KCRW-FM’s influential new-music show “Morning Becomes Eclectic” will feature two permanent hosts for the first time in the program’s four-decade history, the Santa Monica public radio station announced Tuesday.
Novena Carmel and Anthony Valadez will take over the three-hour weekday program at the start of the new year. KCRW music director Anne Litt has been hosting since Jason Bentley departed a year ago.
“I am so excited to pass the torch of MBE to Novena and Anthony,” Litt said. “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.”
Carmel — daughter of Sly & the Family Stone frontman Sly Stone — has sung in various L.A. bands and handled bookings for venues including Temple Bar and Zanzibar. An L.A. native and club DJ, Valadez has been on the air at KCRW for a dozen years and previously held down shifts at KCSN and KROQ.
“I feel ecstatic and a bit like I’m dreaming,” Carmel said. “I greatly admire Anthony’s work … he seems to never stop creating and finding inspiration for creativity everywhere. We already have a lot of fun and exciting ideas for the show, and I’m so looking forward to collaborating more with the KCRW team and connecting with the listeners.”
Of his new role, Valadez said that he is “a fan of the show’s celebrated history and hope to be an extension of it moving forward. It’s not a position I take lightly. I’ve always wanted to be at the intersection of `culture’ and `institution.”’