WBUR in Boston has named Scott Tong co-host of its nationally distributed radio program Here & Now.
Tong replaces Jeremy Hobson, who stepped down from the role in October.
Tong debuts on-air Aug. 9. Tonya Mosley and Robin Young also co-host the live midday news program, which airs on 477 stations. Senior Editor Peter O’Dowd, who served as an interim host, will remain at Here & Now and will be a fill-in host.
Tong comes to WBUR from Marketplace, where he has worked for more than 16 years. He is a senior correspondent for the show and was China bureau chief in Shanghai from 2006–10. He has also guest-hosted the Marketplace podcast Make Me Smart and KQED’s Forum.
As a child, Tong, “learned a Chinese fable about a frog in a well: deep underground, this critter only sees a tiny patch of blue above and assumes that’s the whole sky. Until of course the frog comes to the surface. Marketplace gave me the opportunity to explore the great skies of the world — in Nairobi, Caracas, Shanghai, Manila — and tell stories about them; for that I will always be thankful,” he said in a press release. “Now, I’m excited to join Robin, Tonya and the WBUR/NPR team at Here & Now to tell timely stories with the program’s signature context and thoughtfulness.”
Tong is also author of the book A Village with My Name: A Family History of China’s Opening to the World.
“We had an impressive roster of co-host candidates,” WBUR CEO Margaret Low said in the release. “Scott stood out for the range and depth of his editorial experience and for his original thinking, boundless curiosity and creative spark. He will add a new dimension of thought-provoking stories and incisive reporting for our audience.”