KCRW Reveals New 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' Hosts

Big KCRW news: Novena Carmel and Anthony Valadez have been named new hosts of "Morning Becomes Eclectic," becoming the first time two hosts will lead the show.

Per the station: "Novena and Anthony both come from KCRW’s after-midnight roster, where unique and exciting voices have the opportunity to experiment and bring adventurous listeners into the KCRW fold. From podcasts and livestreams to viral videos, Novena and Anthony have collaborated extensively over the course of their years-long friendship. This authentic camaraderie and willingness to explore and experiment will make for a natural synchronicity as co-hosts of Morning Becomes Eclectic."

They replace Jason Bentley, who announced his departure last year. Since then, Anne Litt, who's also KCRW music director, as served as interim "Morning Becomes Eclectic" host. The duo becomes the fifth hosts of the show, following Tom Schnabel, Chris Douridas, Nic Harcourt and Bentley.

“I am so excited to pass the torch of MBE to Novena and Anthony,” Litt said in a press release. “Novena is pure joy and Anthony is the heart and soul of Los Angeles. Together, they will explore fresh, new ways to reach music lovers globally. My journey will be to delve deeper into my role as Program Director of Music, bring our roster of incredible DJs to their fans, and capitalize on the boundless talents of our entire music department across all of our platforms.”

I remember when Anthony Valadez was a fellow KCSN host during its "Arts and Roots Radio" mid-2000s era (and yes, I was "Bruddah Mike"). Congrats to him and Novena Carmel!

KCRW Is Outta The Basement: A Farewell To Its Old Digs (PHOTOS)

It was a long time coming, but KCRW is finally in its new studios off of the main Santa Monica College campus. Well, almost. "Press Play" is still originating from the old basement studios this week, and I recorded this week's "Screengrab" segment (my weekly TV chat with Joe Adalian that airs Tuesdays at 8:45 a.m.) in the old studios on Monday — but it was a ghost town. After years of planning, KCRW finally has a new home.

A new home that will finally give the station and its employees room to breathe. Even as it grew, the KCRW staff managed to operate in tight quarters, in the basement below Santa Monica College's cafeteria. Above and below, some views of its music library. Look at all that sweet, sweet vinyl! (CD's in the file cabinets and on the walls as well.)

(And when I say it was a long time coming, it's no joke. I remember bringing the family to KCRW's new building open house in December 2017 -- read about it here. It took longer for the move than anyone expected, but I think everyone finally now sees the light at the end of the tunnel!)

A view of one of the KCRW offices. Not a lot of natural light, and phone reception was always spotty down there. 

One of the studios where I got to record "The Spin-Off" and "Screengrab" over the years.

Not sure what's going to happen to this stuff, but new equipment awaits the station at its new facility.

The hallway as of last week, before the moving boxes came.

A view into KCRW's live studio in the basement.

Some amazing photos of artists who visited KCRW over the years could be found all over the basement -- and have now been transported to the new station.

One of the first things you saw when entering the station: An ever-growing collection of Polaroids taken by notable guests.

Oh, and the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne. His face would be beaming back at you, welcoming you to the basement.

KCRW is leaving just before this fading sign completely peeled off.

My view.

Coincidentally, this is the second time I've been affiliated with a radio station that moved out of a basement. As general manager of Northwestern's WNUR in 1995, I was part of the team that moved our student-run station out of the basement of Annie May Swift Hall and into brand new facilities on its first floor.

Here's an updated look from Monday, with the walls now bare and the staff mostly gone.

Someone had to painstakingly remove all of those Polaroids! Curious to see how they're displayed in the new building.

And that's it! Congrats to everyone at KCRW on making the big move, especially my producer, Kaitlin Parker, and general manager Jennifer Ferro! Can't wait to begin recording "Screengrab" there!

2018 Becomes Eclectic: KCRW's Top Albums, Songs, and Artist of the Year

Looking to round out your 2018 playlist? Franklin Avenue will be sharing its "Choice Cuts" list of fave 2018 tunes later this month. In the meantime, here's KCRW's round up of the year's best albums and songs, as chosen by its DJs. Plus, Jason Bentley reveals the year's best new artist. Read on:

KCRW’s Top 10 Albums of 2018

Kamasi Washington - "Heaven and Earth"
Leon Bridges - "Good Thing"
Khruangbin - "Con Todo El Mundo"
Jungle - "For Ever"
Father John Misty - "God’s Favorite Customer"
Rosalía - "El Mal Querer"
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Sex & Food"
Anderson .Paak - "Oxnard"
Tom Misch - "Geography"
Rhye - "Blood"

