An Open Letter to the New KCRW MD

When I heard that Nic Harcourt was leaving his post as Music Director of LA’s NPR affiliate, KCRW, I was ecstatic. The popularity of his show has always astounded me. But I guess that’s not really true. The car-commercial-ready music he trafficked in for what feels like forever made perfect sense here. All people ages 30 and above had to do to feel hip and innovative was tune into Morning Becomes Eclectic, Monday through Friday from 9am – noon, and voila: Death Cab for Cutie, Kinky, Beck… The problem isn’t that these are terrible artists making crap music. In fact, many of the bands Harcourt played were of high quality. The problem I had with his show was twofold: A) it wasn’t actually “eclectic,” and B) what was passed off as edgy and “alternative” was really quite mainstream nowadays. Let’s call it what it really is and rechristen his show Morning Becomes Accepted. All anyone in LA searching for something different on the radio has to do is tune into KXLU, only a few frequencies away.

Well, it’s just been announced that DJ Jason Bentley, formerly host of the once-electronic, now-whatever show Metropolis, will take over the reigns as MD and Eclectic host. I am willing to keep an open mind, but I’ll bet that not much changes as far as playlists are concerned. Mr. Bentley, if you’re listening, why not take this opportunity to liven up LA mornings by taking some chances with your song selection, guest artists, and giveaways. You have an opportunity to expose graphic designers stuck in cubicles and middle-aged boutique owners to something truly eclectic.