date_select 'a' format oddities

Given this code:

  $form['hour_end'] = array(
    '#type' => 'date_select',
    '#title' => t('Ending hour'),
    '#date_format' => 'h:i a',
    '#date_increment' => 30,
    '#required' => TRUE,
  );

1. The hour and minute selects appear correct, but the label above the am/pm select is simply a ':'. (See attached image.)

2. The am/pm select has a blank option, even though this is a required field.

By the way, is it necessary to include the red '*' after the main field label ('Ending hour', in my example), as well as next to the labels above each select list? It's too much red, IMHO. One '*' should suffice.