Local radio brought to you by local kids

Ben Thomson and Jordan Bernhardi, both 12, seem like your average sixth-graders: they’re both busy with school work, and while Ben is engaged with guitar lessons, Jordan is a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra.

Turn your radio dial to 1610 AM between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. on any Monday, Wednesday or Friday, though, and you’ll hear the two youths talking about everything from celebrity news to sports.

“We found a lot of radio stations had too many commercials,” Jordan said.

“We wanted a station by kids and for kids,” Ben added about the boys’ reasons for creating WROK Radio.

The two young Malverne residents said their inspiration for the show, which is the only youth-owned and operated radio program on Long Island, came from a similar radio station run by kids. The station, WKID 96.7, is broadcasted from Clearwater, Fla., and helped Ben and Jordan find out what supplies they would need and how they could go about creating their own station.

The dedicated disc jockeys proved their work ethic and independence by taking care of all  equipment, research and scheduling. “Jordan and I bought everything ourselves,” Ben told the Herald.

“The two were completely independent in this,” said Saskia Thomson, Ben’s mother. She also told the Herald that  nobody in the family is in broadcasting, and the idea for the station was completely the boys’ own. “They researched it all themselves,” she said.

Three months have gone by since the duo started the station, which is run from Ben’s basement. Since then, the boys’ friend and fellow student, Luciano Cirelli, has become a permanent member of the team.

The disc jockeys, who attend the James A. Dever Elementary School in Valley Stream, made it clear that although their show is for kids, any age group can relate to WROK Radio. “We talk about what kids want to hear,” Ben said. “But adults can listen and enjoy the station, too.”

Given the show’s vast subject medley, Ben’s assessment rings true. While Jordan’s job is the weather, and Luciano’s job is sports, all three hosts tackle topics ranging from the latest celebrity break-ups to the catastrophe in Japan.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” Thomson said about the boys being on the air. “Ultimately, though, I realized how organized they had become and how much more confident they are now.”

About why the boys enjoy the show, Jordan said, “It gives us a safe place to go.”

“It lets us play the music we like, both old and new,” Ben added.

The boys often invite classmates to join in and participate, and Jordan said WROK’s most avid listeners are fellow students. The boys have also used the station as a platform for magnanimity by doing charity work for several organizations, including the Red Cross.

While it’s clear the well-spoken sixth-graders have received support from parents and students alike, what about their teachers?

“They’re very supportive, and also very proud of what we’re doing,” Jordan told the Herald.

The young hosts show no signs of slowing down. “We’re having an awesome time,” Ben said. “I hope to continue doing this show for a long time.”

The station welcomes emails and will soon be able to receive phone calls from listeners. To email the station, message them at wrok-am@hotmail.com. To visit them on the web, and listen to their show from anywhere in the world, go to www.wrokradio.webs.com. Want to listen on the weekends? The station also broadcasts between 2:30 and 3:30 every Saturday and Sunday afternoon.