One of 89.3 the Current's best-known DJs, Sean McPherson, is leaving the station to become music director and afternoon host at public station Jazz88-KBEM.
Current radio DJ Sean McPherson named music director at Jazz88-KBEM
Also a music-scene fixture from his band Heiruspecs, he hosted "Radio Free Current" and "The Message" at the Current.
February 25, 2022 at 4:28PM
A fixture in the Twin Cities nightlife scene — he's also the bassist and bandleader for the St. Paul hip-hop group Heiruspecs and co-founder of Trivia Mafia — McPherson will sign off next week from the Current after nearly eight years on staff. His wide range of on-air duties there included filling in on the morning show, co-hosting the hip-hop specialty program "The Message" and spiritedly serving the all-request "Radio Free Current" Saturday nighttime slot.
McPherson is taking over at Jazz88 from longtime Kevin O'Connor, who left the station recently after 27 years to become an announcer at a sister station of the Current, Minnesota Public Radio's YourClassical.
"This feels like the right move for me as a longtime fan and student of jazz," said McPherson, crediting his love for the genre to the strong music program at St. Paul's Central High School (where Heiruspecs formed).
News of his departure was posted Friday morning on the Current's website, where Jazz88-KBEM station manager Dan Larkin said of the new recruit, "His passion for music, dedication to his craft, belief in live and local radio, and instincts for making music formats come to life will serve us well."
McPherson isn't the only longtime Current staffer to leave the alternative/indie station this week. Digital producer and reporter Jay Gabler announced his departure to become an arts and entertainment reporter at the Duluth News Tribune.
McPherson said he's leaving the Current feeling grateful "to have learned the ins and outs of radio at a station that's so high-profile." And now he hopes to boost Jazz 88's profile with a fresh take on the format, including when he hosts the 3-7 p.m. on-air shift weekdays.
"Jazz has been moving in a lot of different directions lately, and I hope to reflect that," he said. "But I also respect [KBEM's] rich history as a jazz station and want to celebrate the old stuff, too."
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