At the conclusion of today’s final edition of Midday, host Tom Hall offered these reflections on his decade-long tenure at Midday’s helm:
“I've been a “Baltimoron” for 44 years. I've been a general purpose moron for even longer, and for more than half of the years that I've lived here, I've been a host of one program or another on WYPR. I am so grateful to all of you who have welcomed me into our city and our state and for having me in your homes and cars and podcast feeds over the years. I appreciate beyond measure the opportunity to share with you here on Midday our explorations of how things are and how things could be.
"I owe you a lot. Thank you for your interest and attention, for listening to my reporting and commentary, and for the honor of joining you as we try to ferret out what's true and what's right. I appreciate your tuning in, and even more, I appreciate the high standards to which you insist that all of us at WYPR be held.
"Keep up that insistence. Demand excellence. Hold us accountable. Make us worthy of your interest and attention. You should expect the best from everyone at WYPR, from our management to our newsroom, our administration and our program hosts. You have the right and the responsibility to demand that your rightful place at the center of our mission is never compromised.
"I hope that when we falter, because we do and we will, you, meet those moments with grace, equanimity and the values that should guide us all as we navigate a sometimes really confusing world.
"For the past 10 years, you have been prodigal in the grace that you've shown me. I am so grateful and I am humbled. Thank you for listening, thank you for engaging. Thank you for making this show one of the happiest and most invigorating adventures of my life.
"Today, two of my terrific colleagues, our producers Rob Sivak and Sam Bermas-Dawes, are leaving WYPR. Rob came out of retirement last August to help keep our ship afloat. Sam stepped in just when we needed him. I applaud them both, and thank them for their hard and important work.
In the months to come, as WYPR senior news analyst, I'll try to contribute to our community in new ways and with new collaborators. I leave you and Midday with gratitude in my heart, a little weariness in my bones and a realization of how incredibly lucky I've been for the honor of making this show with you and for you.
"Thanks. I'm Tom Hall. Have a great day."
Tom's farewell message was followed by a montage of tributes to Tom from colleagues, friends and some special Midday guests, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore.
