Carl Kasell
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Carl Ray Kasell (Template:IPAc-en; April 2, 1934 – April 17, 2018) was an American radio personality. He was a newscaster for National Public Radio, and later was the official judge and scorekeeper of the weekly news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! until his retirement in 2014.<ref name="npr-bio">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Early life
A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Carl Ray Kasell was a student of drama in high school, where one of his mentors was Andy Griffith, then a high school drama instructor.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> In an interview with Renée Montagne just before his final broadcast on NPR's Morning 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.<ref name="NPR-sleep">Template:Cite web</ref>
During his time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kasell helped launch local radio station WUNC with fellow student and future broadcaster Charles Kuralt.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite news</ref> Kasell pursued a degree in English, but never graduated due to being drafted into the U.S. Army.<ref name=":4" /> After serving, he worked as an announcer and DJ at radio station WGBR in Goldsboro, North Carolina.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> He moved to Northern Virginia in 1965.<ref name=":4" />
Career
After leaving North Carolina, Kasell first worked as an announcer and DJ at WPIK in Alexandria, Virginia. He soon joined the staff of all-news WAVA in Arlington, Virginia as a weekend news announcer, and eventually advanced to the position of news director. He hired Katie Couric, then a student at the University 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 for Weekend All Things Considered in 1975.<ref name=":1" /> He was the news announcer for NPR's Morning Edition from its inception in 1979 through 2009.<ref name=":2" />
Kasell's voice was also heard on the radio in Bee 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He continued to work for NPR through fundraising and visits to member stations.<ref name="NPR-sleep" /> He also continued to appear as the official scorer of Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NPR launched its weekly news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in 1998, with Kasell as official judge and scorekeeper.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Kasell featured in several segments including "Who's Carl This Time?" and the "Listener Limerick Challenge."<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref name="NPR-sleep" /><ref name=":1" />
During the August 7, 2010, broadcast of Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, host Peter Sagal announced that Kasell had been voted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
For many years, Kasell was the announcer for the annual Kennedy Center Honors broadcast on CBS.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On March 4, 2014, NPR announced that Kasell would be stepping down from his Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! duties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was later announced that his last show would be May 17, 2014; subsequently he was credited on the air as "Scorekeeper Emeritus".<ref name=":3" />
Retirement and death
Kasell's final show on Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! was recorded on May 15, 2014, and broadcast two days later. Stephen Colbert, Katie Couric, Tom Hanks, and President Barack Obama called in to the show to voice their appreciation for Kasell.<ref name=":3" />
In September 2014, Kasell published his memoir titled Wait Wait ... I'm Not Done Yet!<ref name=":0" />
Kasell died on April 17, 2018, from complications of Alzheimer's disease in Potomac, Maryland.<ref name=":1" />
Awards
- 2004 — North Carolina Media & Journalism Hall of Fame
- 2010 — National Radio Hall of Fame<ref name=":4" />
- 2011 — Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters of the University of Southern Maine<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2013 — North Carolinian of the Year<ref name=":4" />
References
External links
- 1934 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century American journalists
- 21st-century American journalists
- 21st-century American memoirists
- American game show hosts
- American radio journalists
- Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Maryland
- Journalists from North Carolina
- Military personnel from North Carolina
- NPR people
- Deaths from dementia in Maryland
- People from Goldsboro, North Carolina
- Radio personalities from North Carolina
- Telephone voiceover talent
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni