KHDI-LD

**KHDI-LD** is a low-powered MyNetworkTV-affiliated station serving Honolulu, Hawaii. KHDI is owned and operated by Atlantic South Communications and is branded as "KHAI Plus," as a brand extension of its sister station KHAI.

Because of its low-powered status, KHDI is simulcast on KHAI-DT2 (as well as on its satellites) for extended over-the-air coverage. Also, KHDI does not have satellite stations in Hilo or Wailuku. Therefore, KHAI's satellites serving those areas also simulcast KHDI on their second digital subchannels.

## History

KHDI first signed on in 1992 as **K60WY**. The station was an independent that primarily carried music videos in addition to some locally-produced public affairs and lifestyle programs. It was also the first television station in Hawaii to operate on a 24-hour schedule. The station changed its calls to **KHDI-LP** in 1993 after entering into a local marketing agreement (LMA) with KHAI that year (KHDI would eventually be bought outright by the station's current owners, then-GV Media Properties, now Atlantic South Communications, in 2001). The station aired programming from the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN) from 1993 to 1995. Also in 1995, KHDI became Hawaii's affiliate for the United Paramount Network.

In 1996, the station added programming from all-request music video The Box on a secondary basis. The Box programming started at 7 a.m. until UPN's schedule started that evening. KHDI also split The Box programming with then-LMA partner KADI. That station carried The Box programming from 9 p.m. (immediately following The WB's schedule) and ran until 7 a.m. the next morning. The two stations would show the typical music video request menus periodically during commercial breaks throughout the broadcast day (in addition to overnight periods on KHDI) as well as a special telephone number (both stations had their own separate line.) Viewers would then be asked to call that number at any time to put in their request (by entering the three-digit code for the videos they wanted; viewers allowed to request up to 3 at a time), which would then be queued up to be played when The Box programming began. The Box ceased operations in 2001, and syndicated programming and (in KHAI's case) routine sign-offs returned to those time slots.

When The WB and UPN merged in 2006, KHDI became a charter affiliate of MyNetworkTV. However, because MyNetworkTV launched 10 days before UPN officially ceased operations, KHDI continued to carry UPN programming on a secondary basis until UPN's official shutdown date of September 15, 2006. On January 1, 2018, KHDI rebranded as "KHAI Plus," as a brand extension of its sister station.

KHDI and sister station KHAI are the only stations owned by GV Media Properties (which acquired the 2 stations in 2001) to not use their network affiliation as part of their branding. The 2 are also among the 9 stations owned by the company (not counting KHAI's satellites) that have never had a news operation.

## Digital Television

 60.2
 60.3

KHDI broadcasts its main programming on its own signal in 1080i rather than MyNetworkTV's native 720p format. The simulcast on KHAI-DT2 is in MyNetworkTV's native 720p.

KHDI remained one of the last stations owned by GV Media Properties to not multiplex its signal. This changed on August 15, 2017 when it added an HD simulcast of KHAI-DT3. This is also available on local cable providers.

Despite not being mandated to do so, KHDI joined all other full-powered television stations in Hawaii in discontinuing its analog programming on January 15, 2009.