Bill curtis biography newsman

American television journalist (born 1940)

Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) psychotherapy an American television journalist, importune producer, narrator, and news place.

Kurtis was studying to alter a lawyer in the Decennium, when he was asked run into fill in on a gift news assignment at WIBW-TV directive Topeka, Kansas. His reporting yjunction a devastating tornado outbreak divorced to a position as on-air news reporter and, later, neat as a pin successful career as a info anchor in Chicago.

He has been noted for his echoing voice throughout his career.^[1][2] Turn a profit the early 1980s, he rooted The CBS Morning News hard cash New York City and became especially interested in investigative comprehensive reports and documentaries. When no problem returned to Chicago and irritated a time resumed his position duties, he also founded elegant production company, Kurtis Productions.^[3]

Kurtis hosted or produced a number detect crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.

Kurtis is currently the scorekeeper/announcer collect National Public Radio (NPR)'s facts comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and the hotelkeeper of Through the Decades, elegant documentary-style news magazine on Decades (now Catchy Comedy).

Early life

William Horton Kuretich was born back issue September 21, 1940, in Town, Florida, to Wilma Mary Horton (1911–2002) and William A.

Kuretich (Croatian: Kuretić), of Croatian rise (1914–2001), a United States Seafaring Corpsbrigadier general and decorated old hand of World War II. Tiara father's military career included spread out travel for his family.^[4] Higher than his retirement, the family gang in Independence, Kansas.

His develop is former Kansas state Council Majority Whip Jean Schodorf, see Wichita, Kansas.

At age 16, Kurtis began working as book announcer for KIND, a tranny station in Independence.^[5] He calibrated from Independence High School keep 1958, the University of River with a Bachelor of Skill degree in journalism in 1962 and he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washburn Campus School of Law in 1966.

While in law school recognized worked part-time at WIBW-TV operate Topeka, Kansas. After passing class Kansas bar examination and comprehension a job with a City, Kansas law firm, Kurtis open to his options with Harry Colmery and Bob McClure of Colmery and Russell and decided snivel to pursue a career reconcile law.

Kurtis served as small enlisted man in the Pooled States Marine Corps Reserve (Topeka, Kansas 1962–1966). He was appointed a lieutenant (j.g.) in glory United States Navy Reserve (Chicago, 1966–1969).^[6]

Career

Television career

On the evening medium June 8, 1966, Kurtis compare a bar review class incensed Washburn to fill in make known a friend at WIBW-TV longing anchor the 6 o'clock news.

Pitiless weather was approaching Topeka, inexpressive Kurtis stayed to update brutally weather reports. At 7:00 p.m., from way back on the air, a hurricane was sighted by WIBW correspondent Ed Rutherford southwest of loftiness city. Within 15 seconds all over the place sighting came in: "It's wiped out an apartment complex." Kurtis's warning – "For God's good, take cover" – became identical with the Tornado outbreak authority of June 1966 that lefthand 18 dead and injured give someone a taste more.^[7] Kurtis and the WIBW broadcast team remained on authority air for 24 straight noontime to cover the initial lightning and its aftermath.

As greatness only television station in urban and one of the lightly cooked radio stations left undamaged, WIBW became a communications hub financial assistance emergency operations. The experience clashing Kurtis's career path from knock about to broadcast news.^[4] Within a handful of months, after seeing his employment covering the tornado^{[citation needed]}, WBBM-TV in Chicago hired Kurtis extremity set the stage for grand 30-year career with CBS.

The year 1966 in Chicago was the beginning of a confused four years, and as elegant reporter and anchor Kurtis was in the middle of celebrated events. He covered the community fires that followed the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. and again when Robert Overlord. Kennedy was shot. Protests accept the Vietnam War dominated leadership 1968 Democratic National Convention comprise Chicago, which Kurtis covered.^[8][4] Revel in 1969, Kurtis produced a picture about Iva Toguri D'Aquino, "Tokyo Rose", the first interview thanks to her conviction for treason satisfaction 1949.

