Hawaii Radio: Longtime Personality Charly Espina Takahama Retires

Charly Espina Takahama

Longtime radio personality, Charly Espina Takahama has announced her retirement after 46 years in the industry, effective May 28.

“To say she will be missed seems like such an understatement,” said Sherri Grimes, Vice President and General Manager of Maui Radio Operations at Pacific Media Group.  “Charly is one of those rare people who instantly became a friend instead of just a coworker. There are no words to truly reflect how much we will miss working with her.”  

MauiNow.com reports the current morning show co-host of 99.9 KISS FM on Maui began her career in 1975 at a Christian radio show with Kalihi Union Church in Honolulu called “Friends.”  It was there where Charly had her first taste of being on the radio, and was “hooked.”  She went on to purse a degree in communications with an emphasis in radio at Washington State University.  While in college, Charly started out in news and eventually did a morning show on the campus radio station, KUGR. 

“Radio became my passion. I also knew that I wanted to return to Hawaiʻi. At the time, there weren’t many female broadcasters who could say names such as Kalanianaʻole or Kalākaua,” she recalled.

After graduating from Wazzu in 1979, Charly landed a position with “Space Station KULA,” FM 92.3 and AM 940.  It was there where Rick O’Shea, known then on the air as “The Wiz,” gave Charly her first paid position in radio.  “We pretended to broadcast from Space.  I was Charly with a News Beam from Space Station Kula!” she said.

In early 1980, the FM band was sold to what is now KSSK; and the AM band became KDEO and was bought by Ron “Whodaguy” Jacobs who kept Charly on staff. “I was able to work with and learn from radio legends including RJ, Kamasami Kong, Keala Kai, Stephen B. Williams, and a very young Ed Kanoi,” she said.