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AUSTIN CROSS TO BEGIN HOSTING LAIST’S “AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE” ON FRIDAYS STARTING APRIL 14th
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Larry Mantle to Continue Hosting Long Running, Staple Southern California Radio Program Monday through Thursday
Pasadena, Calif., April 13, 2023 - LAist (formerly KPCC) announced today that midday host, Austin Cross, will be taking over hosting duties on Friday for one of their tentpole daily programs, AirTalk with Larry Mantle.
“AirTalk” airs after “Morning Edition” weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on LAist 89.3. Larry Mantle, the longtime AirTalk host and creator, will continue to host the program Monday through Thursday, with Austin taking over hosting on Friday. Mantle will also continue to be heard on Friday’s from 10-11 am as he continues to host Film Week, the movie review and interview program during AirTalk, heard every Friday and Saturday at noon on LAist 89.3.
AirTalk with Larry Mantle is the longest continuously running daily talk program in Los Angeles radio history. Larry Mantle has been the host of AirTalk on KPCC since April 1, 1985.
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“I asked LAist management several months ago if I could cut my schedule by an hour a week,” said Mantle. “With a typical AirTalk week consisting of 20 to 30 topics, I wanted the chance to step back from that pace just a bit, while continuing a five day a week presence with Film Week. I’m still energized by talking with LAist 89.3 listeners each day and am looking forward to more years of hosting our program. I’m very happy Austin is hosting on Friday. He’s already a trusted and respected voice on our air and I’m glad listeners will have this opportunity to hear more of him.”
“Austin is one of the strongest voices we have at LAist. We are thrilled to see Austin take over hosting AirTalk on Fridays for one of our tentpole programs. Austin has earned the opportunity to become the regular Friday host, as Larry moves to four days a week. We are confident he will be a trusted voice for Angelenos to hear on Friday mornings,” said Kristen Muller, LAist’s Chief Content Officer.
Austin Cross joined LAist as a fill-in producer for AirTalk in 2014, later securing a full-time role producing the show Take Two, hosted by A Martinez. Before arriving at LAist (formerly KPCC), Austin worked at APM’s Marketplace, and the historic newsradio station KNX. Since joining LAist, Austin has produced powerful reporting on two of the most challenging conversations hitting America: race and politics.
His reporting on the U.S. Census unearthed a report linking the Japanese Incarceration to the Census Bureau. Austin’s reporting has been heard on NPR and KQED’s statewide program, California Report. His essays about race have been prominently featured as part of LAist’s “Race in LA” series.
Austin has been a frequent guest host on AirTalk, showcasing his skill and comfort with a range of issues, from the potential pitfalls of AI technology to the anniversary of a deadly Southern California manhunt, all while live-streaming on TikTok.
Larry Mantle is a fourth-generation Angeleno who has interviewed thousands of prominent guests on an extraordinary array of topics and has received dozens of journalism awards. Larry grew up in southwest Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Hollywood. He's a graduate of Hollywood High School and Vanguard University of Southern California. Larry and his wife Kristen are the parents of Desmond.
About Southern California Public Radio (SCPR)
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Southern California Public Radio (www.scpr.org) is a member-supported multi-platform public media organization that has garnered more than 500 journalistic honors since 1999. Recognized as a national leader in public service journalism and civic engagement, SCPR’s flagship radio station, LAist 89.3 (formerly KPCC), reaches more than 900,000 listeners every week as the most listened-to public radio news service across Southern California. The network’s five stations (89.3 KPCC-FM, 89.1 KUOR-FM, 90.3 KVLA-FM, 89.9 FM, and 89.5 KJAI-FM) deliver award-winning local news coverage to the diverse communities of the region, including a robust slate of signature programs from NPR, APM, the BBC and PRI. LAist (www.laist.com) is a digital news site committed to in-depth reporting about life in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Its award-winning work reaches over seven million people per month, and in 2019, the brand grew to include LAist Studios (www.laiststudios.com), a dedicated podcast development and production studio. Furthering SCPR’s commitment to premium on-demand audio storytelling, podcasts from LAist Studios aim to reflect the ethos of Los Angeles — a forward-looking, minority-majority community built upon unmatched diversity, inclusion, and drive — going beyond geographical borders to connect with listeners around the globe who share the LA state of mind.
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