KCRW ANNOUNCES DAVID GREENE AS THE NEW HOST OF LEFT, RIGHT & CENTER

Inaugural Show airs Friday, July 29 at Noon PT

Santa Monica, CA (July 26, 2022) – KCRW announces today David Greene as the new host of Left, Right & Center, the weekly politics show that takes on the tough, divisive issues you’re afraid to talk about with your own family. After Left, Right & Center’s previous host Josh Barro stepped down at the end of 2021, KCRW embarked on a search for his successor. Meanwhile, the show continued to cover the most pressing issues with a brilliant array of guest hosts. Ultimately, David Greene was chosen as the new Left, Right & Center host bringing a perfect balance of expertise and perspective from years of experience reporting from the field, hosting NPR’s Morning Edition, and a healthy obsession with the political landscape.

“We are so happy to have David Greene as LRC’s new host,” stated KCRW President Jennifer Ferro. “He is both exceptionally smart and that easy going friend you can talk to about anything. As host of NPR’s Morning Edition David has continuously been immersed in national and international news. I’m excited for his fresh take on our current political reality and looking forward to the lively and compelling discussion that this show always delivers.”

“In my years at NPR, especially after moving to LA, I felt like an honorary member of the KCRW family,” remarks Greene. “Now, it’s for real! And joining Left, Right & Center at this moment in our political history is a tremendous honor. The show has always been a safe harbor for raw, honest and respectful discourse. And don’t we need that now more than ever? I am excited to double down on the show’s rich tradition, creating a venue for people to debate the polarizing issues, to think out loud and to escape our echo chambers. I can’t wait to learn from our guests, to encourage them to dig deeply and to understand the reasons behind their opinions. Maybe, step by step, if we understand where hardline positions were born, and what experiences shaped them, we can discover shared emotions even amid the disagreements and find a way to navigate our polarized society.”

The first episode of Left, Right & Center featuring its new host David Greene will air Friday, July 29, on-air at Noon, and again at 7:00 PM, and on-demand at kcrw.com.

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MORE ABOUT DAVID GREENE
David Greene is an award-winning journalist, New York Times best-selling author, and hosted NPR’s Morning Edition for nearly a decade. He also hosted NPR’s popular morning news podcast, Up First, guiding listeners through turbulent elections, a world-altering pandemic and fights for social change in our country. David stepped away from Morning Edition in 2021 and co-founded a new company, Fearless Media, which is collaborating with KCRW in producing Left, Right & Center. David spent much of 2022 in Ukraine, working on several audio projects, including Ukraine Stories, a daily podcast from Fearless, that Forbes called a “tour de force of narrative journalism.” David brought his own experience to his reporting on the conflict in Ukraine: Before Morning Edition, he was NPR’s Moscow Bureau Chief, covering the region from Ukraine and the Baltics east to Siberia. He also took two trips across the Trans-Siberian Railway and published a best-selling book about the journeys called Midnight in Siberia, giving readers a nuanced look at Russian life under Vladimir Putin. During the Arab Spring, David spent a month in Libya, reporting riveting stories in the most difficult of circumstances as NATO bombs fell on Tripoli. He was honored with the 2011 Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize from WBUR and Boston University for his coverage. David’s voice became familiar to NPR listeners from his years covering former President George W. Bush. He spent hours in NPR’s booth in the basement of the West Wing and followed the President and First Lady to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Rwanda, Uruguay – and, of course, Crawford, Texas. David was also an integral part of NPR’s coverage of the historic 2008 election, reporting on Hillary Clinton’s campaign from start to finish, and also focusing on how racial attitudes were playing into voters’ decisions. The White House Correspondents’ Association took special note of his report on a speech by then-candidate Barack Obama addressing the nation’s racial divide and awarded it the Association’s 2008 Merriman Smith Award for deadline coverage of the presidency. David has interviewed countless celebrities — from Kendrick Lamar, Jimmy Buffett and Dolly Parton to Jennifer Lawrence, Matt Damon and Will Smith. Though, he says he is even more passionate about interviewing people we have never heard of whose lives deserve our respect and attention. David lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Rose Previte, a Michelin-starred restaurateur and David’s fellow adventurer and travel companion.

