Jeremy Hobson, co-host of the midday news program Here & Now, said Friday that he is leaving the show after more than seven years.
“Since COVID-19, I, like many in our business, have been broadcasting from home,” Hobson said in a Medium post. “Or, you might say, living at work. It’s given me a different perspective and after 21 years in the daily news business, I’m ready to take a little break from the Here and Now, if you will, and prepare for my next challenge.”
Hobson said the program, a production of NPR and WBUR in Boston, has tripled its audience since he began hosting in 2013. The program was airing on 489 stations as of the spring, a WBUR spokesperson said. Hobson’s last day will be Oct. 16.
“We are lucky to have two powerhouse hosts, Robin Young and Tonya Mosley, who will carry us forward,” WBUR CEO Margaret Low said in a statement. “We will begin a search for a third host later this fall.”
“As the youngest person ever to host one of the major public radio shows, as well as the first openly gay host of a WBUR program, the team and I worked to ensure that Here & Now brought in new voices, younger voices, more diverse voices,” Hobson said in the Medium post.
Hobson has had a long career in public radio, hosting Marketplace Morning Report prior to joining Here & Now. He also reported for Marketplace and public radio stations and was a producer for NPR.
He started in public radio at 9 years old, contributing to the program Treehouse Radio.
Hobson didn’t hint at future plans. “I promise I’ll let you know about my next project just as soon as I can,” he wrote.
The host “churn” I’ve noticed on NPR doesn’t necessarily trouble me, but it piques my interest because I worked in student, commercial and public radio over decades, aside from my print career.
Assuming some people don’t last long after their audition, I hope the audition and selection process is efficient but fair. If the talented ones move up fast, that’s fine and effective.
If they realize soon that radio work isn’t for them, better to learn that early and realize that they need to decide on something else.