By Peter Vankevich
“We’re spreading the news,” could be a refrain for a new radio show begun on WOVV 90.1 FM, Ocracoke’s community radio station. “Island Girl Talk” is the new show that has aired twice in October.
Co-hosted by Emilia Jordan and Maren Donlon, Ocracoke School fourth-graders, the show will cover topics of interest relating to the school and young people’s activities on the island. “Maren and I will focus on school activities and both of us will do the community news,” Emilia said about the new venture.
“We will also invite guest stars into the studio for interviews.” Two of the guest stars are Julian and Adrian Woodrow of Take 2 who performed on the island. The show runs Wednesdays, beginning at 4 p.m., 90.1 FM on the island and online at: wovv.org.
“Island Girl Talk” includes music, primarily pop songs by such recording artists as Shawn Mendes and Maroon 5. They also will take song requests from the listeners. “Anyone who requests a song that we play, will get a shout out,” said Emilia.
Begun on Oct.7, they were the first to break the news on the radio station that the mandatory evacuation due to Hurricane Joaquin had been lifted, and visitors could start returning to the island the following day. Despite their young age, the girls are already accomplished performers. Both have played the young girl, Katherine Farthingham, in the popular musical “A Tale of Blackbeard,” by Julie Howard that was revived from a 20-year hiatus in 2014 and again this summer.
Both girls got all A’s for the first 90 day period at Ocracoke School and take classes in dance, acting and voice at the Ocracoke School of Performing Arts run by Desiree Christa Ricker (who is one of the “stars” the girls want to interview).
The show got its start when Emilia gave a report on-air on the Seafood Throw Down competition between Ocracoke’s Eduardo Chavez (Eduardo’s Taco Stand), who won, and Avon’s Taylor Rawl (the Mad Crabber Restaurant) at the Day at the Docks Seafood Festival in Hatteras Sept. 19.
Emilia did so well she was asked if she would be interested in doing a regular program. After some reflection and working with her mother, Jennifer Mongan, she presented to the station a proposal that included the name of the program, its content, and naming her friend, Maren as the cohost.
“I really love sports,” said Maren, whose reporting beat will cover these activities, as she rattled off a list of sports she plays including basketball, baseball, soccer, mini golf and regular golf, ping-pong, handball and even touch football during recess.
In December, WOVV plans to move to a new location–the second floor of the former Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department building next to the library. The community radio station encourages student participation, including original programming such as Island Girl Talk.
Community radio rules! Keep it up, girls
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