MORE ABOUT LEFT, RIGHT & CENTER
KCRW has produced Left Right & Center since its debut as a half-hour radio show in April 1996. Over the years, it has become a nationally syndicated broadcast, lengthened to a full hour, and expanded its reach as a premier politics podcast. The rotating cast of left and right panelists bring a wide spectrum of viewpoints. Unlike the plethora of news programs that cater to their core audience, Left, Right & Center has served as the antidote to the self-contained opinion bubbles that dominate political debate.

For more information about KCRW’s Left, Right and Center, click here.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Laura B. Cohen, LC Media: lcmediapr@gmail.com

About KCRW
KCRW is your always-on connection to music, news, culture, and each other — on the radio, online, and in-person. We belong to Los Angeles, connecting diverse perspectives and the sounds of Southern California with curious communities around the corner and around the world. We are NPR’s flagship member station in Southern California and a community service of Santa Monica College. You can find our broadcast signal in LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, and worldwide via the KCRW app and at kcrw.com.

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The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and KCRW present

World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl
Radio Broadcast Series of Previously Recorded Live Concerts

The Series Opens with Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra hosted by KCRW’s Anne Litt

Subsequent Episodes Feature Blondie, Cibo Matto, Devotchka, Femi Kuti, Flying Lotus, Janelle Monáe, Jimmy Cliff, Little Dragon, Robyn, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Santigold, Sigur Rós, St. Vincent, and Toro y Moi

Sundays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, August 23 – October 11

Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2020) – The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and KCRW today announce details of an exclusive on-air series featuring previously recorded live concerts from KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.  

Created in partnership with the LA Phil, KCRW’s World Festival has been bringing an eclectic array of artists from around the world to the Hollywood Bowl stage for 20 years. Following the cancellation of the 2020 Bowl season due to COVID-19, the LA Phil and KCRW, Southern California’s flagship public radio station, collaborate to present highlights of past World Festivals through an exclusive series of archival concerts to be broadcast on Sundays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm, from August 23 to October 11.

The first episode features the September 18, 2016 Hollywood Bowl debut of Kraftwerk, whose electro innovations and odes to the autobahn shot well beyond their native Germany, and made them one of the most influential groups of all time. Also in the first episode is Tokyo’s Yellow Magic Orchestra, which appeared at the Bowl on June 26, 2011. The band helped to pioneer electronic music in Japan in the late 1970s and introduced the world to Ryuichi Sakamoto and Haruomi Hosono. KCRW’s Program Director of Music, Anne Litt will host.

Additional featured artists in upcoming episodes include: Blondie (July 9, 2017), Cibo Matto (June 26, 2011), Devotchka (July 14, 2013), Femi Kuti (June 21, 2009), Flying Lotus (June 17, 2018), Janelle Monáe (June 12, 2016), Jimmy Cliff (July 25, 2010), Little Dragon (June 17, 2018), Robyn (June 29, 2014), Rodrigo y Gabriela (July 14, 2013), Santigold (June 21, 2009), Sigur Rós (September 24, 2016), St. Vincent (August 30, 2015), and Toro y Moi (June 16, 2019). Each episode will be hosted by a KCRW DJ.

“Building on our long and rich history with KCRW on the World Music Series at the Hollywood Bowl over the last 20 years, the Los Angeles Philharmonic is thrilled to continue this valuable partnership by bringing music from the series to our audience in Los Angeles and beyond in a new way. We appreciate our artists collaborating with us and look forward to seeing everyone back at the Bowl next summer,” said Johanna Rees, Los Angeles Philharmonic Senior Director of Presentations.

“Music’s power to bring us together seems even more essential during this time,” stated Anne Litt, Program Director of Music at KCRW. “The long-standing relationship between KCRW and the LA Phil has made it possible to share some of the Hollywood Bowl’s most magical music moments. We can’t wait to be together in person again enjoying warm nights, under the stars, with friends, great food and a glass of wine. Until then, we are delighted to be able to share recordings of these incredible live performances with our listeners.”

