tom schnabel attended usc, the sorbonne, and ucla. he later taught high school and college level english and literature courses in los angeles, and later esl in paris. schnabel began producing radio for station kcrw in 1977. during his tenure as music director of kcrw (1979–90), kcrw grew from an obscure college station to become one of the most influential public stations in the united states. he developed the eclectic music format, hosting the daily three-hour "morning becomes eclectic" show, and introduced world music to public radio. during this time kcrw twice won cmj's "best noncommercial station" award (1986, 89). schnabel left kcrw as music director in 1990 to broaden his career as a record producer, music consultant, and teacher.