New Music Director Wanted: KCRW’s Nic Harcourt Steps Down Following 10-Year Run
KCRW’s Music Director Steps Down
Nic Harcourt will continue with the station, hosting a 3-hour show on Sundays from 6 –9pm
After 10 successful years as host of Morning Becomes Eclectic, KCRW’s signature music program, KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourt is stepping down November 30 to pursue several independent projects. Harcourt will continue as a KCRW deejay, hosting a 3-hour show on Sundays from 6-9 pm.
“I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to come to work every day and be surrounded by creative and passionate people and I want to keep the connection alive on my Sunday show,” said Harcourt.
“Since I arrived here, I’ve fulfilled many of my dreams as a music lover, meeting and interviewing legends like Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson and Cat Stevens (Yusuf). I’ve also been able to set the stage for future stars, introducing artists like Coldplay, Damien Rice, Dido and Norah Jones on KCRW’s airwaves. I’m equally proud to have played many unsigned and independent artists and to be a champion for Latin Alternative music.”
“I’ve also been involved with a number of innovative projects to bring KCRW’s unique programming to a larger audience, such as launching KCRW Presents concerts in Los Angeles and other cities, remote broadcasts of Morning Becomes Eclectic from major music events, and videocasting and podcasting our live studio sessions.”
“As a parent of two young children, I believe it’s time for me to explore new career opportunities and expand upon my other activities in movie, television, voice over work, advertising and the Internet.”
“My heartfelt thanks and gratitude go to KCRW, the staff and volunteers who have supported my work through the years, but most of all to the listeners. I’ve always said that I couldn’t do what I do without them and I hope they will join me on Sunday nights,” said Harcourt.
KCRW’s General Manager Ruth Seymour said “Nic has enhanced KCRW’s reputation for introducing new artists to listeners in Southern California and beyond on radio and the Internet. His singular gifts as a radio deejay and his ability to spot new talent attracted major media attention from both national and international press.”
“He made performing on MBE an opportunity to be heard by top entertainment executives. In quite a number of instances it led to record contracts, television appearances and club dates.”
“We’re delighted that Nic will continue a station tradition and remain on the air at KCRW. He follows our two previous Music Directors, Tom Schnabel and Chris Douridas, who also host music programs on the weekends.”
“Nic is a hard act to follow”, added Seymour. “We are now in the process of choosing a new Music Director. We have been looking at potential candidates with an eye toward announcing a choice in the new few weeks.”
I hereby submit my application for the position. On my first morning show, I will play McLusky’s The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not On Fire in its entirety.
thank god. nic’s show is anything but “eclectic”, and he has sounded like he’s been phoning it in for years now. I nominate Anne Litt – or bring back Chris Douridas!
Congrats to Nic for such a long run regardless the pros and cons these days. Ten years is somewhat of a lifetime in radio. Going forward I nominate Mcallister from KXLU, that could shake things up. I don’t know if she’d get along with Ruth, though.
I also nominate Joe Frank. Now’s the time Ruth. A new president, a new voice, a fresh start for America. Tedious treadmill conversations are a thing of the past. Three hour soap operas, 9am, daily. My dream.
hm, i’m quite saddened by this — his tastes truly were pretty eclectic, despite how big the acts he’s broken out have gone. big shoes to fill, if you ask me.
I nominate myself. I would play some of McLusky’s “I’m Not on Fire” just because that’s a great idea. Then I would play about 10 other songs and quit. I will leave knowing that I could basically take a hit of nitrous and collapse against the CD rack and still pick 10 better songs off the floor than Nick Harcourt could in a year. I would leave the premises in shame, but I would leave while yelling, begging Ruth Seymour for a million dollars. “Gimme a million dollahs beyatch!”
How about bringing back Trisha Halloran from her “you’ve-got-the-best-taste-in-music-but-you-keep-playing-bands-that-come-from-labels-that-don’t-front-Ruth-or-Nick-any-payola” exile?
I hear David Lee Roth will be filling in.
Nic, I only discovered you when my girlfriend and I moved in April 2004 for school/work reasons to San Diego, a conservative city that has notoriously bad radio and continues to be the West Coast capital of Iraq War cheerleaders. Although the KCRW signal is weak in San Diego, your show and Raul Campos’ show kept us sane during the past four dark years with real music. Thank you, and good luck.
Nic[k] has been a fine host and on-air personality, really nice guy and I wish him well, but I do look forward to change. You don’t hear any jazz or experimental music on this show since the days when Tom or Chris hosted. Just pop music, and too much Brit-pop and way too much girl Brit rap lately. I also dig Anne Litt.
Nic[k] has been a fine host and on-air personality, really nice guy and I wish him well, but I do look forward to change. You don’t hear any jazz or experimental music on MBE since the days when Tom or Chris hosted. Just pop music, too much Brit-pop and way too much girl Brit rap lately. (I also dig Anne Litt.)
Bring back Nicole Sandler and the brains behind KCSA.
[...] Nic’s out, Jason’s in. Oh, and Garth’s back! The next KCRW saga officially begins December 1, 2008. So does Jason have an agenda yet? A grand scheme? Devious plans to turn the station into a gigantic conglomeration sponsored by Ableton Live? Time to head down to Venice, grab a coffee and squeeze in a few words. Meet Your New KCRW Music Director! [...]
This is great news. Wasn’t Jason on KXLU for several years? IN any event, he’s a great DJ. Got sick of that pompous Nic Harcourt…thank god he’s gone…
Time for change. NH deserves much credit, but his taste never did it for me. I’m all for Douridas or Anne Litt, who’s the most underrated entity there.
Mike – if you tune in at 9am Monday you will hear the trappings of one jason bentley. more details – in his own words – here.
