NO FAKE NEWS HERE! KCRW’S ‘LEFT, RIGHT & CENTER’ EXPANDS ITS CIVILIZED, YET PROVOCATIVE NEWS OF THE WEEK CONVERSATION TO A FULL HOUR BEGINNING JULY 7 

Hosted by Josh Barro, Katrina vanden Heuvel and Rich Lowry, New Installments of Witty and Engaging Radio Show and Podcast Airs Fridays at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM On KCRW
And Over 30 Stations Nationwide

Link to High-Res Talent Photos: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/wIm8JTvdHP

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPDLgISne10&feature=youtu.be

Los Angeles, CA, June 21, 2017 — KCRW’s Left, Right‎ & Center, a nationally syndicated radio show and popular podcast known for its civilized versus divisive approach to differing opinions about the issues facing America, will expand ‎from 30 minutes to one hour beginning Friday, July 7, it was announced today by Gary Scott, Program Director, KCRW.

Praised by both sides of the aisle for its provocative and compelling exchange about politics, policy and popular culture, KCRW’s weekly program, airing Fridays at 2:30 and 7:00 pm PT, (and available for download from iTunes, kcrw.com and more) is moderated by Business Insider senior editor and MSNBC contributor Josh Barro, and features The Nation’s Katrina vanden Heuvel on behalf of the left, and National Review editor in chief Rich Lowry commenting on behalf of the right.

On the decision to expand the show to a full hour, Scott said: “Political discourse is at a low point. Talking heads are preying on this divide. This makes KCRW’s Left, Right & Center more important than ever. Few places are committed to reasoned discussion and real listening by all sides. LRC is one of KCRW’s most popular shows, on air and as a podcast, which shows that now is the time to double our efforts – and the time we spend – on this critical exchange.” He added: “After hitting an all-time high of almost one million podcast downloads last May, we knew this was a conversation that required more air time. Thanks to Josh, Katrina and Rich for continuing to encourage the kind of refreshing conversation that is sorely needed in today’s exhausting news cycle.”

Since its launch in 1996, party pundits and all-star journalists from every angle of the political spectrum have participated in what has been touted as an honest and thoughtful antidote to the self-contained opinion bubbles that dominate the political debate. Most recently, the podcast was acknowledged for its revelations without the rhetoric during Samantha Bee’s memorable Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologue.

Katrina vanden Heuvel noted: “I believe that intelligent political commentary demands independent thinking. In an age when journalism seems more defined by partisanship, I welcome being part of Left, Right & Center, a show that seeks complexity not certainty. And at a time when we see a coarsening of language and a vilification of those whose ideas aren’t a match with our own, the show provides a forum for airing substantive disagreements in a bold, meaningful way and with a respect that is often lacking in our media today.”

Lowry said: “At a time of poisonous incivility in our public life, Left, Right & Center provides a platform for sharp but civil disagreement, where substance trumps rhetoric and persuasion is more important than denunciation. The program is an oasis where ideas still matter and differences over them are aired fully, sincerely–and respectfully. Bombast need not apply.”

Barro added: “American politics has gotten more polarized and weirder than ever before in my life. It feels like both sides are talking past each other. We like to say our show provides a ‘civilized yet provocative’ forum to share ideas across the political spectrum, engaging without sniping. Such engagement is increasingly rare, yet more important than ever. So we’re going to provide more of it.”

Airing on over 30 public radio stations across the country (check local listings) and available for download at iTunes, KCRW.com and more, Left, Right & Center, has been a touchstone for listeners seeking a robust conversation about topics ranging from the Russia investigation, immigration and the secrecy of the healthcare bill to James Comey’s testimony and more recently the shooting at the Congressional baseball practice in DC. A rotating list of luminaries and special guests featured in recent weeks includes Keli Goff, Gene Sperling, Christopher Ingraham, Molly Ball, Mickey Kaus, Juliette Kayyem, and more.

This month, the program added a new segment, It’s Been Busy, exploring topics that often get lost in the world of Trump headlines. Whether it’s delving into issues like opioids that kill more Americans each year than the HIV epidemic at its height or an update of the aggressive backroom effort to repeal Obamacare, the program dissects and analyzes possible solutions that prove elusive to policy makers and seeks substantive answers versus the scandal and sensationalism that pervades our cultural landscape. Left, Right & Center’s popular Rants segment will continue to provide a political soapbox for the hosts and weekly guests giving them 30 seconds to share their very personal issue-specific points of view without interruption or condescension from the opposition.