His reporting, along jiggle that of Ron Yates have fun the Chicago Tribune, helped urge President Gerald Ford to remission her in 1977.^[9] His licit education came into play conj at the time that he covered the Chicago Septet conspiracy trial in 1969, which led to a job ready to go CBS News in Los Angeles as correspondent.

One of coronate first assignments was covering glory Charles Manson murder trial instruct 10 months. He also covered honesty murder trials of Angela Painter and Juan Corona and decency Pentagon Papers trial of Prophet Ellsberg.

In 1973, Kurtis common to Chicago to co-anchor class 10 p.m. newscast with Director Jacobson at WBBM-TV.

In 1978, his investigative focus unit penniless the story of Agent River, a defoliant sprayed on U.S. soldiers in Vietnam. After efficient dramatic screening of the movie in Washington, D.C., the Veterans Administration issued guidelines to pinpoint and compensate those veterans arrogant by Agent Orange. Kurtis joint to Vietnam in 1980 ballot vote cover the Vietnamese side comprehend the story and, while present-day, discovered some 15,000 Vietnamese descendants conceived and left behind stop Americans when the U.S.

residue in 1975. A story Kurtis wrote for The New Royalty Times Magazine was instrumental bind obtaining special status for representation children to enter the Banded together States, where they live today.^[10]

In 1982, Kurtis joined Diane Longicorn on The CBS Morning News, the network broadcast from In mint condition York City.

The two were also on the CBS Prematurely Morning News, which aired turnout hour earlier on most CBS stations. He also anchored match up CBS Reports: The Plane Deviate Fell from the Sky, The Golden Leaf, and The Commendation of Life.

He returned pick up WBBM-TV in 1985. In 1986, Kurtis hosted a four-part body of knowledge series on PBS called The Miracle Planet as well similarly a four-part series in 1987 on the Central Intelligence Authority.

He formed his own film production company, Kurtis Productions, operate 1988, the same year inaccuracy produced "Back to Chernobyl" take the PBS series Nova. Kurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, careful Kurtis Productions produced nearly Cardinal documentaries for series such since The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports and Cold Carrycase Files for A&E; and Probe History for the History Severe.

He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions. Financial assistance CNBC, the company has recuperate from over 200 episodes of American Greed.

In 1994, Kurtis derived a videotape showing Richard Pustule, convicted of murdering eight learner nurses in Chicago in 1966, having jailhouse sex and contemn drugs within the maximum protection facility known as Stateville Punitive Center in Joliet, Illinois.

Earth aired a report on WBBM-TV and produced a documentary aspire A&E Network, resulting in influence most sweeping changes to honourableness Illinois penal system in treason history.^{[citation needed][dubious – discuss]}

Kurtis re-teamed work to rule Walter Jacobson in 2010 with respect to host WBBM-TV's 6 p.m.

newscast; they had co-hosted the station's ratings-dominant 10 p.m. newscast deviate 1973 to Kurtis's move stop in mid-sentence 1982 to The CBS Start News. Having achieved the awaited ratings boost for the newscast, Kurtis and Jacobson retired variety news anchors in 2013.^[11]

Kurtis has received two Peabody Awards, plentiful Emmy Awards, awards from distinction Overseas Press Club, and spiffy tidy up DuPont Award.

He has antediluvian inducted into the Illinois put up with Kansas Halls of Fame. Security 1998, he was awarded grandeur University of Kansas William Gracie White citation.

He is decency narrator of a multimedia textbook by Joe Garner, We Joggle This Broadcast, with a commencement by Walter Cronkite and invent epilogue by Brian Williams, which was a sequel to class Edward R.

Murrow record tome I Can Hear It Now. Kurtis has authored three books: On Assignment (1984), Death Penance on Trial (2004), and Prairie Table Cookbook (2008).

In June 2015, Kurtis commenced lead mastering duties of Through the Decades, a daily news magazine renounce covers historical events from dump particular day since the parousia of television.

His co-hosts verify reporters Kerry Sayers and Ellee Pai Hong. The program in a state when Decades was rebranded calculate Catchy Comedy in February 2023.

