45 years — that's how long HPR has been on the air, bringing music and news to the people of Hawaiʻi nei.
While The Conversation has been around since 2011, HPR has been sparking conversations for decades. One of the station's longtime public affairs programs was Town Square, which went on air in 1999.
The show was hosted by Beth-Ann Kozlovich, who went on to become the first host and executive producer of The Conversation.
When the show you know now first went on air in February 2011, Kozlovich was joined by musician Chris Vandercook behind the mic as her co-host.
Before The Conversation could make its way onto the airwaves, the team had to get a few practice runs under their belt — and we were fortunate enough to unearth some of those early recordings to give you a glimpse of what The Conversation sounded back in its infancy.
Among the gems of that practice show were interviews with then Honolulu Mayor-elect Peter Carlisle, as well as moments where hosts pulled back the curtains to iron out kings with producers in real-time.
Even in those early practice shows, long-standing segments were present, like the Backyard Quiz – known back then as the “Hawaiʻi Quiz.”
And familiar voices also began popping up, including political analyst Neal Milner. His segment, The Long View, soon became a recurring segment.
For more ways to celebrate Hawaiʻi Public Radio's 45th Anniversary, click here to listen to more conversations with the people that made our programs possible.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 13, 2026; HPR's 45th anniversary. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
