KPCC VP explains more about Patt Morrison's future

Russ Stanton, the former Los Angeles Times editor in chief who is "Vice President, Content" for KPCC these days, has taken to the comments section of the station's website to further explain this morning's announcement that KPCC would drop the Patt Morrison show. The afternoon slot will now be used for BBC news and "The World," and to accommodate the expanded Madeleine Brand-A Martinez morning show. Stanton's remarks this morning were light on detail, and with the move getting strong, mixed reaction from website commenters, he adds a bit more.

Hello KPCC fans, Thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to comment on the programming changes we announced this morning. We appreciate hearing from you, and we greatly enjoy the passion you bring to the discussion about our programming. I’d like to answer a couple of questions some of you have asked.

First, Patt Morrison isn’t leaving. Beginning the week of Sept. 10, you’ll continue to hear her signature reports – and some new ones – in her same engaging voice and in her unique style. These segments will be spread out over more hours in our programming day and in many cases in front of larger audiences.

Patt also will continue to host the wildly popular Comedy Congress live-event series and will be a visible (and audible) part of KPCC.

Second, there have been some questions about Marketplace — it will stay where it is in the morning and evening lineups.

Given our track record of providing high-quality programming over the past 12 years, I hope that you’ll give the expanded Brand & Martinez show and the BBC Newshour a listen, and that you’ll enjoy Patt far beyond the hours of 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.

In the meantime, this space is yours and we’ll leave you to continue the discussion about something you feel strongly about. We will continue to monitor, and value, your feedback.

Russ Stanton

Vice President, Content

Southern California Public Radio