FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 8, 2011 Saskia Thomson wrok-am@hotmail.com 516-319-6625 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH NEIGHBORHOOD RADIO STATION Malverne, NY: In the quiet, one-square mile town of Malverne, Long Island, there are new voices to be heard: Sixth graders Benjamin Thomson and Jordan Bernhardi have launched a kid-run radio station that can be heard in the Malverne area on 1610 am and around the globe on the listen-live page on www.wrokradio.webs.com. The kids have developed a format that invites their classmates at school to participate throughout the week. "Our radio station is for kids, by kids. We talk about things that are important to us and play all kinds of music," says Jordan Bernhardi. Benjamin adds, "A number of kids have come to our station and done live broadcasts. It's been a great creative project and we've made some great friendships. We've also used the station as a way to raise money for the Red Cross, to help with the awful situation in Japan." 1610 WROK AM, which launched in late February 2011, is the creation of Benjamin Thomson and Jordan Bernhardi. With their parents' permission, the boys purchased a transmitter and researched FCC rules. (With that in mind, the boys have committed to keeping the channel open in case of emergencies.) They have also used the station They then built a website to expand their reach. In the meantime, they have developed a program schedule and have invited their classmates to participate and develop weekly programs. The boys also reached out to WKID 96.7 in Clearwater Florida, which has a similar model, for advice and guidance. "This has been a terrific learning experience for the kids," says Michael Thomson, Ben's father. "I'm so impressed by how they took an idea, worked through several difficulties, and saw it through to realization." For more information, please call Saskia Thomson at 516-319-6625 or wrok-am@hotmail.com ###