ABOUT KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways – on the radio, digitally and in person – to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo and via KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at KCRW.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

# # #

Press Contact: Sheila Feren, FerenComm for KCRW, sheilaf@ferencomm.com, 212.983.9898

KCRW Exceeds $48 Million Fundraising Goal in its
Largest Capital Campaign,

Public Support Brings Total Amount Raised to
$50.4 Million

Funding supports the KCRW Media Center
and new programming, technology investments

KCRW.com/Campaign

Santa Monica, CA (June 12, 2017) – KCRW is pleased to announce the successful completion of its $48 million Capital Campaign, launched in 2013 to build brand new, state-of-the-art broadcast studios and invest in programming and technology. KCRW is a non-profit, multi-platform public media organization which features an eclectic mix of music, NPR news, and cultural programming in Southern California and around the world.

Thanks to the generosity of over 5,800 individual donors and institutional supporters, KCRW marks the end of its largest-ever Capital Campaign by exceeding the $48 million goal and raising $50.4 million. The Campaign includes a $28 million contribution from Santa Monica College, licensee of KCRW, with funding from Bond Measure AA, approved by Santa Monica and Malibu voters in 2008.

Construction of the new 35,000-square-foot KCRW Media Center, located on Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design, will be completed in the coming months.

More than 5,800 donors joined Santa Monica College and KCRW’s Board of Directors in contributing to the Capital Campaign through a variety of fundraising initiatives, including two “Above and Beyond” Pledge Drives in 2015 and 2016.  Supporters were invited to place their names on microphones in KCRW’s studios and on bricks lining the courtyard of the new campus.

“Starting as a small campus-based radio station that incubated over thirty years ago in the basement of Santa Monica College’s cafeteria, KCRW steps boldly into the light ‘above ground’ to move into its new home at the SMC Center for Media and Design,” said Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, Santa Monica College Superintendent and President.  “We look forward to KCRW being an active part of creating a vibrant learning environment with hands-on experience for students passionate about journalism, new media, and radio in this new state-of-the-art facility.”

“This support marks our transformation from a radio station housed in a basement into a true community institution. It means so much to have the investment of Santa Monica College, the many foundations, thousands of individuals, the generosity of KCRW Foundation Board Members and public and private entities that supported this campaign,” KCRW President Jennifer Ferro said.

The Campaign, co-chaired by KCRW Board Chair Michael Fleming and KCRW Board Member Deborah Ramo, provided the funds to purchase broadcast and digital equipment for the KCRW Media Center, and to acquire new stations in Santa Barbara (88.7 FM) and San Luis Obispo (101.3 FM).  Donated support also includes more than $11 million to invest in new programming and technology to distribute KCRW’s content throughout Los Angeles and around the world.

Major private sector gifts received for the Capital Campaign included $5 million from the Annenberg Foundation and $1 million from both the David Bohnett Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

“LA has always been a radio town, a community of deeply engaged listeners who expect the very best news and culture throughout their day,” said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation, KCRW’s largest private donor. “Even here, KCRW stands out as a rare and shining gem—with smart, cutting-edge programming that informs, inspires, and brings us closer together.  That’s why I’m so pleased that we could do our part to move KCRW out of the basement, and into the kind of world-class facilities it deserves.”

Major donors to the Capital Campaign include The Ahmanson Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, Borzi Family Foundation, Norris and Debra Bishton Foundation, David Bohnett Foundation, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Chris A. Hollinger and Elizabeth MacDonald, W.M. Keck Foundation, Kayne Foundation, Ric & Suzanne Kayne and Jenni, Maggie & Saree, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, Rosemary Kraemer Raitt Foundation, Roth Family Foundation, Santa Barbara Foundation, Monica J. Shilling, Ellie and Tom Wertheimer, Lucy Wild and Jason Wolff, and Kristin and Jeff Worthe.

