Prior to the merger, Honolulu had been one of the few cities of its size in the U.S. to have more than one daily newspaper.
However, in June 2011, Hawaiian Telcom, the state's main telephone carrier, was given a license to start providing cable services in Hawaii, which is expected to begin in early 2012 in Honolulu County before going statewide.
Satellite television (DIRECTV, Dish Network, some C-Band) is also available as an alternative.
Prior to 2011, due to its geographical location, service from Sirius XM Radio (the parent company of Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio) was not reachable, although Sirius XM programming could've been reached through other outlets via internet or through subscription from various phone providers.
That all changed in 2011, when Sirius XM received approval from the FCC to begin transmission to Hawaii and Alaska as it prepares to place a 1.8Kw transmitter in downtown Honolulu in anticipation for a future launch.