Bill Kurtis facts for kids

Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich on September 21, 1940) is a famous American television journalist. He is also a producer, narrator, and news anchor.

Bill Kurtis is known for his deep, clear voice. He has worked on many TV shows and documentaries. He started his career in the 1960s. He later became a successful news anchor in Chicago.

He has hosted or produced popular shows like Investigative Reports and Cold Case Files. Today, he is the scorekeeper for the radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. He also hosted Through the Decades, a news show about history.

Early Life and Education

Bill Kurtis was born in Pensacola, Florida. His father was a United States Marine Corps general. Because of his father's job, Bill's family moved around a lot. They later settled in Independence, Kansas.

Bill's sister is Jean Schodorf, a former state senator. When he was 16, Bill started working at a radio station called KIND. He graduated from high school in 1958.

He went to the University of Kansas. He earned a degree in journalism in 1962. Later, he got a law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1966. While studying law, he worked part-time at WIBW-TV.

Even though he had a law degree, Bill decided to work in news. He also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and the United States Navy Reserve.

A Career in Television News

The Topeka Tornado

Bill Kurtis's career changed on June 8, 1966. He was filling in as a news anchor at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas. A very strong tornado was heading towards the city.

Bill stayed on air to give updates. A cameraman spotted the tornado. Bill warned everyone to "take cover." This warning became famous. The tornado caused a lot of damage and hurt many people.

Bill and his team stayed on air for 24 hours. Their station became a communication center for emergencies. This experience made Bill choose a career in broadcast news. Soon after, WBBM-TV in Chicago hired him. This started his long career with CBS.

Reporting Big Events

Bill Kurtis covered many important events in Chicago. He reported on the protests against the Vietnam War. He also covered the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

In 1969, he made a documentary about "Tokyo Rose". This interview helped her get a pardon later on. His legal background helped him cover trials like the Chicago Seven case.

He then worked for CBS News in Los Angeles. He covered major trials there, including the Charles Manson murder trial.

Return to Chicago and Documentaries

In 1973, Bill returned to Chicago. He co-anchored the news at WBBM-TV. In 1978, his team reported on Agent Orange. This was a chemical used in Vietnam. Their report helped veterans affected by it.

He went back to Vietnam in 1980. He found out about 15,000 Vietnamese children. Their American fathers had left them behind. Bill wrote a story that helped these children come to the United States.

In 1982, Bill joined Diane Sawyer to anchor The CBS Morning News in New York City. He also anchored special CBS Reports documentaries.

He returned to WBBM-TV in 1985. In 1988, he started his own company, Kurtis Productions. This company has made many documentaries. They produced shows like The New Explorers for PBS. They also made Investigative Reports and Cold Case Files for A&E.

Bill also hosted American Justice. His company has produced over 200 episodes of American Greed for CNBC.

In 2010, Bill teamed up with Walter Jacobson again. They anchored the 6 p.m. news for WBBM-TV. They retired from anchoring in 2013.

Awards and Recognition

Bill Kurtis has won many awards. These include two Peabody Awards and several Emmy Awards. He has also received awards from the Overseas Press Club.

He is in the Illinois and Kansas Halls of Fame. In 1998, he received the William Allen White citation.

Bill has narrated a multimedia book called We Interrupt This Broadcast. He has also written three books. One of his books is Prairie Table Cookbook.

From 2015 to 2023, Bill hosted Through the Decades. This show covered historical events from different days.

Film and Radio Work

Narrator for Films

Bill Kurtis has narrated documentary films. He narrated Carbon Nation in 2010. He was also the narrator in the popular comedy film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). He returned for the sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).

In 2013, he was named the Voice of Illinois Tourism.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Since 2009, Bill Kurtis has appeared on NPR's news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. He became the permanent announcer in 2014.

On the show, Bill reads funny news-related poems. Contestants have to guess the missing words.

Personal Life

Bill Kurtis married Helen Kurtis in 1963. They had two children, a daughter named Mary Kristen and a son named Scott. Helen passed away in 1977.

In 2017, Bill married Donna La Pietra. They had been partners for 40 years. Donna is also a partner in Kurtis Productions. Bill has homes in Chicago and Mettawa, Illinois.

Bill and his sister inherited the historic site of the Little House on the Prairie. It is now a museum in Kansas. It has a one-room schoolhouse and a farmhouse.

Bill's father was a cousin of Frank Kurtis. Frank Kurtis is famous in the Indianapolis 500 Hall of Fame.

In 2005, Bill Kurtis started the Tallgrass Beef Company. This company raised and sold grass-fed, organic beef. Some of the beef came from his ranch in Sedan, Kansas. The company stopped its operations in Kansas in 2013.

Writing Credits

• Bill Kurtis on Assignment (1983)
• The Death Penalty on Trial: Crisis in American Justice (2004)
• Prairie Table Cookbook, with Michelle M. Martin (2007)