For callers anxious to know if their loved ones were safe, where they could find food and gas, and even what the latest football scores were, KSSK radio was the place to turn throughout yesterday's statewide power outage.

As the state's official emergency broadcast station, KSSK provided a lifeline to local residents who were cut off from TV and Internet access and had no other place to turn for reliable information.

"We're an information brokerage at this time," said deejay Larry Price late yesterday morning.

He had been at a golf course when he felt the earthquake.

"I was lining up a putt," he said. "When someone my size feels the Earth move, I know it's time to go to work."

The weekday morning hosts, Price and Michael W. Perry were on the air by 9 a.m. yesterday to give listeners more than just news in the aftermath of the earthquakes that left most of the state in the dark.

In addition to disseminating information from state officials, they took calls from their "posse" of residents who needed an outlet to express their concerns or ask questions about matters as serious as where to find healthcare and as frivolous as the rules of Monopoly.

"Having someone listen to them is a form of therapy," Price said.

The station gave information in English and let callers translate the news into a variety of languages so even foreign language speakers could stay abreast of the events.

The station's 10 phone lines were ringing off the hook all morning and even other news outlets were turning to the radio to hear the latest updates from the governor, Civil Defense, the state Department of Transportation and other officials.

"All the authorities know where to call," said Damian Balinowski, the news director for Clear Channel, which owns KSSK AM and FM, as well as five other stations.

Residents knew where to call, too, and Perry and Price were glued to their chairs for hours fielding calls that offered tips on where to find manapua and malasadas, which businesses were "price gouging" customers who were searching for ice and batteries, and where people could find simple landline phones that didn't require electrical outlets.

Employees from all the Clear Channel stations started making their way to the Dole Cannery studios as soon as they could. Deejay Maleko, of Star 101.9, was the first to get on the air, followed closely by Kathy with a K from KSSK. They were both on before 8 a.m., then KSSK began simulcasting on Star and its AM and FM frequencies.

For hours, they were the only radio stations on the air.

"It's an awesome responsibility," said Clear Channel's programming director Paul Wilson.

According to Wilson, his staff knew without being told that they needed to report to work any time disaster strikes.

But there were other reasons to report to the studio.

Brandon "Krey-Z" Oshiro, a deejay from Island 98.5, came in for his usual 8 to 10 a.m. shift and planned to stay to help KSSK out, as well as get his own station back on the air.

In the meantime, he figured he'd take advantage of the luxury that few places in the state had: power. Not only did the studio have air-conditioning and lights, "we have sandwiches and a vending machine with ice-cold soda."

After dropping him off at work, Balinowski's wife went home to assemble provisions, and brought back trays of sandwiches on French bread, juice and a large sack of red apples.

Someone else brought over cookies, and yet another person brought in fresh manapua.

An on-air announcement about the manapua led to brisk business at the Kalihi shop, which sold out by late morning.

Other businesses called in to let listeners know they were selling huli-huli chicken, that their gas pumps were working or that batteries were available.

Even a former KSSK staffer called in from the Mainland where he reported that the rumors that a Big Island Wal-Mart had collapsed were being debunked on CNN.

Eventually, Maj. Chuck Anthony, spokesman for state Civil Defense, appeared at the studio so that updates wouldn't be slowed by spotty phone service.

KSSK has traditionally been the "voice of disaster," talking listeners through Hurricane Iniki, the Xerox shootings and the Sept. 11 attacks.

When a citywide power outage demonstrated some flaws in the backup system, Clear Channel updated its backup generators and power supply in case of future emergencies.

Perry said the improvements made it easier to keep the state informed about the events. "We have good generators and a great staff and a transmitter that stays on," he said.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.