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FBI agents raid Hawaiian public access TV station

A general manager with the station said the company is "fully cooperating" with federal authorities.

A general manager with the station said the company is "fully cooperating" with federal authorities.

An aerial view of the Na Leo TV studios in Kona, Hawaii. (Photo: Na Leo TV/Handout)

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the studios of a Hawaiian public access television station this week.

On Thursday, several FBI agents were spotted entering the studios of Na Leo TV, a not-for-profit public access television station and production company that operates three channels on local cable systems.

A special agent who was present at the raid declined to answer most questions posed by reporters, including why federal officers were searching the television station.

“It’s just a search,” Jason White, a special agent with the FBI’s Honolulu office, told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

“The case is ongoing,” he said. “We’re not going to give out any details other than confirming it is us [carrying out the search].”

City and county law enforcement said they were not notified of the raid prior to its execution on Thursday.

Micah Alameda, the assistant general manager of the station, told a local newspaper the station was “fully cooperating” with federal investigators.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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