Posted on: Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Happy ending as KSSK rights a wrong

Advertiser Staff

It was a win-no win-win situation for Honolulu's Tim Berman in the Pigskin Picks contest.

On Oct. 25, Berman got an early-morning call from KSSK radio personality Michael W. Perry announcing that he was the weekly winner of the Pigskin Picks contest.

Berman, 40, born in Michigan, raised in Hawai'i and a graduate of Kalani High, was so overjoyed he called family and friends here and on the Mainland.

One problem. He wasn't the winner.

"I just blew it. I read the fax wrong," Perry said.

Each Sunday evening, the Pigskin Picks ballot tabulators fax over a list of the first three places in the weekly Pigskin Picks contest. The winner gets a trip for two to Las Vegas and $500. The runner-up gets a $100 certificate from Zippy's. Third place gets $50 from Dixie Grill.

Perry mistakenly read Berman's ballot as the winner.

Furthermore, his interview with Perry was replayed over the airwaves.

Instead, the next day, Berman was told of the sad truth.

"I was kind of embarrassed; kind of devastated actually," Berman said. "I was waiting for The Advertiser to call so I could come down and take a picture."

But agony turned to ecstasy later when KSSK called back to say he wouldn't be staying home empty-handed.

KSSK gave Berman:

• a trip for two to Las Vegas;

• $100 certificate to Indigo;

• $100 certificate from Compadres.

He also got his $100 from Zippy's for second place.

"It's got a happy ending," Berman said.

"I'm really happy that KSSK made it right. Makes them look real credible. ... Michael W. Perry read the wrong name by accident. He was real apologetic, and he felt really bad."

Said Perry: "Every now and then, we'll mess up something, human error factor strikes. But we try to make it right. We're trying to make people happy and that's why we do contests."

Berman wrote a thank you letter to the KSSK morning team of Perry and Larry Price. The station received it yesterday.

It said: "Thank you so much for the trip of Las Vegas ... You guys are running a class operation. That's why you're ranked No. 1. Thanks, Tim."

Near the end of the letter, Berman requested an autographed photo of Perry and Price.