Josh Pacheco will still be heard on the radio at KBIG FM (97.9), KAPA (100.3), and The Beat (95.9), but you won’t see him in Hilo grabbing a gravy burger unless he’s here on vacation.
The Pacific Media Group news director, who delivers daily newscasts, will leave for Honolulu on Sunday and be back at work on Monday at ESPN 1420 AM and NBC Sports Radio on 1500 AM.
Pacheco will still continue his sports talk show from noon to 1 p.m. daily on ESPN 1420, which has been running strong for nine years.
In July, KHLO 850 AM and KKON AM 790 in Kailua-Kona went off the air due to financial reasons, closing one of Pacheco’s passions for the time being.
On KHLO and KKON, he was the play-by-play announcer for UH-Hilo and BIIF sports, including basketball, baseball, volleyball, and football.
“Calling games and talking about sports are my passions,” Pacheco said. “I’ve been fortunate to do it for about 10 years or so, and when KHLO-AM and KKON-AM were silenced, it was a tough pill to swallow. When 1420 and 1500 reached out to me to see if I was interested in moving up, I accepted the offer.
“In my new job, I’ll play a role in making the programming sound good as well as making sure the commercials are produced and aired on the stations. I will maintain an on-air presence with my current show as well.”
He’ll be the assistant program director and production director with various play-by-play opportunities with high school and UH-Manoa sports mixed in.
Pacheco may soon develop insomnia because there will be no shortage of duties. He’ll contribute to scoringlive.com’s high school coverage. He’ll also be in a contracted role to deliver daily newscasts on KBIG, KAPA, and The Beat. It’ll almost seem like he’s not even gone.
But on Oahu, it’s a different deal. There is no such thing as one big fish in a small pond. There are only sharks, all hungry for the ear of radio listeners, swimming around.
“The radio market on Oahu is extremely competitive with several major conglomerates controlling many stations,” Pacheco said. “On the sports side, there are more stations serving that audience, and the competition is only getting tougher. It is almost night and day compared to the Big Island, where there are no full-time sports stations and local owners for most stations in general.”
However, he has several things working for him, starting with his personality. Pacheco is approachable and personable with an engaging and enthusiastic radio voice.
“Having my show already airing on Oahu for nine years, I feel like I’ve gotten an opportunity to connect with many of those listeners,” he said. “I’m hoping to grow that with a physical presence there, being able to get out and meet more of those listeners and be at more of the games.
“In order to succeed on Oahu, I need to stick to my principles — prepare for every game with as much information as possible, look for new, creative ways to put together a good product and never get too comfortable. The day I do, someone is going to swoop in and take the opportunities I have away from me.”
Radio fit
Some people were born to be scientists or politicians. Pacheco was born with the best part of those two skill-sets, an ability to remember everything and speak in an easy language that listeners want to hear — two assets perfect for radio.
Radio has been his only full-time job. Before Pacific Media Group, he started at UHH’s campus radio station. He worked under the wing of John Burnett, who was in radio before becoming a Tribune-Herald news reporter and chief entertainment writer.
“When I was a freshman at UHH, I started calling UHH volleyball and basketball games under the tutelage of John Burnett,” Pacheco said. “I got to learn the behind-the-scenes stuff for game broadcasts before actually getting to be a part of those games. Outside of my radio career, I’ve worked with the Hawaii County Band for over 13 years, becoming an official member of the band before my senior year in high school. That is another job I’m really going to miss.
“I love being able to connect with listeners. It is the one thing that radio, even as it has evolved, has continued to thrive in, especially in talk radio. I also like being able to tell stories, hearing coaches talk about their players and the positive things they do and then get the chance to share those stories with the person on the other side of the radio.”
While remembering his radio highlights — UHH’s Kekoa Lee hitting a walk-off grand slam, Konawaena’s girls state basketball titles, and Waiakea’s combined no-hitter by Quintin Torres-Costa and Kodi Medeiros in a state championship — Pacheco expressed gratitude.
“I don’t think people realize how much it was a privilege to be the soundtrack to high school and UHH events,” he said. “To be able to do both for about 10 years is fulfilling and humbling. It is a job I don’t take lightly. Some people are hinging on every description and action to understand what is taking place.”
Gravy burgers & rain
Born and raised in Hilo, most of Pacheco’s family resides here. He noted that he will miss home, family, and his coworkers.
“I will also miss gravy burgers since apparently, that is a Big Island thing,” he said. “I should also mention that I am really going to miss working with Stan Costales. He is one of the genuinely great guys in the community, and he’s put up with me for the last decade, especially on the Oahu road trips we used to take covering Vulcan basketball and state baseball and basketball tournaments. He made me a better broadcaster because I was able to play off of his knowledge and insights.”
Pacheco didn’t mention that he’ll miss Hilo’s rain. But when he returns to grab a gravy burger and it’s cats-and-dogs weather, that’ll be a good reminder that he’s back home.
