NBC Stations to Air the First Annual "Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge" (April 21 - New York, NY) This Spring, NBC stations across the country will air the first annual Readers Digest National Word Power Challenge, a national vocabulary competition where kids across the country competed for $50,000 in college scholarships. Hosted by Al Roker, the Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge puts ten finalists through a series of grueling vocabulary questions to test the limits of their verbal skills. The finalists were selected from a national competition of state championships in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and the Department of Defense Dependents schools. “This is my kind of reality television,” said Roker. “People who say America’s schools aren’t turning out bright kids ought to tune in and check this out. These kids have probably forgotten more words than I know!” NBC will broadcast the Reader’s Digest Word Power Challenge the weekend of May 24, 2003 in the following cities: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, San Diego, Dallas, Columbus, Providence, Raleigh-Durham, Miami, Birmingham and Hartford (check your local listings.) The first place winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship. Second and third place winners will receive college scholarships of $15,000 and $10,000. The winners will also receive Reader’s Digest products for their schools. The Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge was launched this fall with a series of school-administered contests, followed by championships in all 50 states, Washington D.C and one for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools on January 21. Winning students participated in the opening round of final competition on Tuesday, March 25 when the field was narrowed to 10 finalists for the final round of competition. Al Roker Productions, Inc., a multimedia company involved in the development and production of network, cable, home video and public television projects, will produce a television program of the Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge Championship Event. This is the first joint project between Al Roker Productions, Inc. and Reader’s Digest, a partnership designed to help develop programs for television that will inspire the 40 million readers of Reader’s Digest and its global community. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (NYSE: RDA) is a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, enrich, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures. Reader’s Digest magazine is the most widely read magazine in the world. The company is located at Pleasantville, New York; www.rd.com. The Reader’s Digest National Word Power Challenge is an educational outreach program of Reader’s Digest magazine. ### Close Window