Radio veteran Tom Hall announced Thursday that he will step down as host of WYPR’s “Midday” program after 10 years. “Thank you for your interest and attention throughout my tenure as the Midday host, and thank you for sticking with Midday, and with me, as together, we navigate the fu ture,” Hall said on air at the end of his show Thursday. But don’t worry, Hall won’t be leaving WYPR’s airwaves. In the new year, he will transition to the role of the Baltimore public radio station’s Senior News Analyst. Hall noted that position was last held by his “dear friend and mentor,” C. Fraser Smith. Smith died in 2021, after suffering a stroke. “Like Fraser, I hope to deliver commentaries, report on critical issues, and offer my perspective on Midday, in special projects, and on other shows that WYPR may develop in the future,” Hall said. Hall currently hosts “Midday” from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting in January, he will shift to hosting the program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, while WYPR management searches for the show’s next host. Once that new host is chosen, Hall said he will “explore other ways to continue the conversation that you and I have been having all these years. It’s a conversation I’ve been honored to have, and which I am very excited about continuing.” Hall first joined WYPR’s staff in 2003 as host of Choral Arts Classics. He later served as the station’s Culture Correspondent and then host of “Maryland Morning,” before becoming “Midday” host in 2016. Prior to Hall’s tenure with “Midday,” journalists Sheilah Kast, Dan Rodricks (now a Baltimore Fishbowl columnist), and Marc Steiner each spent time in the host chair. Now, Hall said it is time for a new host to lend their insights. “[Stepping down] will create an opportunity for another voice, a different perspective, and a new take on the issues of the day,” Hall said. “I don’t own Midday. I’ve been its steward for the last decade, and I think it’s important that I make room for others to step forward and be heard.” ...read more read less