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Monday, November 10, 2008

Radio Waves: Nic Harcourt Departs KCRW, and New Time for KROQ's Kevin and Bean



KCRW's Nic Harcourt is departing KCRW's signature "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program after ten years.

Harcourt joined KCRW in 1998 to replace Chris Douridas; before that, he spent 8 years at WDST in Woodstock, N.Y. He'll continue on KCRW with a three-hour Sunday night show at 6 p.m. -- where Kurt Andersen's one-hour "Studio 360" and Harcourt's weekly two-hour national "Sounds Eclectic" now air; no word where "Studio 360" might relocate.

Harcourt departs at the end of the month. KCRW is already searching for a new music director and "Eclectic" host -- any ideas?

"As a parent of two young children, I believe it’s time for me to explore new career opportunities and expand upon my other activities in movie, television, voice over work, advertising and the Internet," Harcourt said in a statement. "My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go to KCRW, the staff and volunteers who have supported my work through the years, but most of all to the listeners. I’ve always said that I couldn’t do what I do without them and I hope they will join me on Sunday nights."

Harcourt had an enormous influence on Hollywood; his music picks influenced shows such as "The O.C." and "Grey's Anatomy," and he was an early champion of artists such as Dido, Damien Rice, Norah Jones and others. Some of Coldplay's first play in the U.S. also came via Harcourt.

But Harcourt also faced criticism from listeners who thought "Morning Becomes Ecelctic" had become far less eclectic under his reign. It'll be interesting to see what the next host brings to the show -- and whether "Eclectic" morphs into another direction.



Meanwhile, in quite an unusual move, KROQ has sliced its top-rated morning show, Kevin & Bean, by an hour in the morning. The morning drive time show will now air from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. (it had formerly aired until 10). Instead, KROQ will now air an hour of Kevin & Bean at 5 p.m., in the heart of afternoon drive time.

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