Jeff Portnoy will join KUMU's expanding sports lineup as the station prepares to go head-to-head with the local market sports talk leader, KKEA, and offer what it said will be an independent look at University of Hawai'i athletics.

Portnoy is scheduled to join the weekday morning call-in radio lineup in mid-May that will include Jim and Kanoa Leahey, according to John Aeto, O'ahu general manager for the station's owner, Visionary Related Entertainment LLC.

Portnoy said he was let go by KKEA this week after 14 years with the station, primarily as an analyst on UH men's basketball games and host of a post-game call-in show.

"We're very excited to have Jeff join the team," Aeto said. "I really think it is the university's loss to have Jeff, after 14 years, no longer involved. I thought Jeff did a great job for men's basketball."

Aeto said, "it sure seems like we've become a safe haven for a lot of people involved (with) UH for sports." KUMU's Stuart Chang is a past corporate sales director at UH.

Aeto said, "one of the things we like about being individuals and not connected to the University of Hawai'i sports program is that we can go after the university and, to a certain degree, KKEA has been unable to do that, so we get to really be the voice of the people. Jim, Kanoa and Jeff are people that have strong opinions, whether it be rail, the UH football schedule or the high schools. We're going to give them an opportunity and a forum to speak their mind."

The Leaheys and Portnoy will be opposite KKEA's Bobby Curran Show in the 6 a.m.-9 a.m. time slot.

KKEA is UH's radio broadcast partner through July 2008, paying the school $325,000 this year plus a minimum of $75,000 in sponsorship and marketing support, an athletic department spokesman said.

KUMU is currently the home of Hawai'i Pacific University and Hawai'i High School Athletic Association sports, but Aeto said the station is "definitely going to look at (the contract)," when it comes up for negotiation next year.

Portnoy, a partner at Cades Schutte, is a prominent Honolulu attorney.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.