 

KCRW’s Top 10 Songs of 2018

Childish Gambino - “This Is America”
Christine and the Queens - “Girlfriend" (feat. Dâm-Funk)
Jonathan Wilson - “Loving You”
Louis Cole - “Things”
Disclosure - “Where Angels Fear To Tread”
Maverick Sabre - “Drifting”
Hozier - “Nina Cried Power" (feat. Mavis Staples)
Amber Mark - “Conexão”
Blonde Redhead - “Where Your Mind Wants To Go" (feat. Ludovico Einaudi)
Channel Tres - “Controller”

 

Best New Artist - Rosalía

“Her new album El Mal Querer is innovative, authentic, mindful of tradition, assertive in message, and can rival anything in the pop world today.” - KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley. As KCRW’s 2018 pick for Best New Artist, Rosalia joins Anderson .Paak, and Tom Misch, who have also received this distinguished KCRW endorsement in recent years.

KCRW's Screengrab: Down From Its Former Glory, But 'The Walking Dead' Is Still a Hit

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the fact that "The Walking Dead" is still a huge enterprise for AMC, even though the show's ratings have declined:

Once delayed viewing is factored in, more than 10 million people will have watched the season 8 finale of 'The Walking Dead.' The show is an interesting case study in the world of Peak TV. It was a ratings juggernaut for many years, with devoted fans across the country. The numbers have slipped significantly in the past two seasons--about a third fewer people watch the show today than at its high point. But, it's still a huge, huge hit for AMC--in addition to still being the most popular show on TV for ages 18-49, it spawned the popular spin-off 'Fear the Walking Dead.' Also, a lot of fans left the show after some fan favorite characters were killed off in a particularly violent fashion, but the show aims to take a new creative, less violent direction now.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Broadcast TV's Roadmap to Survival

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about how some recent ratings hits demonstrate that broadcast TV can have a future, even in a landscape dominated by streaming:

The Stormy Daniels interview on CBS' '60 Minutes,' the revival of 'Roseanne' on ABC, and the live performance of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' on NBC maybe not seem like they have anything in common. But the one thing they do share? They all aired on a broadcast network, and they all got people talking--not to mention some solid ratings. Whether it's important news, a nostalgia hit, or a live event, programming like this demonstrates that for broadcast, there is indeed, as Joe Adalian puts it, "a middle ground between dominance and death." Success doesn't come cheap, of course, and if the big networks want to survive in a world of Netflix, they need to be willing to put the resources towards their programming.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Why Were Dozens of Local News Anchors All Reading the Same Script?

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about Sinclair, the right-wing broadcast group that has forced propaganda into its local newscasts over the years:

After Sinclair acquires Tribune Media, its newscasts will be accessible to more than 70% of homes in America, across all kinds of cities and markets. So while people are tuning in to their familiar local news hosts, they may not realize that those anchors are being told how and what to report, like pre-packaged segments on terrorism and the dangers of immigration. Sinclair is very conservative and pro-Trump, and reporters jobs are on the line if they don't comply with Sinclair's messaging. During the campaign, Sinclair actually cut a deal with Trump in exchange for better access to the then-candidate. It's a scary situation for those who believe in the importance of an strong independent media.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Knee-Deep In Midseason and Drowning In Premieres

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about all the broadcast premieres in March and April, particularly on ABC:

We're used to Netflix dropping a bunch of new shows at once, but now it feels like the big broadcast networks are doing the same. But whereas Netflix can drop an entire season at once, the slow rollout that comes with a broadcast schedule can be brutal for shows that take time to find an audience. Part of the logjam this year comes from the Olympics--no one wanted to debut a show against the Games. The other factor is the Emmy cutoff date, which comes at the end of May, so some shows may be trying to make their debut later in order to be closer to that cutoff date. But all the new shows doesn't necessarily mean innovation: this week on ABC alone, you can see the rebooted version of 'Roseanne,' plus shows starring Jenna Fischer and Zach Braff--sitcom stars from shows ('The Office' and 'Scrubs,' respectively) that had their heyday more than a decade ago.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Trial Begins Over Proposed AT&T and Time Warner Merger

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the AT&T/Time Warner merger lawsuit:

Trump has spoken out against the merger, possibly because of his dislike of CNN, though that news network is only a tiny part of the deal. This would be more of a vertical merger--AT&T and Time Warner are not really competitors--and the deal resembles the previous merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, so it's unclear what would legally stop this one from going through. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, the decision will have huge implications on the industry, as more mergers are likely to follow, especially as companies strive to get big in an attempt to compete with the Netflix's and Apple's of the world.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: The Case of the Disappearing 'Black-ish' Episode

