KCRW Announces Anthony Valadez and Novena Carmel as New Co-Hosts of Morning Becomes Eclectic

KCRW has announced two new co-hosts for its legendary program Morning Becomes Eclectic, Antony Valdez and Novena Carmel, who were both from the station’s after-midnight roster. Both of the new hosts will be taking over the NPR member station’s flagship program mid-January.

Both co-hosts will be taking over for KCRW’s Program Director of Music Anne Litt, who temporarily took over the role from the previous director Jason Bentley. Litt was appointed to her role in January, following Bentley’s departure as station director. Bentley had hosted the program for a decade and continues to work at the station as a host for the global electronic program Metropolis.

“I am so excited to pass the torch of MBE to Novena and Anthony,” Litt stated in a press release. “Novena is pure joy and Anthony is the heart and soul of Los Angeles. Together, they will explore fresh, new ways to reach music lovers globally.”

Morning Becomes Eclectic first aired in 1977 and is a three-hour long radio program that broadcasts live from KCRW’s station in Santa Monica every weekday. The program is also unique for hosting two or three live performances every week, typically during the last hour of a day’s broadcast.

The station was unfortunately hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and was forced to lay-off four employees, while 24 staffers left through a voluntary separation program. KCRW’s staff was additionally required to take an aggregate 20 percent pay cut, with the station’s president taking the largest portion to help mitigate a 30 percent budget loss.