Carl Kasell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carl Kasell
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Kasell at the 2008 Peabody Awards
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| Born | April 2, 1934 |
| Died | April 17, 2018 (aged 84) Potomac, Maryland, U.S.
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| Occupation | Radio announcer |
| Years active | 1950–2014 |
| Employer | NPR |
| Spouse(s) |
Clara DeZorzi
(m. 1959; died 1997)Mary Ann Foster
(m. 2003) |
Carl Ray Kasell (born April 2, 1934 – died April 17, 2018) was a famous American radio personality. He worked as a newscaster for National Public Radio (NPR). Later, he became the official judge and scorekeeper for the fun weekly news quiz show called Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He kept this role until he retired in 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Radio Dreams
Carl Kasell grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina. When he was in high school, he studied drama. One of his teachers was Andy Griffith, who later became a famous actor. Even though Andy Griffith told Carl to try acting, Carl really loved radio.
Starting in Radio
Carl started practicing his newscaster voice when he was a kid. He got his first job on the radio at just 16 years old. He once shared that he knew he wanted to be in radio from a very young age. He would hide behind the radio to make people think they were listening to the radio, but it was actually him!
College and Early Jobs
While at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carl helped start a local radio station called WUNC. He studied English but didn't finish college because he joined the U.S. Army. After serving, he worked as an announcer and DJ at a radio station in Goldsboro, North Carolina. In 1965, he moved to Northern Virginia.
Carl Kasell's Radio Career
After moving, Carl first worked at a radio station in Alexandria, Virginia. Soon, he joined WAVA in Arlington, Virginia, as a news announcer. He eventually became the news director there. He even hired Katie Couric, who was a student at the time, as an intern. This helped start her career in news!
Joining NPR
Carl joined NPR in 1975. He started as a news announcer for Weekend All Things Considered. In 1979, he became the news announcer for NPR's Morning Edition, a job he held until 2009.
Carl's voice was even heard in a scene of the movie Bee Movie. On November 23, 2009, NPR announced that Carl would retire from being a newscaster. His last newscast was on December 30, 2009. After that, he still helped NPR with fundraising and visiting different radio stations. He also kept his role as the official scorekeeper for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!.
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NPR started its weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, in 1998. Carl Kasell was the official judge and scorekeeper for the show. He was part of several fun parts of the show, like "Who's Carl This Time?" and the "Listener Limerick Challenge."
Before October 21, 2017, if listeners won a game on the show, Carl would record a special greeting for their home answering machine. Over 2,000 people had his voice on their answering machines! He even kept doing this after he left the show.
On August 7, 2010, the show's host, Peter Sagal, announced that Carl Kasell was voted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. For many years, Carl was also the announcer for the yearly Kennedy Center Honors TV show on CBS.
On March 4, 2014, NPR announced that Carl would be leaving his duties on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. His last show was on May 17, 2014. After that, he was called "Scorekeeper Emeritus" on the show.
Retirement and Passing
Carl Kasell's very last show on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was recorded on May 15, 2014. It was broadcast two days later. Many famous people, like Stephen Colbert, Katie Couric, Tom Hanks, and President Barack Obama, called into the show to thank Carl.
In September 2014, Carl published his book called Wait Wait... I'm Not Done Yet!.
Carl Kasell passed away on April 17, 2018. He died from problems related to Alzheimer's disease in Potomac, Maryland.
Awards and Honors
Carl Kasell received several awards for his amazing work:
- 2004 — North Carolina Media & Journalism Hall of Fame
- 2010 — National Radio Hall of Fame
- 2011 — Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Southern Maine
- 2013 — North Carolinian of the Year