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the mysterious case of a "Black-ish" episode:

The episode in question featured some discussion of NFL athletes kneeling in protest of police brutality during the National Anthem. Creator Kenya Barris said there were "creative differences" between him and ABC. Agreements between showrunners and networks are not uncommon, but they usually crop up in the script stage, it's rare that the network will allow show to be filmed first, and then pull it later. It sounds conspiracy theory-minded, but there could be something to the idea that ABC/Disney is now in the process of purchasing Fox, and they need Trump's approval for the deal to go through.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: 'American Idol' Is Back! But Didn't We Just Say Goodbye?

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the return of "American Idol":

We've talked about it before--rebooting an old show is one of the only ways to cut through the clutter of the TV landscape. But was anyone really asking for a revival of 'American Idol'? We'll find out this weekend when the show returns to ABC. Also returning is host Ryan Seacrest, who is under the shadow of a sexual harassment allegation. An internal review has cleared him of any wrongdoing, but no one knows what that review actually looked like. But ABC is forging ahead with Seacrest as host, and has already shelled out a lot of money to get Katy Perry as a judge. Whether the show still holds up, especially in a world where we've now got 'The Voice' and 'America's Got Talent' remains to be seen.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Lots to Love About These Olympics, But No Ratings Gold Medal

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about how the Winter Olympics has been performing:

The ratings dip is not surprising--almost all live events are down compared to years past, including the Superbowl. NBC is still counting these Olympics as win--lots of viewers checked out the games on streaming platforms, and NBC was also dealing with a new crop of hosts and reality show competition from ABC and CBS. Plus, Netflix and Hulu are always there as a potential source of distraction. Even if ratings continue to fall for these big live events, the networks still depend on them for the revenue from ad sales. That's true for the upcoming Oscars on ABC, where Jimmy Kimmel is hosting again, and ratings will almost surely be down, though some viewers might check in to see how Kimmel addresses last year's envelope snafu in his opening monologue.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: What the F? Saltier Language Creeps Into Basic Cable

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about how the f-bomb and other bad words are now OK on basic cable:

Cable is not regulated by FCC standards like the big broadcast networks, but still, basic cable shows used to hold off on the edgy language as a way to appease advertisers. But times are changing and F-bombs are flying. More and more, shows like the SyFy drama "The Magicians" are allowing a higher number of curse words per episode, and specifically the "f-word." In the past, the offending words were "dipped" when they aired on TV, but not when the episodes were streamed on Netflix. So people who discovered the show first on streaming, were confused when they started watching new episodes on the network.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: NBC's Jennifer Salke will Run Amazon Studios

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about Amazon Studios' new chief:

We finally have an answer to the long-awaited question of who will run Amazon Studios. Jennifer Salke, the entertainment president of NBC will take the reins. Salke is in old-school network executive who has experience working with producers and agents to make shows that have broad appeal--something Amazon has struggled with in the past. In addition to overseeing Amazon's new approach to television, she'll also be head of the film side of things. Amazon studios has had film success in the past with movies like 'The Big Sick,' but they didn't pick up anything at Sundance this year and they've also got a Woody Allen problem. Amazon's on the hook for 3 more movies with the director, but at the moment, no talent seems to want to work with him. We'll see how Salke deals with Allen and shapes Amazon's upcoming entertainment strategy when she takes over in a few weeks.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: This Year, Post-Super Bowl Viewing Came With a Twist

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about Netflix's Super Bowl surprise:

When Netflix announced--via an ad on NBC--that the movie 'Cloverfield Paradox' would be available to watch right after the Super Bowl, the internet lost its mind. In a move borrowed from Beyonce, Netflix did no other marketing for the film (other than the $5 million ad). The moment felt like a confluence of a lot of disruptive events: a streamer capitalizing on all the captive eyeballs of the most popular linear TV event of the year, to send viewers to watch a movie in a fashion that's already disrupting the film industry. But, as Ted Sarandos is fond of pointing out, there's enough viewing for everybody. 'This is Us' still got great ratings, even if the numbers for the game itself were down.

Listen below!

KCRW's Screengrab: Riding the Wave of Gen X Reboots and Revivals

Every week, Joe Adalian and I talk TV on KCRW's "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition."

