buzz muddleheaded: Celebs visit CHOC for radio broadcast

ORANGE ? Ryan Seacrest and a host of young celebrities inaugurated a new multi-media studio Friday at Children's Hospital of Orange County with a live radio broadcast and visits to patient rooms.

Seacrest hosted his 102.7 KIIS-FM radio show from the new Seacrest Studios, which is the fourth to open in a pediatric hospital. The 652-square-foot glass-paneled studio was built during construction of CHOC's new tower, which opened last month.

Ryan Seacrest broadcasts from the new Seacrest Studios at CHOC in Orange Friday.

JOSHUA SUDOCK, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Seacrest's nonprofit foundation outfitted the studio with five guest microphones, production-quality video cameras and a green screen.

"We just got off the air moments ago," Seacrest said during a ribbon cutting ceremony with singer Miley Cyrus and hospital mascot CHOCO the bear. "It all works. Everything connects; not only to the patient rooms, but to the entire country."

Bryan Mundia, media program coordinator, said CHOC plans to expand to five-day-a-week radio broadcasts and use the studio to film events such as puppet or magic shows.

The hospital's old radio station, while a popular activity for patients, did not have video capability. Now programming can be broadcast into rooms for patients who can't go downstairs.

"We teach them how to deejay, how to be producer, how to use video components," Mundia said. "It's state-of-the-art. It's the best you could possibly put in a radio station."

Patients will continue to call in to the station from their rooms to tell jokes or request songs.

"We tend to play a lot of Justin Bieber still," Mundia said. "Second is probably the Beatles."

After their radio interviews, celebrities spent time with patients.

Leukemia patient Catherine Ordaz, 7, was introduced to the Disney show "Shake It Up" during a previous stay at CHOC. She couldn't stop laughing and smiling when one of the show's stars, Zendaya Coleman, came to her room.

The two chatted about movies, purple and playing the piano.

Catherine's mother, Magaly Ordaz, said the visit lifted her daughter's spirits.

"This is a treat for her," said Ordaz, who lives in Santa Ana. "There are days where she's just bored."

Nolan Torres, 10, who receives treatment at CHOC for benign brain cysts and a suppressed immune system, appeared on Seacrest's show early in the morning. Seacrest then surprised him with a call from Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton.

"That was the best thing ever. That was awesome," said Nolan, who is from Corona.

The moment made his mother, Kris, cry.

"I have never seen my kid that happy," she said.

Contact the writer: cperkes@ocregister.com 714-796-3686

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/radio-500934-seacrest-choc.html

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