New lineup of weekly columnists at KCRW

My piece today at KCRW is about the Reserve Lofts crime yarn that people have been talking about. It airs at 4:44 p.m. on KCRW (available online at KCRW.com and the iTunes podcast store.) Note a programming change: this will be the last week I'm on the air on Fridays. LA Observed on KCRW is moving to Mondays at 6:44 p.m. as part of a revamped menu — and we're all now being called columnists. Some are holdovers, some are new. The Friday 4:44 p.m. slot will now be filled by Evan Kleiman of the station's "Good Food" program talking to Jonathan Gold about restaurants. Also new: "The Hollywood Breakdown," with Kim Masters of "The Business" and John Horn of the Los Angeles Times talking about the big stories in the entertainment industry, on Thursdays. "Opening the Curtain on LA Theatre" with Anthony Byrnes takes over Tuesdays at 4:44. The full new schedule and release is after the jump.

Public radio station KCRW-Santa Monica (89.9 FM, www.KCRW.com) is updating its lineup of local columnists, heard during a cutaway in the station’s drive-time broadcast of NPR’s All Things Considered (weekdays at 4:44 and 6:44 pm). These four-minute features represent a wide range of topics that dovetail with the interests of KCRW’s listeners.

Some changes in days and times have been made, and some new features have been added. All columnists’ programs are available on air, streamed live online, on-demand and as a free podcast at KCRW.com.

New weekday schedule goes into effect on Monday, May 10.

Monday

4:44-4:48 TBA

6:44-6:48 LA Observed, Kevin Roderick (new day and time) LAObserved.com blogger Roderick shares his observations about LA news, politics and media

Tuesday

4:44 Opening the Curtain on LA Theatre, Anthony Byrnes (new show, see bio below). Musings on what theatre is—and can be—in Los Angeles

6:44 Art Talk with Edward Goldman; reviews and opinions about art and issues in LA and beyond

Wednesday

4:44 Martini Shot with Rob Long (same day, new time) A humor-laced behind-the-scenes look at working life in Hollywood by a seasoned writer/producer

6:44 On the Beat with Celia Hirschman (same day, new time) Reflections on the music business

Thursday

4:44 The Hollywood Breakdown with Kim Masters and John Horn (new program). John and Kim schmooze about the big stories in the entertainment industry. Kim hosts KCRW’s “The Business”; see John's bio below

6:44 The Score with Diana Nyad (same day, new time) The poetry, prose and politics of sports from the Hall of Fame swimmer and veteran sports broadcaster

Friday

4:44 Good Food on the Road with Evan Kleiman and Jonathan Gold (new show) KCRW’s Good Food host Evan talks with LA Weekly’s Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold about places you may not have tried yet, but ought to

6:44 Joe Morgenstern Film Reviews

Please note: Dr. Michael Wilkes, (A Second Opinion) continues his examination of medical ethics issues on Sundays at 6:35 and 8:35 am, during NPR’s Weekend Edition, Sunday.

Anthony Byrnes (Tuesday, Opening the Curtain): He is a theater producer, director, and teacher based in Los Angeles. From 1999 to 2005, he served as the Associate Producer of New Play Development for Mark Taper Forum/Center Theater Group. Byrnes is currently producing the LA-born, Broadway bound musical "Live at the Sahara" and teaches at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA). He holds an MFA from CalArts.

John Horn (Thursday, Hollywood Breakdown) is a staff writer covering Hollywood for the Los Angeles Times.