Carl Kasell | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kasell at the 2008Peabody Awards | |
| Born | (1934-04-02)April 2, 1934 |
| Died | April 17, 2018(2018-04-17) (aged 84) Potomac, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Fairfax Memorial Park,Fairfax, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Radio announcer |
| Years active | 1950–2014 |
| Employer | NPR |
| Spouses | |
Carl Ray Kasell (/ˈkæsəl/; April 2, 1934 – April 17, 2018) was an American radio personality. He was a newscaster forNational Public Radio, and later was the official judge and scorekeeper of the weekly newsquiz showWait Wait... Don't Tell Me! until his retirement in 2014.[1][2]
A native ofGoldsboro, North Carolina, Carl Ray Kasell was a student of drama in high school, where one of his mentors wasAndy Griffith, then a high school drama instructor.[3] Although Griffith urged Kasell to pursue a career in theatre, Kasell preferred radio. Kasell began practicing his newscaster voice as a child and got his first on-air job at 16.[4][5] In an interview withRenée Montagne just before his final broadcast on NPR'sMorning Edition, Kasell revealed that he knew he would be in radio at a young age. He said that he hid behind the radio to fool passers-by into thinking they were listening to the radio when they in fact were hearing the young Kasell.[6]
During his time at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kasell helped launch local radio stationWUNC with fellow student and future broadcasterCharles Kuralt.[7] Kasell pursued a degree inEnglish, but never graduated due to being drafted into the U.S. Army.[7] After serving, he worked as an announcer and DJ at radio stationWGBR in Goldsboro, North Carolina.[4][5] He moved to Northern Virginia in 1965.[7]
After leaving North Carolina, Kasell first worked as an announcer and DJ at WPIK in Alexandria, Virginia. He soon joined the staff of all-newsWAVA in Arlington, Virginia as a weekend news announcer, and eventually advanced to the position of news director. He hiredKatie Couric, then a student at theUniversity of Virginia, as an intern one summer, thus starting her career in news broadcasting.
Kasell joined National Public Radio's staff as a news announcer forWeekend All Things Considered in 1975.[4] He was the news announcer for NPR'sMorning Edition from its inception in 1979 through 2009.[5]
Kasell's voice was also heard on the radio inBee Movie during one scene.
On November 23, 2009, NPR announced that Kasell would retire from newscasting at the end of 2009. Kasell's final newscast aired on December 30, 2009.[8] He continued to work for NPR through fundraising and visits to member stations.[6]He also continued to appear as the official scorer ofWait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!
NPR launched its weekly news quizWait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in 1998, with Kasell as official judge and scorekeeper.[9] Kasell featured in several segments including "Who's Carl This Time?" and the "Listener Limerick Challenge."[3][10]
Prior to October 21, 2017, listeners who won a game on the show could have Kasell record a greeting for their home answering machine or voice mail system. More than 2,000 people have had his voice on their answering machines, which he recorded even after he left the show.[6][4]
During the August 7, 2010, broadcast ofWait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, hostPeter Sagal announced that Kasell had been voted into theNational Radio Hall of Fame.[11][12][13]
For many years, Kasell was the announcer for the annualKennedy Center Honors broadcast onCBS.[14]
On March 4, 2014, NPR announced that Kasell would be stepping down from hisWait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! duties.[15] It was later announced that his last show would be May 17, 2014; subsequently he was credited on the air as "Scorekeeper Emeritus".[10]
Kasell's final show onWait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! was recorded on May 15, 2014, and broadcast two days later.Stephen Colbert,Katie Couric,Tom Hanks, and PresidentBarack Obama called in to the show to voice their appreciation for Kasell.[10]
In September 2014, Kasell published his memoir titledWait Wait ... I'm Not Done Yet![3]
Kasell died on April 17, 2018, from complications ofAlzheimer's disease inPotomac, Maryland.[4]
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