Kevin Bronson on November 17th, 2008

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Jason Bentley will succeed Nic Harcourt as music director at KCRW-FM and will assume duties as host of “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on Dec. 1, the station announced today.

As Danceblogga points out, Bentley, 38, is one of the foremost radio proponents of electronic dance music, as well as a leading DJ, producer and remixer. His weeknight dance music program will fall by the wayside as he assumes duties curating KCRW’s music policy. [A year ago, LAist had this piece with Bentley.]
From the press release: “This is a wonderful KCRW story. Jason began as a phone volunteer in the front office when he was still in high school. He grew up on KCRW because his parents were listeners. When he returned from college he reconnected with the station and debuted on the air here 16 years ago,” said Ruth Seymour, the station’s general manager. “He has a passion for the music and a deep connection to the local music scene. Moreover, KCRW is in his DNA.”

Says Bentley: “I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity and humbled by the task, which is to open a new chapter for the station. It’s a reinvention of myself to match the gold standards set by previous music directors. It’s no longer the hypnotic pulse of the city at night — it’s the ever-evolving optimism of weekday mornings.

“My show has always reflected the continual evolution of music and emerging artists. And while I built my foundation as a champion of dance and electronic music, this is a great opportunity for me to grow, a challenge I will take very seriously.”  The other side to this position, no less important than MBE, is to work closely with the incredibly talented group of DJs we have at KCRW to inspire the best from these bright minds and celebrate the diversity of our music department. Together we will build on KCRW’s stellar reputation in Los Angeles and around the world.”