On Tuesday's episode, we talked about the world of reboots and remakes:

If you're a fan of Gen X nostalgia, it's been a great couple of weeks for you. 1980's reboots and revivals continue to get the greenlight. Every time old shows are announced to be coming back, there's always a blowback of criticism about TV being out of new ideas. Years ago, it's true the reboots could take away oxygen from potential new shows, but in today's landscape, there's plenty of space for new ideas at cable and streaming networks, so perhaps a little comfortable nostalgia is what the broadcast networks are best at. Perhaps, however, there should be a time limit before something can come back. Joe votes 10 years, at least.

Listen below!

Screengrab: Joe Adalian and I Talk TV, Every Tuesday Morning on KCRW

You may have noticed last year that Joe Adalian and I ended our KCRW podcast, "The Spin-Off," which we recorded at least once, or sometimes twice, a month. The show was always sporadic, and ultimately had sort of run its course. But out of the ashes of "The Spin-Off" came something more regular: "Screengrab," a weekly segment that airs on Tuesday mornings at 8:45 a.m. on KCRW during "Morning Edition." Not only does that give us an on-air slot for the first time, but podcast listeners can still subscribe (at iTunes, Stitcher or anywhere you download podcasts) and download the show each week to listen on their leisure.

It's still Joe and I talking TV, but in bite-size form, and focusing on one major topic per week. The frequency actually allows us to talk about news as it happens, and there's no shortage of things to talk about these days.

On last Tuesday's episode, we talked about the evolving nature of streaming comedy in light of recent cancellations:

Sorry, fans of 'Lady Dynamite' and 'One Mississippi.' Both shows were cancelled recently--the first on Netflix and the latter on Amazon. They join the likes of also recently cancelled comedies 'Difficult People' on Hulu and 'I Love Dick,' also from Amazon. Though these shows all had critical acclaim and niche fan bases, they clearly weren't getting enough eyeballs to keep their respective studios happy. In the old days of streaming, almost everything would get a second or third season, but now, as the streaming networks all have a massive amount of content, they don't need to hang on to dead weight.

Listen below!

KCRW's The Business End of Year Wrap Up: 2017 Was Groundbreaking, and 2018 Promises More Shake-Ups

'Tis the season... for our annual recap of the Year in Entertainment Biz Headlines over at KCRW's "The Business." The Hollywood Reporter's Matt Belloni and I join host Kim Masters for our usual roundup of what happened over the past year -- and what's coming next: The fall of Harvey Weinstein and everything after. The Mouse ate the Fox as streaming TV gets bigger than ever. Major departures at multiple studios. Soul searching in the stunt community. Kim, Matt and Mike tackle it all on this year’s mega banter.

Listen below!

KCRW Open House Reveals The Public Station's Cool New Digs

They're outta the basement! Well, almost. KCRW's long-awaited building is one step closer to officially opening, now that it's been unveiled to the community. An open house on Saturday gave both KCRW staffers and listeners a chance to finally see the new facilities, and imagine what it will look like once operations officially move there next spring.

It's a big deal. KCRW is currently located in a cramped basement under Santa Monica College's cafeteria; it's actually pretty amazing how much gets done in such a small space. The new building, located off campus in a nearby plot of land owned by the college, will give KCRW a chance to breathe — and to grow. It's pretty impressive.

Start with a welcome reception area. There is no such thing at the current station.

High ceilings, and most importantly: Sunlight. Again, in short supply in the current basement.

Looking down from the second floor, countless work stations.

"I will only listen to KCRW."

A tribute to KCRW by superfan David Lynch.

For the opening afternoon, Anne Litt broadcast live.

A mostly empty interview studio that eventually might be used for various programs.

The open-air floor plan.

To always remind staffers of their humble former studios, the breakroom has been christened "The Basement," complete with this photo of the stairs that currently lead down to the station's basement home.

The music library will be quite the highlight.

Pics of Jack Black and Daniel Radcliffe in the stacks.

Where the electrical equipment will eventually live.

One of the most impressive parts of the new station is the downstairs music area, which will include a green room for guests, plus showers (!) for visiting bands. Also, bands will be able to roll their vans right up to the building, allowing them to unload their equipment in a snap. Quite a change from right now, when they often have to haul their instruments across the Santa Monica College campus.

The new performance space at KCRW also promises to be quite a draw, allowing guests to watch and giving bands much more room to perform.

Congrats to KCRW, it's a long overdue upgrade for Southern California's premier public radio station (and yes, I am biased -- don't forget to hear Joe Adalian and I every Tuesday morning during "Morning Edition" for our segment "Screengrab"!).