To raise support for the Capital Campaign, KCRW also published “From The Basement,” a limited edition book of photography that memorializes the many artists featured on the station’s flagship music show “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Over the past 35 years, KCRW’s staff has grown from 14 to 125 people working in five locations, including extremely cramped offices and studios in the Santa Monica College cafeteria basement. The new KCRW Media Center is designed to preserve the station’s collaborative culture, while creating community gathering spaces, integrating state-of-the-art production facilities, and allowing for future growth. Designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects, a global leader in workplace innovation, the new building will also meet LEED Silver Certification standards, maximizing energy and water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.

With a history of bringing unique live experiences to Southern California and around the country, KCRW will, for the first time in its history, be able to host the community at its own 1,400 square-foot Annenberg Performance Studio. KCRW will also have the opportunity to program events for up to 1,500 people in the 18,000-square-foot courtyard and outdoor stage and a 180-seat auditorium.

SMC’s Center for Media and Design is located in the middle of Santa Monica’s creative business district, and two-blocks from the Expo Line. The campus will include a newly-remodeled 50,000 square-foot teaching facility, a new 30,000 square-foot addition with TV and production studios, a cafe, and a new 430-space parking garage. Construction is projected for completion by end of 2017, with both the KCRW Media Center and SMC Center for Media and Design operating from the new buildings by late 2017.

To learn more about KCRW’s Capital Campaign, visit KCRW.com/Campaign.

ABOUT KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways – on the radio, digitally and in person – to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world.  A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at KCRW.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio
Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw
Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

Matt Kline is Named Chairman of the Board for the
KCRW Foundation

New KCRW Board Officers include
Lee Rierson as Vice Chair and

Emily Gold Mears as Secretary/Treasurer

(Santa Monica, CA—June 6, 2017) Attorney, university lecturer, and public servant Matt Kline will take the helm as Chairman of the Board of the KCRW Foundation effective June 5, 2017. The announcement was made following the organization’s Board meeting by current Chairman Michael Fleming, who will remain on the Board for another three-year term. New KCRW Board Officers include Lee Rierson as Vice Chair and Emily Gold Mears as Secretary/Treasurer. Monday’s meeting also marked the election of two new Board members: Cisco Pinedo, founder of Cisco Home, an L.A.-based home furnishings manufacturing company; and Heather Mingst, philanthropist and community volunteer.

“I am delighted that Matt Kline will lead KCRW into its next chapter,” said Fleming. “KCRW is much more than just a radio station – we are a true community hub for news, music, arts, and culture. The diversity you hear on the air is a reflection of the very conscious ‘behind the scenes’ efforts to make sure that we truly represent our community. On behalf of our Board, KCRW President Jennifer Ferro, and the entire staff, we welcome Matt and look forward to building on the momentum created over the past years.”

“I’ve been a devoted fan of KCRW my whole adult life,” said Kline. “The privilege to chair the KCRW Foundation Board and to work with my talented fellow Board members, the terrific innovators on the KCRW team, and the great leadership of Santa Monica College, is a deep and humbling honor. KCRW and SMC – and the creativity and learning these great institutions inspire – are so vital to California’s future.”

Michael Fleming, Executive Director of the David Bohnett Foundation, has served as chairman of the KCRW Foundation’s Board for eight years. “Michael Fleming is a true gem. Polished, brilliant, and able to make everyone around him look his or her best, Michael has been a tremendous partner,” said Ferro. “He has built a powerful and engaged Board and guided our organization into a new professional realm. The Board has grown from 15 members to 27 who reflect the community we reach, and increased our contributed resources by more than 500 percent. Because of his leadership, KCRW can mark its first significant Capital Campaign as a success, raising more than goal. I’m so glad he will be on hand as we open our brand new, state-of-the-art broadcast studios later this year.”

About KCRW’s Capital Campaign
Thanks to the generosity of more than 5,800 individual donors and institutional supporters, KCRW marked the end of its largest-ever Capital Campaign by exceeding the $48 million goal and raising $50.4 million. The Campaign included a $28 million contribution from Santa Monica College (SMC), licensee of KCRW, with funding from Bond Measure AA, approved by Santa Monica and Malibu voters in 2008. Major private sector gifts received for the Capital Campaign included $5 million from the Annenberg Foundation and $1 million from both the David Bohnett Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Over the past 35 years, KCRW’s staff has grown from five to 125 people working in five locations, including extremely cramped offices and studios in the Santa Monica College cafeteria basement. Through the success of the Capital Campaign, the station was able to purchase broadcast and digital equipment for the KCRW Media Center, and to acquire new stations in Santa Barbara (88.7 FM) and San Luis Obispo (101.3 FM). Donated support also includes more than $11 million to invest in new programming and technology to distribute KCRW’s content throughout Los Angeles and around the world. The new KCRW Media Center is designed to preserve the station’s collaborative culture, while creating community gathering spaces, integrating state-of-the-art production facilities, and allowing for future growth. Designed by Clive Wilkinson Architects, a global leader in workplace innovation, the new building will also meet LEED Silver Certification standards, maximizing energy and water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.

