of political or military developments in and around the Pacific Rim.
 
Along the lines of “Asia Minute,” the ongoing vignette series from HPR News Director Bill Dorman, Conan’s stories will air on both of Hawai?i Public Radio's programming streams, HPR-1 and HPR-2, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the national news magazine programs “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered."
 
Michael Titterton, HPR president and general manager, said “We’re looking at ‘Asia Minute’ and ‘Pacific News Minute’ as the first phase of development of a full-length, HPR-produced program which takes advantage of Hawai?i’s unique location and perspective. Too often, coverage of events occurring in and issues surrounding Asia and Oceania are under-represented in the American media. Our intention for this program is for it to eventually mature into one that is worthy of national distribution.”
 
Over 36 years with National Public Radio, Neal Conan may be best known as the long-time host of NPR’s “Talk of the Nation." Previously, he served as bureau chief in New York and London, covered the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, two Winter Olympic Games, and several wars. He anchored innumerable live events, including party political conventions, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees, Presidential inaugurations and addresses, and the impeachment of President Clinton. He played a key part in NPR’s live coverage of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a war correspondent, he was among a group of journalists held by the Iraqi Republican Guard for nearly a week in the waning days of the 1991 Gulf War. Behind the scenes, he served as editor, producer and executive producer of NPR’s flagship program, “All Things Considered” and, in an acting capacity, as foreign editor, managing editor and news director. Conan’s work has been honored with, among others, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University, Major Armstrong, and Peabody awards. On leave in 2000, Conan worked as the play-by-play announcer of the Aberdeen Arsenal of the independent Atlantic League and wrote a book, Play by Play: Baseball, Radio and Life in the Last Chance League. Conan was born in 1949 in Beirut, Lebanon. A long-time East Coast resident, he now resides in the town of H?w? on Hawai?i island, where he farms macadamia nuts and works as a news analyst for Hawai?i Public Radio.
 

Neal Conan, on macadamia nut farm, H?w?, Hawai?i

  His journey from urban sophisticate to tractor-driving farmer has become a weekly segment on HPR’s morning talk show “The Conversation.” In his first on-air conversation with host Beth-Ann Kozlovich on April 30, 2015, he related how he first encountered the district of North Kohala while touring Hawai?i island with the classical and Celtic musical group Ensemble Galilei. According to Conan, “One of the things I needed to do was to learn something new…to be a steward of the land.”
 
Titterton remarks, “Neal is a perfect example of the true cosmopolitan who falls head over heels in love with Hawai?i, and especially one particular corner of it in which he has put down new roots. We at HPR are all the more fortunate for his having come into our ?airspace'.”

Conan's reports for Hawai?i Public Radio may be found at hpr2.org/term/pacific-news-minute.

About Hawai‘i Public Radio
HPR is a private, non-profit organization which broadcasts classical, jazz, and international music; and in-depth news and informational programming from National Public Radio, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and other local, national, and international program sources, as well as programs produced by Hawai‘i Public Radio. In December 2014, Charity Navigator, the premier charity evaluator, awarded HPR its third consecutive four-star rating for exceptional fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. HPR was named one of the 2015 Best Places to Work in Hawaii by Hawaii Business magazine and Best Places Group.

HPR’s mission is to serve the entire population of the state of Hawai‘i with two excellent program streams. HPR-1, the news magazine and fine arts stream, can currently be heard on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KHPR 88.1 FM and 88.5 FM); Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i (KKUA 90.7 FM); East Hawai‘i (KANO 91.1 FM (Hilo) and K234AN 94.7 FM (Waimea)); Kaua?i (K269GD 101.7 FM); and West Hawai?i (K239BV 95.7 FM). HPR-2, the news, local talk, and music stream, is found on Maui, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KIPH 88.3 FM (Hana)); West Hawai‘i (KIPM 89.7 FM and KHPH 88.7 FM); the newest station in south Hawai‘i (KAHU 91.7 FM); O‘ahu and Kaua‘i (KIPO 89.3 FM; KIPL 89.9 FM). HPR is online and streaming at hawaiipublicradio.org and hpr2.org; as well as on Facebook (hawaiipublicradio) and Twitter (@hipubradio). Free iOS and Android™ apps for “Hawaii Public Radio” are available for download from the App Store or Google Play™. HPR-1 and HPR-2 may also be heard via cable broadcasts from Oceanic Time Warner (channels 864 and 865) or Hawaiian Telcom TV (channels 661 and 662).

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