A Beacon of Free Speech!

Akakū: Maui Community Media is an independent, non-profit corporation established in 1992 to promote the creation of media by, for and about our community. By promoting community media, we preserve, develop and enhance diversity of thought, culture and heritage.

Akakū’s mission is, “Empowering Our Community’s Voice Through Access To Media.” Akakū is a vital resource serving all the communities of Maui Nui. “Akakū” means a reflection, as in a mirror.

AKAKU AT A GLANCE

A beacon of free speech on the best islands in the world where anyone can come and talk story, Akaku Maui Community Media is the place people go to learn how to produce and submit video on just about anything. Most of it local, all of it non-discriminatory, non-commercial, uncensored and unfiltered.

Akaku is the place where every Maui Nui resident, rich or poor, young or old, can have a voice and showcase the diversity of our islands. A place to talk, to show, to tell, to discuss, to innovate, to play, to bring media literacy and civic engagement to the people. Our mission is to: “Empower the Community’s Voice Through Access to Media”

Akaku programs three cable television access channels serving more than 53,000 Spectrum Cable homes on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. In addition, Akaku streams “live” and “Video on Demand” (VOD) content online through the akaku.org website. Akaku is also the parent of a low power, listener supported, non-commercial, talk radio station, KAKU 88.5 FM, “The Voice of Maui” that broadcasts an eclectic blend of over the air national and local community fare to Maui and across the world on its web companion, www.KAKUfm.org.

AKAKU MEDIA CENTER

Akaku’s solar powered, main media access facilities are located at Akaku Center, 333 Dairy Road, Suite 104, in Kahului. They include Akaku’s administrative offices, a TV and radio studio, an audio recording booth, several portable studio units, mobile video kits, a Mac based media lab and screening room, a master control playback system, a new convening space and a wired conference room that can hold up to twenty people.

Akaku staffs and maintains video/audio recording and playback facilities located at the County of Maui Council Chambers for “live” gavel-to gavel cablecasts of Maui County Council meetings. In addition, Akaku is capable of broadcasting “live” from any location that has robust cell phone reception using LiveU cellular bonding technology.

Akaku staffs and maintains a satellite facility and media center on Molokai at

40 Ala Moana Street in Kaunakakai, Suite 109.

Akaku Center in Kahului is a commercial retail/office complex wholly owned by the non-profit’s subsidiary, Akaku Holdings, LLC. Space in the complex may be available for lease by qualified tenants

AKAKU CABLE TELEVISION CHANNELS*

CHANNEL 53 - AKAKU GREEN / GOVERNMENT IN ACTION

Akakū Green is the channel devoted to Government and Public Affairs. We provide “live” gavel to gavel coverage of County Council meetings and replay them. We cover all Planning Commission meetings, select Boards and Commissions meetings and Public Affairs programs. Every meeting is made available online to view on demand.

CHANNEL 54 - AKAKU RED / ALL ACCESS ALL THE TIME

Akakū Red is the channel devoted to Community submitted videos. Almost everything submitted by the residents of Maui County, regardless of program length or subject matter, will be played on this channel. Occasionally we will transmit programs originating from Oahu, the state capitol, neighbor islands or from other jurisdictions if they are of interest to Maui residents. Most Saturdays from noon to midnight are dedicated exclusively to programming produced on Molokai.

CHANNEL 55 – AKAKU BLUE / LIVE & LOCAL

Akakū Blue is the Live and Local Channel. This is our curated Maui Nui Showcase Channel. “Live” community events, most series programs of traditional broadcast length, “live” and pre-recorded topical programs, talk shows, sporting events, special programs, breaking news, and the Best of Akaku are usually broadcast on this channel.

*available on Spectrum Cable and online and on mobile devices at www.akaku.org

AKAKU EDUCATION

Media Education is one of the foundational pillars of Akaku. We offer relevant, state of the art media literacy programs, courses, salons, seminars and custom training that provide our community producers and the public access to storytelling skills, production equipment and facilities and distribution channels to display their work. Whether it is through our video training, innovative youth mobile journalism programs, special media maker initiatives, specialized workshops, or traditional class offerings, Akaku takes pride in our role as a building block for professional careers and internships. Class offerings can be found on our website: www.akaku.org

EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES

Akaku maintains a gold standard of up to date, high definition studio production, field production and post production equipment and services. Akaku’s multi-platform media distribution capabilities include in studio, field and portable studio configurations, “live” remote broadcasting and mobile video that can post directly from most any idevice to television and/or the web.

MEDIA CONSULTATION

Akaku Maui Community Media is staffed with a highly trained group of veteran

media professionals and technicians in the Film, Video, Television and Radio fields.

Experienced senior staff are early adopters and innovators in the use of mobile, digital and emerging media technologies to solve communications needs. Akaku is the go to team on Maui that has the experience to guide any project from concept to completion.