Media

GBH shakes up its morning host lineup

The reorganization comes after layoffs and programming cuts.

GBH headquarters. Matthew J. Lee / The Boston Globe

October 22, 2024

2 minutes to read

GBH 89.7FM is shaking up its morning co-hosts.

The Boston nonprofit of one of the city’s two public radio stations announced Monday that its millennial co-hosts, Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel, are moving on to new roles. The two debuted as hosts of “Morning Edition” in 2022.

Alston will transition to hosting a “reimagined” “Basic Black,” the longstanding television program that centers on issues that matter to communities of color. The show was cut in May after the nonprofit announced financial problems and layoffs. The new program is premiering under a new name in early 2025.

Alston will also expand her focus statewide on a program she hosts called “A Walk Down the Block,” a multiplatform series that covers a range of underreported issues in Boston.

Siegel will take on several new roles, including hosting a new one-hour radio program and podcast that will take listeners across the state to hear stories on what makes the Bay State unique. The show will begin production in 2025.

He will also be the transportation correspondent for GBH News and “The World,” the radio’s longest-running daily global news program.

“Paris and Jeremy are both accomplished storytellers, and we hope listeners will join us as we explore new topics and geographies together,” said Dan Lothian, editor in chief of GBH News and “The World,” in a statement.

On Oct. 28, GBH News reporter Mark Herz will step in as interim host for “Morning Edition.” The show will air on weekdays at a new time, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. It currently begins at 5 a.m.

Other new initiatives launched this year include the Equity and Justice unit, the Connecting the Commonwealth partnership with NEPM and CAI, and a U.S. Senate debate cohosted with NEPM.

However, the news comes after reports of GBH struggling.

GBH’s programming was reorganized in May after the company laid off 31 employees. It stopped producing three television programs: “Greater Boston,” “Talking Politics,” and “Basic Black.” According to the station, GBH is facing a 7 million budget gap.

At the time, a GBH spokesperson said the decision to lay off workers and cut programming was part of an effort to transform the station “to be even more impactful and financially sustainable.”