SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
This is our friend Stu Rushfield's last weekend as technical director of WEEKEND EDITION. He spent more than two decades waking up in the dark to steer morning programs, including ours, with matchless expertise and high, good humor. Stu's also contributed stories to our programs, including one this weekend, and has become a social media celebrity with his witty observations and affecting photos of the nation's capital at dawn.
When America locked down in March of 2020, Stu and many other talented technicians had us working from home, doing interviews and stories from all over the world in a matter of days. People say they can't hear the difference. Well, Stu Rushfield made that difference work.
We will miss Stu in the control room, even as we still cherish him as a friend. He'll work on other NPR shows and on a more regular schedule, but his ebullient influence will still be part of the personality of the programs that you hear.
NPR has many talented broadcast engineers. The high-quality audio standard that Stu established will...
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SIMON: (In distorted voice) Standard Stu established will continue - Stu Rushfield...
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SIMON: ...Will continue undiminished.
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SIMON: Am I off mic? Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.