Carl Kasell
Encyclopedia
Carl Kasell (ˈkæsəl; born April 2, 1934) is an American
radio personality, most widely known as a newscaster for National Public Radio and as the official judge and scorekeeper of the weekly news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
.
, Kasell reveals that he knew he would be in radio at a young age. He talks about how 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.
A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina
, Kasell was a student of drama in high school, where one of his mentors was Andy Griffith
, then a high school drama instructor. Although Griffith urged Kasell to pursue a career in theatre, Kasell took to radio more. During his time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, he helped launch local radio station WUNC
with fellow student Charles Kuralt
.
before moving to the Washington, DC area in 1965. He advanced to the position of news director at WAVA
in Arlington, Virginia. As news director in Virginia, he hired Katie Couric
as an intern one summer. He joined National Public Radio's staff as a news announcer for Weekend All Things Considered
in 1975. He was the news announcer for NPR's Morning Edition
from its inception in 1979 through 2009.
NPR launched its weekly news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
in 1998, with Kasell as official judge and scorekeeper. The prize that Wait Wait... offers to its listener contestants is a recording of Kasell's voice for their personal telephone's answering machine
or voice mail. Because this prize has been such a long standing tradition for the show, more than 2,000 people have Carl Kasell's voice on their home answering machine.
He is a member of the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame. In 1999, Kasell shared in the George Foster Peabody Award given to Morning Edition.
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. Kasell continues to appear as the official scorer of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! He will also continue to work for NPR through visiting member stations and helping with fundraising.
During the August 7, 2010 broadcast of Wait Wait..., host Peter Sagal
announced that Kasell had been voted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio personality, most widely known as a newscaster for National Public Radio and as the official judge and scorekeeper of the weekly news quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
.
Early life
In an interview with Renée Montagne, just before his final broadcast on NPR's Morning EditionMorning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, Kasell reveals that he knew he would be in radio at a young age. He talks about how 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.
A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
, Kasell was a student of drama in high school, where one of his mentors was Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith
Andy Samuel Griffith is an American actor, director, producer, Grammy Award-winning Southern-gospel singer, and writer. He gained prominence in the starring role in director Elia Kazan's epic film A Face in the Crowd before he became better known for his television roles, playing the lead...
, then a high school drama instructor. Although Griffith urged Kasell to pursue a career in theatre, Kasell took to radio more. During his time at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, he helped launch local radio station WUNC
North Carolina Public Radio
North Carolina Public Radio is a public radio network based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It broadcasts NPR, American Public Media, Public Radio International, and BBC programming in an "all-news-and-information" format...
with fellow student Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
.
Career
He worked as an announcer and DJ at a radio station in GoldsboroGoldsboro, North Carolina
Goldsboro is a city in Wayne County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 37,597 at the 2008 census estimate. It is the principal city of and is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The nearby town of Waynesboro was founded in 1787 and Goldsboro was...
before moving to the Washington, DC area in 1965. He advanced to the position of news director at WAVA
WAVA
WAVA and WAVA-FM are Religious formatted broadcast radio stations. Both stations are licensed to Arlington, Virginia and serve the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. Both WAVA and WAVA-FM, as well as sister station WWRC, are owned and operated by Salem Communications.-External links:*...
in Arlington, Virginia. As news director in Virginia, he hired Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
as an intern one summer. He joined National Public Radio's staff as a news announcer for Weekend All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
in 1975. He was the news announcer for NPR's Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
from its inception in 1979 through 2009.
NPR launched its weekly news quiz Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
in 1998, with Kasell as official judge and scorekeeper. The prize that Wait Wait... offers to its listener contestants is a recording of Kasell's voice for their personal telephone's answering machine
Answering machine
The answering machine or message machine, also known as the telephone answering machine in the UK and some Commonwealth countries) and previously known as an ansaphone, ansafone, or telephone answering device is a device for answering telephones and recording callers' messages.Unlike voicemail,...
or voice mail. Because this prize has been such a long standing tradition for the show, more than 2,000 people have Carl Kasell's voice on their home answering machine.
He is a member of the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame. In 1999, Kasell shared in the George Foster Peabody Award given to Morning Edition.
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. Kasell continues to appear as the official scorer of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! He will also continue to work for NPR through visiting member stations and helping with fundraising.
During the August 7, 2010 broadcast of Wait Wait..., host Peter Sagal
Peter Sagal
Peter Sagal is an American playwright, screenwriter, actor, and host of the National Public Radio game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He is originally from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, although he currently resides in Oak Park, Illinois. Sagal attended Harvard University in Cambridge,...
announced that Kasell had been voted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.