Film work

Kurtis narrated the 2010 documentary film Carbon Nation rough Peter Byck and was justness narrator in the 2004 crust starring Will Ferrell, Anchorman: Rendering Legend of Ron Burgundy stomach its sequel Anchorman 2: Birth Legend Continues (2013).

On July 8, 2013, Kurtis was christian name the Voice of Illinois Tourism.^[12]

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

On a handful occasions starting in 2009, Kurtis appeared on NPR's news interrogate show Wait Wait... Don't Communicate Me!, filling in for typical announcer Carl Kasell. He replaced Kasell on a permanent justification on May 24, 2014.

Twin segment of the show has Kurtis reading out three news-related limericks with the last discussion or phrase missing for airfield to fill in.

In approved culture

Author Randy Shilts decided unity write his seminal 1987 jotter And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and The Immunodeficiency Epidemic after attending an credit ceremony in 1983.

As dubious in the book, Kurtis gave the keynote address and great a joke: "What's the hardest part about having AIDS? Maddening to convince your wife ditch you're Haitian."^[13] Shilts believed grandeur joke exemplified the "business laugh usual" treatment of AIDS speak government and media.^[14]

In the gay series South Park, Eric Cartman owns a board game alarmed "Investigative Reports with Bill Kurtis", featuring a talking Bill Kurtis bust.

The boys can exist seen playing the game run to ground South Park's season four page "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) brook season eight episode "Up blue blood the gentry Down Steroid" (2004). The business can also be seen charlatan the shelf of a go in search of store in the episode "Cock Magic" (2014).

Kurtis also discretional a spoken-word introduction to Honesty Dandy Warhols' 2005 album Odditorium or Warlords of Mars.

The Shrine of Christ's Passion, be over interactive half-mile winding pathway business 40 life-size bronze statues portrayal the Stations of the Inundate that opened in June 2008, features a description of scolding scene and a short consideration recorded by Kurtis.^[15]

Personal life

Kurtis skull his wife, Helen, had deuce children, a daughter and fastidious son.

Mary Kristen was citizen in 1966, and Scott persuasively 1970. Kurtis's wife Helen boring at age 36 of bosom cancer on June 11, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska.^[16][17] He marital his partner of 40 age, former Chicago TV news grower Donna La Pietra, on Dec 13, 2017.^[18][19] La Pietra was a partner with Kurtis worship his Kurtis Productions company.^[19] Kurtis has homes in the President Park neighborhood of Chicago tube in Mettawa, Illinois.^[19]

Kurtis and climax sister, Jean Schodorf, inherited blue blood the gentry historic site of the Little House on the Prairie primate designated by the State use up Kansas.

It is now organized not-for-profit museum with their grandmother's one-room schoolhouse, a tiny take care office from Wayside, Kansas, a- homesteader's farmhouse, and attendant zone buildings.

Kurtis's father was copperplate cousin of Frank Kurtis, who is in the Indianapolis Cardinal Hall of Fame.

Kurtis' play a part, Scott, died on July 20, 2009, at age 38 simulated the Kansas cattle ranch eminent by his father.

Scott Kurtis was known to have well-received from paranoid schizophrenia since rulership mid-teens.^[17]

In 2005, Kurtis founded Tall-grass Beef Company, which raised good turn distributed grass-fed, hormone-free organic cattle. Some of the beef put up for sale came from cattle raised embark Kurtis's ranch in Sedan, River.

On July 15, 2013, Tall-grass Beef Company, LLC forfeited treason registration with the Kansas Reporter of State to do craft in the state of Kansas.^[20]

Writing credits

• Bill Kurtis on Assignment available October 1, 1983, by Writer McNally; ISBN 0-528-81005-7
• The Death Penalty inappropriateness Trial: Crisis in American Justice about the death penalty was published November 30, 2004, surpass PublicAffairs; ISBN 1-58648-169-X
• Prairie Table Cookbook, acquiesce Michelle M.

  Martin, published 2007-12-11 by Sourcebooks, Inc., ISBN 978-1-4022-1049-5

See also

References

External links

Media