Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
JJ Yore was a journalist on the creative team that created "Marketplace" in 1988, and was the executive producer until moving upstairs to VP/General Manager in 2011. Today the word got out in the Downtown Los Angeles offices that Yore will be leaving "Marketplace." There's been no media announcement, but Yore confirmed the news for me this afternoon and said that details of the transition are still being worked out with his bosses at American Public Media, the Minnesota operation that acquired "Marketplace" in 2000. There's some speculation that Deborah Clark, who succeeded Yore as executive producer in 2011, will get a new title but nothing seems confirmed.
Yore has been a reporter, editor and broadcast producer on the show, then was the executive producer who oversaw both the on-air and online programming. Since becoming VP and general manager, he has yielded more of the editorial oversight to Clark. Before coming west to launch "Marketplace" with Jim Russell and others, Yore was editor and associate publisher of Current, the news outlet for the public broadcasting industry.
I asked "Marketplace" host Kai Ryssdal for some observations on Yore as co-founder of the show. "JJ's been a singular (and remarkable) asset to public radio and this production house for 25 years, so this has been a sad and hard day here," Ryssdal says via email. "That said, while it is a day of transition, I think Marketplace has never been in a stronger position both within public radio specifically and broadcasting generally. JJ Yore gets the credit for that."
Update: American Public Media got back to me and said that Yore's position was eliminated as part of a restructuring disclosed today. Deborah Clark will continue to run "Marketplace" as VP and Executive Producer, APM says. The moves are "part of a broader realignment to organize the company around an Audiences First strategy." APM has created two new divisions: Audience Development and Business Development.
"We thank JJ for his valuable and lasting contributions to our company’s mission and audience service, and we wish him well in his next career opportunity," says a statement from APM. "He will consult with APM throughout the summer to help in a smooth transition."
Photo of JJ Yore: Minnesota Public Radio
