The Lolo Lemanu Administration is pursuing plans to merge the government owned television station, KVZK-TV with the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority.
Employees of the TV station were informed of the plan to move the Office of Public Information/KVZK-TV under ASTCA last month.
It was in 2017 shortly after the appointment of Puleleiite Tufele Lia Jr. as ASTCA’s interim director that information about a planned merger came to the fore.
Statements attributed to Puleleiite at a meeting he held with ASTCA staff at the Lee Auditorum in May of that year, was that Governor Lolo Moliga wished to have the Office of Public Information/ KVZK-TV come under ASTCA.
Chairman of the Baord of Directors of ASTCA Iulogologo Joseph Pereria when asked about the merger said today, “that in the interest of improving services to the community and to find ways to cost savings, the decision has been made to merge KVZK under the administrative umbrella of ASTCA. as the latter will be providing cable TV services in the near future.”
He said at this stage, ASTCA CEO Lewis Wolman and Office of Public Information Director, Tauapa’i Laupola, are collaborating on a Transition Plan “to facilitate seamless execution of this decision.”
The Transition Plan, he said, will address financial and human resources issues as well as non-interruption of services to the community.
Iulogologo pointed out that for now ASTCA is focusing on launching its revenue-generating products which will include IPTV services.
Asked about when the merger would likely take place, the board chairman said no decision has been made on the transition timeline.
He stated, “It is important for us to develop the Transition Plan from which we will know when to effect this transition. ASTCA has so much on its plate now thus the transition is secondary.”
KVZK-TV has a staff of 50. According to its second quarter performance report for FY2019 there are 31 career service employees and 9 contract workers.
KVZK-TV was the first television station in the Pacific islands , other than Australia and new Zealand. It opened in 1964 as an educational TV station.
