House confirms TV Director Aoelua, 12-0

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The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly this morning to approve the governor’s nominee for Director of the Office of Public Information/KVZK-TV Aoelua Solomona Aoelua. The vote was 12-0, with on abstention.

The Senate yesterday rejected Aoelua who was headed the government television station since last year. The Senate vote was 8-7. Ten votes were needed for him to clear confirmation.

The confirmation hearing for Aoelua in the House lasted about 20 minutes.

As in the Senate he was questioned about why the KVZK-TV did not air the tsunami warning after the volcanic eruption in Tonga last Friday.

Aoelua gave the same explanation he gave in the Senate, about TV personnel being stuck in traffic and could not reach the station to air the warning until it was lifted.

But he assured that for any future weather events or disasters, KVZK-TV will be able to broadcast live from the Emergency Operations Center.