THE LEFT LANE
Hiram Fong profiled tonight on local TV

Advertiser Staff and News Services

In "The Chinese Experience," Shawn Wong says his childhood heroes were Willie Mays and Hop-Along Cassidy. PBS

"Coming to Hawai'i: An Interview with Hiram Fong" was produced to supplement the national series because the Chinese-American experience in Hawai'i often differs from that of immigrants who settled on the Mainland, said Ed McNulty, vice president of programming and content at PBS Hawaii. The interview was produced for PBS Hawaii by Scott Culbertson.

War distracts Oscar viewers

Sunday's Oscars earned record-low ratings — reflecting the skittishness of TV viewers as they surfed to news channels to keep up with the war in Iraq, which heated up considerably over the weekend. The 75th annual Academy Awards telecast attracted only 20 percent of U.S. TV homes and an average audience of 33.1 million views, a 21 percent decline from last year and behind the previous low of 35.1 million in 1998.

Viewership was also down for the NCAA basketball tournament on CBS. ABC's Saturday movie and Fox's "Fastlane," however, matched normal viewership levels.

Community show looks at joblessness

Since its debut March 2, segments have focused on mental health and elder care.

The content for "211" comes from resources recommended by Aloha United Way 211, a free 24-hour hotline available to people on all islands for referral information on community services.

April's scheduled topics are eating disorders, domestic violence and overcoming physical disabilities. The show airs at 5:30 p.m. Sundays on Oceanic Channel 16.