Ruth Seymour, the visionary behind the transformation of KCRW-FM passed away on December 22, 2023, at the age of 88.
She played a pivotal role in turning KCRW into a local, regional, national, and international public radio and internet powerhouse by the time of her retirement in 2010. Seymour, a politically astute intellectual, broke broadcasting norms by creating an eclectic format that included news, talk, music, current affairs, and cultural programming, responding to the changing cultural landscape.
"Ruth was singular in every way," said KCRW’s President Jennifer Ferro. "She had a powerful vision that never wavered. There was a spirit in Ruth that no one else has. She didn’t just save NPR or create a new format — Ruth took chances and made decisions because she knew they were right. She trusted her gut. She broke rules and pursued excellence in ways that can’t easily be explained. She was a force of nature. Ruth’s legacy lives on at KCRW. She inspires us to be original, to host the smartest people, the most creative artists and to talk to our audience with the utmost respect for their intellect."
Her mission at KCRW was to "matter," and she achieved this by becoming the West Coast flagship station for NPR and embracing online programming, streaming, and podcasting, making KCRW globally renowned. One of her notable achievements was the creation of "Which Way, L.A.?" and the first nationally distributed weekly political roundtable, "Left, Right & Center." Seymour also led fundraising efforts for NPR during crises, establishing her as a fierce defender of public broadcasting funding in Washington, DC.
Under Seymour’s leadership, KCRW’s signature music show, "Morning Becomes Eclectic," became a trendsetter, featuring live performances by both established and unknown artists. She introduced "This American Life" by Ira Glass to a wider audience, turning it into an award-winning public radio and podcast favorite. Seymour’s annual three-hour Chanukah tribute, "Philosophers, Fiddlers & Fools," ran for 28 years.
Seymour brought contemporary radio drama to the airwaves with series like "Jewish Stories from the Old World to the New" and a dramatized celebrity reading of Sinclair Lewis’ "Babbitt." She provided a creative home for radio dramatist Joe Frank and offered Harry Shearer a weekly hour for "Le Show," showcasing Hollywood actors, political leaders, and top writers.
"Ruth was a towering figure in public radio, embracing a breadth of subject matter and styles that, frankly, does not seem possible any more. She imagined a listener who was endlessly curious, open to a wide range of opinions and musics, and worked tirelessly to satisfy that listener. There will not be one like her again," said Shearer.
Throughout her career, Seymour received numerous awards, including the Major Armstrong Award, the Peabody Award, and honors from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She also earned accolades such as Amnesty International’s Media Spotlight Award in 1997 and honorary doctorates from two universities.
"Ruth was one of the great pioneers of public radio — at her station as well as in the NPR firmament," said NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg, one of the "Founding Mothers" of NPR. "She was enormously influential in our earliest days, and remained so for decades. Never feared to express her opinion, no matter how tough it was. I always thought hard, and learned much, from her criticisms. Her taste — the people she put on the air — and her passion for radio were unmatched. My favorite mental image of Ruth was during the wars in Iraq. She put on a radiothon to raise money to send NPR correspondents to cover it (the great Anne Garrels and others).
And to make her on-air pitches, she wore camouflage and combat boots! She knew it would be war to raise the funds, and she dressed for the challenge. I loved and admired her enormously, and found her to be a great teacher and inspirer."
First housed in a converted classroom where the station served as a training facility for returning veterans to learn the "new" FM radio technology, KCRW expanded in 1984, moving to the basement of Santa Monica College’s student activities building. She successfully advocated for passage of the 2008 municipal bond that helped build the station’s first-ever stand-alone building, now located on the campus of SMC’s Center for Media and Design.
She is survived by her daughter, Celia Hirschman, her sister and brother-in- law Ann and Richard Zimmer and their children Jessica and Daniel, and her cousins Anita Getzler and Greg Epstein. Ruth’s son, David, preceded her in death at the age of 25 from lymphoma.
A public memorial service is being planned to honor her contributions to the world of broadcasting.
Sarah Spitz