LA Phil x KCRW: World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl broadcast series can be heard live wherever you listen to KCRW: on–air at KCRW 89.9; online at KCRW.com and hollywoodbowl.com/kcrw; via the KCRW app, which is available for free for both iOS and Android devices; or by asking your smart speaker to “play KCRW.”

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
LA Phil x KCRW: World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl
Sundays, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
August 23 – October 11

Episode One:
Sunday, August, 23, at 6:30PM
Kraftwerk (September 18, 2016, Hollywood Bowl debut)
Yellow Magic Orchestra – (June 26, 2011, Hollywood Bowl debut)
Hosted by Anne Litt

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For more information about KCRW please contact:
Laura B. Cohen, LC Media, lcmediapr@gmail.com

For more information about the LA Phil please contact:
Lisa White, lwhite@laphil.org

About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of L.A. and deliver 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 L.A., Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Berlin (Germany), worldwide via the KCRW-developed smart phone app or online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
Facebook | facebook.com/kcrw
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About the Los Angeles Philharmonic
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under the vibrant leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, presents an inspiring array of live performances – orchestral, pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, Latin, world music, opera, chamber, Baroque, organ and celebrity recitals, theatrical performances, explorations of film music, dance, comedy, groundbreaking multimedia productions and an unmatched commitment to commissioning and performing music from the composers of today – at three of L.A.’s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (laphil.com), the Hollywood Bowl (hollywoodbowl.com) and The Ford (theford.com). The LA Phil’s season at Walt Disney Concert Hall extends from September to June and at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford throughout the summer. With the preeminent Los Angeles Philharmonic at the foundation of its offerings, the LA Phil aims to enrich and transform lives through music, with a robust mix of artistic, learning and community programs.

About KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl
KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl embodies the eclectic music spirit of both organizations by featuring artists from a wide array of genres. Hundreds of artists have performed at the iconic venue since the inaugural season, including A.R. Rahman, Adele, Arcade Fire, Ben Harper, Bon Iver, Caetano Veloso, Cesaria Evora, Café Tacvba, David Byrne, Erykah Badu, Femi Kuti, Gary Clark Jr. Goldfrapp, Grace Jones, Hot Chip, Hugh Masekela, Janelle Monáe, Kraftwerk, Lauryn Hill, M83, Massive Attack, Miriam Makeba, Natalia Lafourcade, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club, Os Mutantes, Ray LaMontagne, Robyn, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Sade, Santigold, Solange, Spoon, St. Vincent, Sufjan Stevens, The Flaming Lips, The Pixies, Toro y Moi, Underworld, Willie Nelson, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Yola, Yoko Ono, Zero 7 with Sia, Ziggy Marley, and many more. 

Monica Shilling Named Board Chair of KCRW Foundation

Saree Kayne Joins Lee Rierson as Vice Chair

(Santa Monica, CA—December 19, 2019)The KCRW Foundation is pleased to announce that the KCRW Foundation’s Board of Directors elected Monica Shilling as the new board chair effective December 9, 2019. She succeeds Matt Kline who served as Board Chair since 2017, and will continue to remain on the full Board of Directors. Additionally, the KCRW Foundation’s Board of Directors re-elected Lee Rierson as Vice Chair, elected Saree Kayne as an additional Vice Chair, Karyn Williams as Treasurer and Emily Gold Mears as Secretary.

The KCRW Foundation provides financial support and other resources to ensure that KCRW can maintain and expand its mission consistent with economic, social and technological developments. The KCRW Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of committed business and community leaders who place KCRW at the top of their philanthropic agenda and help the station fulfill its mission.

“KCRW is lucky to have a board of passionate fans and strategic thinkers,” said KCRW President Jennifer Ferro. “I couldn’t be more inspired to have Monica Shilling take on the leadership role as Chair of the KCRW Foundation. We have relied on her expertise and guidance for a number of years. She is a powerhouse.  She is the perfect person to take the baton from the extraordinary Matt Kline and from Michael Fleming before him.”

