HPR gets new boss, morning show

Hawaii Public Radio will launch its hourlong morning show, "The Conversation," at 8 a.m. Feb. 14 on KIPO-FM 89.3. HPR also announced yesterday that Bill Dorman has been named news director, to succeed Kayla Rosenfeld, who served in the position for both KIPO and KHPR-FM 88.1 since 2000. Rosenfeld will serve as producer of the new morning show.

Dorman was previously managing editor of Asia Pacific Broadcast at Bloomberg News’ Tokyo office and served in various positions with CNN, during which he received numerous awards. He most recently led Dorman Namiki Communications, a private communications consulting firm in Honolulu. Dorman graduated from Dartmouth College and earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

Queen’s ratings affirmed by Moody’s

Moody’s Investors Service has affirmed the A1 long-term and underlying ratings on The Queen’s Health Systems’ $365 million of outstanding debt. The long-term ratings outlook is stable.

The ratings agency cited as one of Queen’s strengths an average operating cash flow margin of 11.7 percent over the last five years while listing as a challenge Queen’s unfunded pension liability of about $100 million, which is equal to a current funded pension ratio of approximately 62 percent.

Solar system installed for Young Bros.

Island Pacific Energy has completed a 116-kilowatt photovoltaic system for Young Brothers at its Pier 40 location at Honolulu Harbor.

The system provides nearly 70 percent of the electrical demand of the building, producing more than 180,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. The renewable energy is enough to power more than 1,000 light bulbs for a year and is equivalent to burning more than 15,000 gallons of gasoline.

Netflix subscription service tops 20M

SAN FRANCISCO » Netflix Inc.’s video subscription service topped 20 million customers during the fourth quarter to help push its earnings beyond analyst expectations and burnish its reputation as a stock market star.

The results are the latest evidence of Netflix’s increasingly important role in the distribution of home and mobile entertainment. As Netflix’s influence has risen, so has its stock price. The shares tripled last year to give Netflix a higher market value of nearly $10 billion — more than some of the studios that supply the content for its DVD-by-mail and Internet video streaming service.

Netflix shares soared $18.97 to $202 in yesterday’s extended trading after the results were released. The stock finished the regular session at $183.03, down $3.71. The company’s earnings rose 52 percent to $47.1 million, or 87 cents a share, last quarter from $30.9 million, or 56 cents a share, a year ago.

Starbucks earnings increase 44%

PORTLAND, Ore. » Starbucks Corp. says its growing popularity with coffee drinkers around the world helped boost its first-quarter net income nearly 44 percent.

The Seattle-based coffee giant reported after the market closed yesterday that it earned $346.6 million, or 45 cents a share, for the quarter that ended Jan. 2. That’s up from $241.5 million, or 32 cents a share, earned in the same quarter last year.

Revenue rose nearly 8 percent to $3 billion.

The results beat analysts’ average estimates of 39 cents per share on revenue of $2.93 billion, according to FactSet.

On the Move

» Bright Light Marketing has promoted Reuben Macapinlac to marketing assistant from operations assistant. He will be responsible for fulfilling clients’ business needs and internal operations support as well as supporting the firm’s account team in client services. Before joining the company, Macapinlac was an office manager and loan specialist at San Francisco Mortgage Exchange in Pacifica, Calif.

» The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has hired the following:
— Holly Coleman as a research analyst. She is a graduate student in the University of Hawaii-Manoa history department and graduates with her master’s in Hawaiian history this year.
— Koalani Kaulukukui as a land management specialist. She was previously an Earthjustice associate attorney.
— Jadine Lee as a Hawaii Procurement Technical Assistance Center procurement counselor. She previously worked for the Department of Defense Contracting Department.
— Star of Honolulu has appointed Eric Burgoyne as west-bound marketing sales manager. He has experience in sales management and marketing in the airline attractions and hospitality industries, including senior director of marketing at Castle Resorts & Hotels.

SPARE PARTS

Auto Lunch Bunch to go small

Vintage and new Mini Coopers will reflect the "Mini Madness" theme of the February Auto Lunch Bunch meeting at noon Tuesday at the Waikiki Yacht Club. A 1966 Mini will be displayed by Mini of Hawaii General Manager Darrel Pestana, who also will bring a 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman — the brand’s first four-door model. The "World of Mini" video will be shown during the luncheon, and Pestana will discuss the current Mini lineup as well as upcoming models.

Attendees are asked to bring $14.50 in cash to cover the meal, drink and a tip. RSVP via e-mail to billmaloney15@aol.com or call Ed Kemper at 225-2965.

Toyota-Hawaii food drive gets on a roll

A yuletide food drive by Toyota-Hawaii dealers in December brought in 5,075 pounds of canned food and $1,300 in cash that will allow the Hawaii Foodbank to provide 7,246 meals to the hungry in the Hawaii community, according to Kim Bartenstein, the Foodbank’s food drive manager.

As an extra incentive for the public to donate during the Dec. 10-12 period, Toyota-Hawaii gave a pair of Sheraton Hawaii Bowl tickets to anyone who brought at least five cans of food to their local Toyota-Hawaii dealer.

Of the 5,075 pounds of canned food, Servco Auto Honolulu donated 2,413 pounds, Servco Auto Leeward brought in 1,465 pounds and Servco Auto Windward 1,197 pounds.

Toyota-Hawaii dealers include Big Island Toyota, Maui Toyota and the Servco Auto Centers: Servco Auto Honolulu, Servco Auto Leeward, Servco Auto Windward and Kauai Toyota.