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Topic: Memos Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 6/13/2005 8:10:47 PM
Title: Brown quits as "Marketplace" host
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
Memo from "Marketplace" executive producer J.J. Yore

Colleagues:

I just finished meeting with the Marketplace staff here in LA, and wanted now to give the rest of you a heads up about two big changes at Marketplace.

First, David Brown is leaving as host of Marketplace. His last day on air will be Friday, July 29. This is sad news, but it is with great enthusiasm and confidence in our future that I want to tell you about the second big change: Kai Ryssdal will succeed David as host, starting the following Monday, August 1. Kai will continue to host Sound Money (Marketplace Money as of July 1.) He will leave his post with the Morning Report.

David's decision is a huge disappointment for me, and for all of us who've had the pleasure of working with him during the past five years. But it is not a surprise. For more than three years David and his partner, Emily Donahue, have commuted between Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. They have decided to end that commute, get married and have children. As David wrote recently, "I am very excited about starting a family with the girl of my dreams, working on my journalism doctorate and digging deep into the Texas music scene."

David has been a huge asset to Marketplace since he joined us in 2000 as senior producer. In that job, David sharpened and enlivened the afternoon show. He thought big, and inspired all of us who worked with him to think big, too. Then in mid-2003, David did something extraordinary: He moved from behind the scenes to the very public job of host, succeeding David Brancaccio in a seamless transition.

As Senior Producer Celeste Wesson noted, David Brown brought as Marketplace host "the unusual gift of seeming to speak directly to each listener. He successfully put his own stamp -- clever, but not condescending; witty, but warm -- on the trademark Marketplace style." Under David, the Marketplace afternoon program solidified its place as the most popular business program on radio or TV. I'm happy to report that David has agreed to remain involved as a contributor to Marketplace.

Looking ahead, I am delighted that Kai will move to the Marketplace
afternoon-host position. For one thing, he and the extraordinary production teams of the Morning Report and Sound Money have delivered huge audience growth to those programs. Kai's smart, credible but accessible style made him an excellent backup, and the logical and natural successor to David.

You might be interested in knowing more about Kai's background. He
worked at KQED-FM in San Francisco (the station that also brought former Marketplace host David Brancaccio to public radio) as a reporter and backup host. Before coming to public radio, Kai spent four years with the U.S. State Department in Ottawa and later Beijing, where he became fluent in Mandarin. Kai began his professional career in the U.S. Navy, where he flew planes off of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. He came to Marketplace in 2001 as host of the Morning Reports. He became host of Sound Money in February 2004.

Please join me in wishing David farewell, and extending a warm welcome
to Kai in his latest role at Marketplace. - JJ

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