AUSTIN, Texas – Aug. 19, 2026 – Award-winning journalist Ben Philpott will become the new local host of Morning Edition on KUT News beginning in September.
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Philpott, currently managing editor of KUT News, was among the first reporters to join the newsroom when it was established in 2002. As KUT News’ first political reporter, he covered eight Texas legislative sessions and followed former Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on the presidential campaign trail.
Philpott has received numerous journalism honors, including Journalist of the Year from the Houston Press Club. Before joining KUT News, he worked in television news and at public radio station WBHM in Birmingham, Ala.
He succeeds longtime Morning Edition host Jennifer Stayton, who steps away from the program in September after 22 years. Stayton is now leading a new KUT News reporting initiative focused on aging in Central Texas.
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NPR’s Morning Edition airs weekdays from 4 to 9 a.m. on KUT 90.5 and is available on the KUT News app and at KUT.org.
About KUT News, Reliably Austin
KUT News delivers independent, fact-based journalism that keeps Central Texans informed and connected. It produces Austin Signal, a weekday news magazine focused on life in Central Texas, and Texas Standard, the national daily news show of Texas. A founding NPR member station, KUT News is supported by sustaining members and local businesses. Audiences can find KUT News on 90.5 FM, kut.org, the KUT app, podcasts and social media.
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Contact: Erin Geisler (512) 475-8071