“I’ve loved KCRW since 1995, when I arrived in Los Angeles and found this incredible station that has inspired me and so many others over the years,” said Monica Shilling. “This is a tremendous honor and I’m humbled by my fellow board members’ confidence in me.  I look forward to working with our dynamic President, Jennifer Ferro, and fantastic staff, my board colleagues, including Vice Chairs Lee Rierson and Saree Kayne, and our friends at Santa Monica College to continue to deliver KCRW’s unique mix of content.”

Monica Shilling first joined the KCRW Foundation board in 2012, and is a transactional partner in the Los Angeles office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She has a broad corporate and securities law practice that focuses on advising asset managers, private equity funds, and their portfolio companies on the full lifecycle of transactions. She also represents public companies, financial advisors, investment banks and issuers. She is experienced with mergers and acquisitions, capital markets offerings, leveraged buyouts, general corporate law and corporate governance, securities laws, and NYSE/Nasdaq compliance. She also advises companies on the establishment of business development companies (BDCs) and other private and public equity vehicles. Monica is among a relatively limited number of attorneys in the country who actively represent BDCs.

Monica was honored by Chambers USA at its 2012 Women in Law Awards as the Up & Coming Corporate/M&A Lawyer of the Year and was recognized by the Daily Journal as one of the top 25 transactional women lawyers in California in its 2011 and 2014 TopWomen Lawyers issues.

KCRW, licensed to Santa Monica College, is a publicly funded non-profit media organization whose goal is to create and disseminate news and cultural programming that informs, inspires, and stimulates.  By creating an ongoing dialogue with its audience, KCRW strives to make an impact not only on the cultural conversation of Southern California, but of the United States and the world.

The KCRW Foundation Board includes:
Monica Shilling, Chair
Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Lee Rierson, Vice Chair
Head of Business & Operations, wiip

Saree Kayne, Vice Chair
Doctoral Candidate, Stanford University

Karyn L. Williams, Treasurer
CEO, Hightree Group

Emily Gold Mears, Secretary
President, North Star Drive Investments, LLC

Jennifer Ferro, President
President, KCRW

Norris Bishton, Jr.
President, NOARUS Auto Group/Partner, Bishton Gubernick

Jay Borzi
Senior Managing Director, Eastdil Secured

Donald de Brier
Former Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Occidental Petroleum Corporation

Shahram Delijani
Partner, Delson Investment Company/Partner, Broadway Theater Group

Michael Fleming
Executive Director, David Bohnett Foundation

Susan Genco
Co-President, Azoff MSG

Donald Girard
Senior Director, Government Relations and Institutional Communications, Santa Monica College

Paul Haas
Agent/Partner, WME Entertainment

Mike Harmon
Managing Partner, Gaviota Advisors, LLC

Julia Huang
CEO, Group Intertrend

Matt Kline
Partner, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Heather Mingst
Philanthropist and Community Volunteer

Silas Myers
CEO, Mar Vista Investment Partners

Rob Rader
General Counsel, OVATION

Deborah S. Ramo
Senior Communications Advisor

Karen Roth
President, NPR Berlin

George Strompolos
Founder and CEO, Fullscreen

Kevin Systrom
Co-Founder of Instagram

Akio Tagawa
Principal, Linea Solutions

Tom Wertheimer
Media Consultant

Edward A. Woods
Partner Emeritus, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Dylan Yolles
Partner, Capital Group Companies

Emeritus Members:
Stuart Bloomberg
Television Producer

Rod Perth
President and Chief Executive Officer, NATPE

Adele Yellin
President, The Yellin Company

KCRW Foundation Santa Barbara Advisory Board:
Geoff Green
Chair CEO, Santa Barbara City College Foundation

