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WNYE 91.5 FM-HD1 NY | WNYE Channel 25 |
Elena Maroulleti
Founder/Executive Producer & Host AKTINA FM/TV
President AKTINA Productions, Inc., & CYPRECO Of America, Inc.
AKTINA FM established in 1993, is produced and hosted by its founder, Elena Maroulleti, an independent journalist/reporter who’s been producing and hosting on a volunteer basis Greek radio programs on public station WNYE 91.5FM since 1988.
As an extension of AKTINA FM, in April 2002, Ms. Maroulleti also introduced and established AKTINA TV, the first English language Greek-American TV series in America. Both programs are sponsored by AKTINA Productions, Inc., a non-profit, cultural/educational organization, also founded by Ms. Maroulleti. Ms. Maroulleti is also the founder and President of the first Greek-Cypriot Cultural Organization in America, CYPRECO of America. CYPRECO, founded in 1979 and a co-sponsor of AKTINA FM, continues to be a representative cultural organization of the Greek-Cypriot community with many great accomplishments in the areas it represents.
Photo above by: M. Tolios
Photo by ETA Press July '08
Ms. Maroulleti, whose native land is Cyprus, immigrated to the United States in 1975. She is a very well established and recognized journalist/reporter and producer of news, special features programs, folk arts and cultural programs, and original documentaries for television and radio. From May 1979 to July 2001, she was part of the main production team of ABC News. She held in this News Network important news production support positions for the acclaimed news programs, World News Tonight, Nightline, 20/20 and Good Morning America among others.
Ms.Maroulleti utilizes her professional journalistic experience for the benefit of the Greek Cypriot and Greek American community. She produces and hosts on a volunteer basis the highly rated programs AKTINA FM and AKTINA TV. In addition, she volunteers her services for the two non-profits AKTINA Productions, Inc., and CYPRECO of America, Inc., as the Executive Producer/Director of Live Cultural Programs and Concerts. Over the years she has produced countless successful performances that promote the rich heritage, folklore, history and culture of Cyprus and Greece and which target Greek Americans of all generations and the general public. Furthermore, she produces outstanding and sold-out concerts of great cultural value that highlight representative aspects of the Greek and Cypriot music and dance. In 1994 she introduced the successful concert series GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY (GMJ) with a mission of further introducing the music of Greece to the general audience. Since then she has produced from the series memorable and sold-out concerts covering different Greek music themes at renowned New York City venues such as The Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center and New York's landmark theatre The Town Hall.
Ms. Maroulleti who has studied extensively and researched the Greek and Cypriot folklore, and culture enhances her knowledge in these areas with frequent trips to Cyprus and Greece. During these trips she interviews folklorists and the elderly who give her valuable information on the Cypriot and Greek customs, traditions, dances and music.
Over the years, Ms. Maroulleti has been featured in Greek/American and American newspapers, magazines, as well as in major newspapers in Cyprus and Greece for her devotion in promoting the Greek and Cypriot culture in America and in particular in Queens since 1976. Among other media sources, The New York Times, Newsday, The Daily News, and other local American and Greek/American newspapers have featured Ms. Maroulleti.
Her contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Cypriot and Greek culture in America through radio, television and live performances are recognized and much appreciated by the public she services, including the governments of Cyprus, Greece and the U.S.A. For her achievements and outstanding contributions to her community and to her profession, she was awarded the "Women of Achievement Pacesetter Award 2000" by former Council Speaker Vallone during a special ceremony on March 28, 2000 at City Hall in Manhattan, N.Y. In January 2009 she was also awarded by The Panpaphian Association of America, Inc., with "The Distinguished Fellow Award" during the organization's Annual Awards Gala in Queens, NY.
Ms. Maroulleti's long and impressive career as a broadcaster/journalist includes countless exclusive interviews with worldwide personalities, world leaders including Presidents (Cyprus, Greece, USA - Pres. Bill Clinton 1990), elected officials in the U.S.A from all branches of the City, State and Federal government , as well as elected officials in Cyprus and Greece, several high profile personalities and Greek and American stars (cinema, music, arts) among many others.
Photo by Kostas Beis May '08
Elena Maroulleti is also the founder and President of the Ethnic Broadcasters Action Committe (E.B.A.C), the first ever organization established in New York representing all independent ethnic broadcasters producing programs on WNYE-FM/TV. The organization was established in 2001 to address all needs and concerns of its members pertaining to the survival and continuation of their programs on WNYE FM/TV. To her credit Ms. Maroulleti has led several very successful campaigns since the establishment of EBAC that prevented the sale or transfer of WYNE's FCC license to another TV/Radio network and thus safeguarded the continuation and survival of all ethnic programs broadcasting on WNYE 91.5FM and WNYE-Channel 25. WNYE FM/TV which is commercial-free is the last remaining City-owned station in New York and the only that has had a history of leasing some of its airtime to independent producers, mostly representative ethnic programmers who make up New York City's ethnic diversity. AKTINA FM and AKTINA TV which are also commercial-free and non-profit, produced and hosted by Elena Maroulleti, are among those representative programs airing on this station.