Alex Cohen to Become Voice of "Morning Edition" Beginning Feb. 13

PASADENA, Calif., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Veteran journalist and award-winning public radio news host Alex Cohen will become 89.3 KPCC-FM's voice of "Morning Edition" beginning Feb. 13. A native Angeleno, Cohen is well known to KPCC listeners as co-host of "Take Two," the station's morning news magazine, for the past four years.

Cohen will host the show from the Steve Julian Studio, named for the much-loved KPCC host who passed away in April after 15 years as local "Morning Edition" anchor. She will join NPR's new "Morning Edition" host lineup of David Greene in Culver City and Rachel Martin and Steve Inskeep in Washington, D.C.

"With so much happening locally, nationally and globally, we wanted Alex to be the first voice our audience hears in the morning," said Melanie Sill, VP content, SCPR. "She's a well-known and highly respected journalist, and her wealth of hosting experience is just what our listeners want and need."

The move is part of broader program changes that will sharpen KPCC's morning news focus and broaden its reach through the lunchtime hour. Those changes include:

• "Take Two" will become a one-hour morning program from 9-10 a.m., with A Martinez as host. The award-winning program will retain its focus on Southern California and will be updated to excel in the one-hour format.
• "AirTalk" with Larry Mantle, KPCC's signature news and talk program, will move up an hour and will air from 10 a.m. to noon daily.
• "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross will add a noon airing, moving the award-winning national interview program to a prime spot. Fresh Air will repeat in its current slot nightly at 8 p.m.

"These changes not only strengthen KPCC's morning and midday programming, but they also reflect SCPR's commitment to top-quality news coverage and civic engagement in today's intense news environment," Sill said. "We continue to be among the top public radio stations in the nation in hours of locally produced daily programming."

In moving to the "Morning Edition" host chair, Alex Cohen brings deep journalistic experience, versatile host skills, market knowledge and a strong rapport with the KPCC audience to one of the station's most important day parts. As the first voice of the morning, she will help KPCC's audiences navigate the day's news and add her interviewing skills and news judgment. Cohen will remain involved in other KPCC initiatives, including events, podcasts and specials.

Cohen joined KPCC as "All Things Considered" host after working as a host and reporter for NPR and the former national program "Day to Day," and worked previously for KQED.  

Launched in fall 2012, "Take Two" has brought new voices and deeper connections for public radio to the dynamic, diverse people and issues that make up Los Angeles, Orange County and Southern California.   As part of KPCC's nationally recognized "One Nation" effort, "Take Two" took a bold and engaging approach to expand public radio's constituency—most notably among Latino audiences. Host A Martinez, also a native Angeleno, has been a transformative figure in this effort. "Take Two" will build on these successes as a one-hour program.

"A's journalism, broadcast skills, rapport with audiences, knowledge and love of Southern California and established success at KPCC and ESPN equip him well to be the voice of a program built for audiences who care about what makes this place tick," said Sill.

"AirTalk" returns to its former time slot from 10 a.m. - noon, carrying the news forward with Larry Mantle's signature approach of informed guests and callers in "Southern California's most interesting conversation."

"Fresh Air," which now airs at 8 p.m. on KPCC, will offer listeners a lunch-hour seat at the table of one of America's best interviewers, Terry Gross, along with guest host Dave Davies and an award-winning lineup of voices on culture and politics.

About Southern California Public Radio
Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public radio network that operates 89.3 KPCC-FM in Los Angeles and Orange County, 89.1 KUOR-FM in the Inland Empire, 90.3 KVLA in the Coachella Valley, 89.9 FM in Santa Barbara, and 89.5 KJAI Ojai in Ventura County. Reaching more than 700,000 listeners every week, SCPR is the most listened-to public radio news service of any kind in Southern California. SCPR serves the diverse communities of Southern California with award winning local news coverage as well as the most National Public Radio (NPR) content available anywhere in the region. SCPR's flagship station, KPCC, has garnered more than 450 journalistic honors since 1999, more than all of the other radio stations in Los Angeles combined. SCPR features signature public radio programs from APM, the BBC and PRI. Listeners around the globe can access news, join blogs, download podcasts, as well as hear a live web stream at www.kpcc.org.

SOURCE Southern California Public Radio