Tricia Backelin
Executive Coach, Consultant to KCRW

Carolyn Butcher
English Professor, Santa Barbara City College

Lou Cannon
Journalist & Author

Vanessa Decker
Entrepreneur

Neil DiPaola
CEO & Managing Partner, Mesa Lane Partners

Mark Funk
Board Member and Financial Consultant

Frederick Janka
Executive Director of Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation

Cassandra Jones-Jorgensen
Contemporary Artist

Mikael Jorgensen
Musician

Alixe Mattingly
Communications Strategist

Joe Medjuck
Film Producer

Graciela Montgomery
HR Consultant to NPR

Tim Owens
Journalist, Educator

Marianne Partridge
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief, The Independent

Phil Pollok
Co-Founder, Anacapa Micro

Scott Reed
President, Music Academy of the West

Starshine Roshell
Journalist & Author

Ken Saxon
Founder & President, Leading From Within

Jarrod Schwartz
Executive Director, Just Communities

Rob Skinner
Chief Innovation Officer, Montecito Bank & Trust

Rachel Kaganoff Stern
Interim CEO at the Junior State of America Foundation

Anne Towbes
Community Leader & Philanthropist

Jonathan Wang
Financial Planner & President, Adsum Foundation

About KCRW

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw
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Press Contact: Jeremy Weinstein
424.538.8878
jeremy.weinstein@kcrw.org

KCRW Announces $200,000 One-Year General Operating Grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

SANTA MONICA, CA (12/17/18)—The Westlake Village-based Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded Southern California public radio station, KCRW, a $200,000 one-year general operating grant to help KCRW continue producing hundreds of hours of original content and programming per week. The general operating grant will further KCRW’s mission to be a primary news and cultural resource to educate, inform and inspire our community throughout California and across the globe.

As one of public media’s most innovative leaders, KCRW produces a diverse selection of programming, including public service journalism, in-studio music performances, and in-depth interviews with newsmakers and cultural catalysts.

Since its inception, news has been a staple of KCRW’s programming through both local and nationally-focused shows. Daily news and cultural programs such as Press Play hosted by Madeleine Brand, have kept Angelenos in-the-know about their city, while projects such as Left, Right, and Center have provided a space for voices from across the political spectrum to discuss the most pressing national issues of the day.

With the generous support of the Hilton Foundation, KCRW can continue creating trendsetting programming that unites curious minds and has a national impact through syndication on 175 public media outlets around the country and beyond.

“We are grateful to the Hilton Foundation for this generous support of KCRW’s mission to educate, inform and inspire our community. By telling the stories of the news events, culture and music of Southern California, KCRW is able to represent the world to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to the world,” says Jennifer Ferro, KCRW President.  

This most recent grant follows a three-year, $1,000,000 multi-media deep dive into issues to tell the stories of the most vulnerable populations throughout Los Angeles from 2015 through the first half of 2018. The grant resulted in three in-depth series (Below the Ten, KCRW Investigates, and There Goes the Neighborhood), partnerships with the United Way HomeWalk walk to end homelessness, and WNYC, among others.

About KCRW
KCRW creates and curates a unique mix of content centered around music discovery, NPR news, cultural exploration and informed public affairs. We are driven by the spirit of LA and deliver 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 LA, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Mojave, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, Berlin, Germany, via the KCRW-developed smart phone app, and online at kcrw.com.

Twitter | twitter.com/kcrw

Facebook | facebook.com/kcrwradio

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YouTube | youtube.com/user/kcrw

About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help the world’s disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Foundation currently conducts strategic initiatives in six priority areas: providing safe water, ending chronic homelessness, preventing substance use, helping young children affected by HIV and AIDS, supporting transition age youth in foster care, and extending Conrad Hilton’s support for the work of Catholic Sisters. In addition, following selection by an independent international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to a nonprofit organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. In 2018, the Hilton Humanitarian Prize was awarded to SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities), a grassroots organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that catalyzes large-scale transformation in urban slums by providing critical services for all, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls. From its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.6 billion in grants, distributing $114.9 million in the U.S. and around the world in 2017. The Foundation’s current assets are approximately $2.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org.

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
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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