June 5, 2000
Contact: Bryan Thompson, Kansas Public Radio, (785) 825-7097 or J. Schafer, KANU, (785) 864-4530
LAWRENCE--A 40-part series of in-depth feature reports on children's health issues in Kansas, produced by the University of Kansas' public radio station KANU, 91.5 FM, will debut this month on public and community radio stations across the state.
The series, "Kansas Kids: A Prescription for Change" will look at a wide range of issues. "We're defining health in a broad way, to include not only medical concerns, but also the mental, social, and developmental issues that play a role in the overall health and well-being of kids in Kansas," said Bryan Thompson, children's health reporter for Kansas Public Radio. "I envision stories ranging from access to health care for low-income families, to teen smoking, to school violence."
The children's health programs will be heard on public radio stations KANU 91.5 FM at KU, KKSU 580 AM at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KMUW 89.1 FM at Wichita State University, and KANZ 91.1 FM in Garden City. Community radio stations KDCC 1550 AM, and KONQ, 91.9 FM, in Dodge City also will air the programs. Public radio station KCUR, 89.3 FM in Kansas City, Mo., will air some of the reports. Air times and dates will vary, based on each station's program schedule.
The feature stories will be available online at www.KansasKidsHealth.org. The Web site also features links to agencies associated with the stories.
KANU News Director J. Schafer is excited about the possibilities the children's health series holds. "We're not aware of anything like this ever having been done in Kansas. We're very grateful to the Kansas Health Foundation, whose support makes the series possible. We look forward to going beyond superficial coverage of children's health issues, with thoughtful and thorough reporting."
Along with the 40-part series, plans are being made for three town meetings to explore children's health issues, and to give the public a chance to voice their concerns and viewpoints on this important subject.
The meetings will take place in Manhattan, Wichita, and Garden City. Details about the times and locations for the meetings will be disclosed at a later date.