Hey Wait A Minute! Before Jason left his 7:30 – 10 pm weeknight slot, he introduced us to a guy (name slips my mind!! What is it, anyone?) who interned for them for 14 YEARS. He allowed this guy to play a set on his show–on his last night there. It was the most AMAZING set ever!!! Total progressive trance; so well mixed!!! Anyway, I could have sworn Jason said this guy would be the new weeknight replacement. What happened???? It’s just Garth Trinidad now in that slot!! Not the new guy!!! The new guy kicked ass! Garth is fine, but he’s old news…already had a show on the station, just a little later.
Where’s the creativity, Ruth?? All she’s doing is shuffling staff around. Boring.
I’ve been out of the country for awhile and on my return I tuned in to my daily fix for Morning Becomes eclectic….I was in disbelief that Nic is not with us anymore. ….truely saddened……his voice always brightened my day with anticipation of inspiring music to follow. Everyday was different…set with a different mood…..with perfect accuracy…so creative. He was also an amazing interviewer…the only one i really have ever liked….he will definitely be missed. I guess I’ll have to get my fix on Sunday’s. Looking forward to it.
nick is out…good
jason is in…great
garth???…bad choice for that slot
give chris or raul jason’s old job and leave garth where he was
that would be a kick ass line-up
I had stopped enjoying Nick’s selection of morose music.
Good R.
Nic had / has Class, something lacking or should I say forgotten feature in humans these days? The air waves tantalized with the hesitations of how he talked as if…Who is ever going to play something sublime as the harmonica solo of
“once upon a time in the West” movie soundtrack after an oldie of “the smiths” or a new release of Nick Cave… Now, that, ladies and gents is eclectic to me…There is one thing or two I like about JB…(surely with a name like that he hates to be called by JUST the initials)The way he inhales into the microphone before he speaks, I sort of anticipate to that more than the music he plays, however…I do believe I am warming up to the idea of mornings without Nic and a new radio, I can’t be smashing radios against the wall every time JB plays rap / hip hop, which ordinarily I don’t mind, except in the AM, it hurts my ears and gives me morning sickness(if you know how I mean)all the same…KXLU?please! Anne Litt & Chris Douridas are the best, then of course Julian! and Garth…oh baby…and NIC you are “my first love”… still KCRW FOR EVER!!!
PS Ruth what have you done with JOE FRANK?!
shame on you! best story teller in this country,
bring him back…at what ever cost!
On above comment I meant to say Tom instead of Julian, is the last name that gets me all the time.
Jason is a class act.. Nic bored me to death..
a few gems in his lineup but mostly music for people who are not listening..
Garth takes a backseat to Raul in my opinion.
That slot needs to filled with hot tunes..
preogressive radio?
well see.
I miss Jason at 7ish.
Hello Justice Force! we could go on about what “class” is and obviously, agree to disagree,we all know Nic is not coming back in the mornings, I wish you could have your precious JB “at 7ish”, meantime you could work in your grammar/spelling.
PS. I take Raul anytime…just don’t think he is an AM kind of guy…
i was out of the country for two months.
missed an election (well caught it in australia) and a few more financial scandals, but this was the most shocking thing
does anyone know WHY nic stepped down?
i could understand chris d. leaving for the juicy spot at dreamworks that got the whole country sending tapes in 10 years ago, but aside from everyone here expressing who they like, and who they don’t i just wonder what shifted???
i read that nic with family wants ‘to pursue his other talents’ but in the current market place, that is a wild hair without a good paycheck.
dont’ know the music director’s salary, but the position, with all the concerts etc. seems like it must have afforded a decent living in l.a.
anyway,
the really interesting people? jason eldredge is terrific, as a force of new music, love raul c, and chris d. ann l.
any ideas or responses welcomed!
Wow—I guess this sort of news brings out the grouches.
I started listening to KCRW in the late 70s (Tom Schnable was a sort of “friend” when I moved to L.A. to go to UCLA) and heard many changes, some good, occasionally not.
But Nic’s show was basically VERY FINE, even if I did not love every minute of it. Tastes differ of course, but all this NEGATIVITY is WAY OUT OF LINE! Perhaps after ten years, change is good, but no need to trash Nic. Good job, Mr Harcourt and good luck! Let us move on with good memories, not acrimony for pete’s sake.
As a New Yorker that discovered Nic Harcourt and KCRW on visits to Southern California, I never wanted to be outside the range of Morning Becomes Eclectic from 9 to 12. There was nothing like his show on the east coast. I now enjoy the station online from Seattle but sorely miss Nic’s voice and music selections. His show always created a special atmosphere for me-sunshine and inspiring music.
Good luck and best wishes to Nic and all at KCRW!
It seems Nic has/had his fans; I don’t begrudge him his popularity, though I can’t say I liked his version of MBE. He rarely played jazz, classical, avant garde (to name but a few of the possible unexplored musical genres)–new or old. It seems his predessor’s had much broader tastes, at least from my perspective. I did listen to him for a while with the hope that someone would say something about his lack of ecclecticism, at least where the 3 hour morning show was concerned. After a few years I had become so disappointed with his version of the show, that I quit listening, checking in only periodically to see if there had been any changes in his repertoire–nope, more of the same. What I found so bothersome about The Nic Show was that I percieved it, pre-Nic, to an ongoing education in music. What I felt it had become was a one-man-show with one overly used musical tone. If you happened to like the tone, great, but if you did’nt there were no surprises forthcoming. And is’nt that why they use the word “ecclectic” in the title of the show–for the suprises? Jeez. I am happy that the station has decided to replace him or that he decided to leave; either way works for me. It seems Jason got the slot, but Chris or Anne would have been my first picks–happy with Jason though. Thanks for putting the ecclectic back in MBE!