With a history of bringing unique live experiences to Southern California and around the country, KCRW will, for the first time in its history, be able to host the community at its own 1,400-square-foot Annenberg Performance Studio. KCRW will also have the opportunity to program events for up to 1,500 people in the 18,000-square-foot courtyard and outdoor stage, and a shared 180-seat auditorium. KCRW now produces over 80 live events across southern and central California and has seen a doubling of audience reach with a strong broadcast, digital, and social media audience that numbers in the millions.

SMC’s Center for Media and Design is located in the middle of Santa Monica’s creative business district, two blocks from the Expo Line. The campus will include a newly remodeled 50,000-square-foot teaching facility, a new 30,000-square-foot addition with TV and production studios, a cafe, and a new 430-space parking garage. Construction is projected for completion by the end of 2017, with both the KCRW Media Center and SMC Center for Media and Design operating from the new buildings by late 2017.

About Matt Kline
Matt Kline is a partner in the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. His trial, arbitration, and appellate practice is global in scope – with a focus on intellectual property; contract disputes; international cases; and the water, entertainment, and private-equity industries. Kline attended law school at U.C. Berkeley, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the California Law Review.

Outside the office, Kline regularly lectures at a variety of educational institutions, including Stanford University, where he co-teaches a Business of Water class. He is actively involved in public service, including as counsel on the National War Powers Commission and on the boards of KCRW, the Center for Early Education, and Cancer for College. Kline is Chairman of the Warren Christopher Scholarship program and was an original member of Contemporary Friends at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

About Lee Rierson
Lee Rierson owns and operates Canyon Media Advisory, providing strategic consulting and business development services for media companies and startups. Prior to Canyon Media Advisory, Rierson served as Chief Operating Officer for both FremantleMedia North America and Shine America, both multinational TV and digital production and distribution outfits. Rierson also is an attorney who has practiced in the labor, employment, and entertainment fields, and served for many years earlier in his career as a business affairs negotiator for the ABC Television Network. He is a graduate of UCLA and the UCLA School of Law, a member of Tech Coast Angels’ Los Angeles chapter, and has served on the KCRW Foundation Board for five years, most recently as Secretary/Treasurer and chair of the Finance and Governance committees.

About Emily Gold Mears
Emily Gold Mears currently manages a variety of investments, as well as being committed to philanthropy. Gold Mears was born and raised in Los Angeles and received her B.A. at U.C. Berkeley. She practiced Real Estate Law for a number of years and continues to be active in community organizations. She is a Board member of the UCLA Longevity Center; serves on the Society of Fellows Advisory Committee for the Aspen Institute; is on the policy committee for the Every Child Foundation; is a founding member of the L.A. Women’s Collective; is a member of the Otis College of Art and Design Board of Governors; and is a Board member, governance committee member, and chair of the Development Committee for KCRW.

About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration, and informed public affairs. KCRW is driven by the spirit of Los Angeles and delivers in innovative ways – on the radio, digitally, and in person – to diverse, curious communities around the corner and around the world. A community service of Santa Monica College, KCRW can be found on the air in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, and via KCRW-developed smartphone apps and online at KCRW.com. KCRW is ranked 27^th in L.A. radio, up from 43^rd in 2009. Since 2009, KCRW has seen a doubling of its audience.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw

Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio

Instagram | instagram.com/kcrw

Google+ | plus.google.com/+kcrw

Press Contacts:    Carolyn Campbell (KCRW): carolyn@campbellcomm.biz,
(o) 310.659.5427 (m) 310. 995.8721

 Julie Fei (Matt Kline): jfei@omm.com
(o) 213.430.7792, (m) 213. 440.7792

Photo Credit:   Photo by Andrew Zinn