Harcourt won't be completely splitting from the station -- he will continue to host a three-hour music program on Sunday evenings. “As a parent of two young children, I believe its time for me to explore new career opportunities and expand upon my other activities in movie, television, voiceover work, advertising and the Internet," Harcourt is quoted as saying in a statement released today.
Reached by phone in the midst of Monday's Morning Becomes Eclectic, Harcourt says he will host the show through Thanksgiving. After that, he will concentrate on building his own business, Samluna Media.
“Its not the politicians thing, like,Oh, Im spending more time with my kids'," Harcourt says. “The bottom line is Ive been in public radio for 10 years, and regardless of how great my job is, I make public radio money, and I have two 5-year- olds. I have to think about their future ... Im going to be busy. Im looking forward to building some equity for myself."
With Harcourt at the helm, Morning Becomes Eclectic, which first aired in 1977, became a nationally known brand, one that's attached to concerts, compilation CDs and music events around the country. KCRW, for instance, is one of the most prominent brands featured at the annual South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas.
Morning Becomes Eclectic has been instrumental in supporting the careers of a number of developing and independent artists. In this morning's statement, Harcourt himself takes credit for “introducing artists" such as Coldplay, Damien Rice, Dido and Norah Jones to a wider audience. Even before Harcourt took over Eclectic hosting duties from Chris Douridas in 1998, the morning show was known for helping launch the career of Beck.
