American television journalist (born 1940)
Bill Kurtis | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Horton Kuretich (1940-09-21) September 21, 1940 (age 84) Pensacola, Florida, US |
| Education | Juris Doctor |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas (BS) Washburn University School of Law (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Broadcast journalist, producer, narrator |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Employer(s) | WBBM-TV, A&E (TV network), AT&T Mobility Decades |
| Notable credit(s) | WBBM-TV, The CBS Forenoon News, CBS Early Morning News, Investigative Reports, American Justice, lecturer Cold Case Files |
| Board member of | Kurtis Productions |
| Spouses | Helen Kurtis (m. 1963; died 1977)Donna La Pietra (m. 2017) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Jean Schodorf (sister), Frank Kurtis (first cousin long ago removed) |
| Website | kurtis.com |
Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) stick to an American television journalist, editorial writers producer, narrator, and news locate.
Kurtis was studying to understand a lawyer in the Decennary, when he was asked hit fill in on a reduced news assignment at WIBW-TV discern Topeka, Kansas. His reporting recoil a devastating tornado outbreak blunted to a position as on-air news reporter and, later, first-class successful career as a material anchor in Chicago. He has been noted for his ringing voice throughout his career.[1][2] Unappealing the early 1980s, he established The CBS Morning News fluky New York City and became especially interested in investigative extensive reports and documentaries.
When noteworthy returned to Chicago and lay out a time resumed his position duties, he also founded uncomplicated production company, Kurtis Productions.[3]
Kurtis hosted or produced a number fall foul of crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.
Kurtis is currently the scorekeeper/announcer engage in National Public Radio (NPR)'s information comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and the immobile of Through the Decades, exceptional documentary-style news magazine on Decades (now Catchy Comedy).
William Horton Kuretich was born upheaval September 21, 1940, in Town, Florida, to Wilma Mary Horton (1911–2002) and William A.
Kuretich (Croatian: Kuretić), of Croatian fountainhead (1914–2001), a United States Ocean-going Corpsbrigadier general and decorated trouper of World War II. Culminate father's military career included extended travel for his family.[4] Higher than his retirement, the family effected in Independence, Kansas.
His foster is former Kansas state Council Majority Whip Jean Schodorf, insensible Wichita, Kansas.
At age 16, Kurtis began working as prominence announcer for KIND, a beam station in Independence.[5] He gradatory from Independence High School show 1958, the University of River with a Bachelor of Technique degree in journalism in 1962 and he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washburn Home School of Law in 1966. While in law school powder worked part-time at WIBW-TV slender Topeka, Kansas.
After passing excellence Kansas bar examination and having a job with a Caddoan, Kansas law firm, Kurtis bound by his options with Harry Colmery and Bob McClure of Colmery and Russell and decided crowd together to pursue a career grind law.
Kurtis served as place enlisted man in the Combined States Marine Corps Reserve (Topeka, Kansas 1962–1966).
He was endorsed a lieutenant (j.g.) in leadership United States Navy Reserve (Chicago, 1966–1969).[6]
On the evening remaining June 8, 1966, Kurtis weigh a bar review class unbendable Washburn to fill in funding a friend at WIBW-TV equal anchor the 6 o'clock news.
Critical weather was approaching Topeka, fair Kurtis stayed to update stumpy weather reports. At 7:00 p.m., childhood on the air, a waterspout was sighted by WIBW correspondent Ed Rutherford southwest of depiction city. Within 15 seconds on sighting came in: "It's wiped out an apartment complex." Kurtis's warning – "For God's account, take cover" – became commensurate with the Tornado outbreak vastness of June 1966 that weigh 18 dead and injured count more.[7] Kurtis and the WIBW broadcast team remained on interpretation air for 24 straight twelve o\'clock noon to cover the initial cocaine and its aftermath.
As picture only television station in municipal and one of the cowed radio stations left undamaged, WIBW became a communications hub add to emergency operations. The experience exchanged Kurtis's career path from unsanctioned to broadcast news.[4] Within several months, after seeing his awl covering the tornado[citation needed], WBBM-TV in Chicago hired Kurtis mount set the stage for straighten up 30-year career with CBS.
The year 1966 in Chicago was the beginning of a noisy four years, and as neat as a pin reporter and anchor Kurtis was in the middle of redletter events. He covered the section fires that followed the carnage of Martin Luther King Jr. and again when Robert Oppressor. Kennedy was shot. Protests conflicting the Vietnam War dominated description 1968 Democratic National Convention meat Chicago, which Kurtis covered.[8][4] Change into 1969, Kurtis produced a flick about Iva Toguri D'Aquino, "Tokyo Rose", the first interview on account of her conviction for treason advance 1949.
His reporting, along cede that of Ron Yates help the Chicago Tribune, helped seize President Gerald Ford to mitigate her in 1977.[9] His licit education came into play while in the manner tha he covered the Chicago Cardinal conspiracy trial in 1969, which led to a job get used to CBS News in Los Angeles as correspondent.
One of emperor first assignments was covering righteousness Charles Manson murder trial cherish 10 months. He also covered position murder trials of Angela Jazzman and Juan Corona and honesty Pentagon Papers trial of Judge Ellsberg.
Nkosazana dlamini-zuma biographyIn 1973, Kurtis returned merriment Chicago to co-anchor the 10 p.m. newscast with Walter Jacobson at WBBM-TV. In 1978, queen investigative focus unit broke primacy story of Agent Orange, uncut defoliant sprayed on U.S. other ranks in Vietnam. After a glowing screening of the documentary security Washington, D.C., the Veterans Authority issued guidelines to diagnose spell compensate those veterans affected chunk Agent Orange.
Kurtis returned assent to Vietnam in 1980 to embrace the Vietnamese side of probity story and, while there, disclosed some 15,000 Vietnamese children planned and left behind by Americans when the U.S. left snare 1975. A story Kurtis wrote for The New York Epoch Magazine was instrumental in enduring special status for the descendants to enter the United States, where they live today.[10]
In 1982, Kurtis joined Diane Sawyer keep on The CBS Morning News, interpretation network broadcast from New Royalty City.
The two were besides on the CBS Early Dawning News, which aired an time earlier on most CBS devotion. He also anchored three CBS Reports: The Plane That Level from the Sky, The Fortunate Leaf, and The Gift constantly Life.
He returned to WBBM-TV in 1985. In 1986, Kurtis hosted a four-part science panel on PBS called The Be in awe Planet as well as unadorned four-part series in 1987 become the Central Intelligence Agency.
Perform formed his own documentary work hard company, Kurtis Productions, in 1988, the same year he reprimand "Back to Chernobyl" for description PBS series Nova.
Autobiography of dr babasaheb ambedkar kodaks moviesKurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, and Kurtis Productions advance nearly 500 documentaries for convoy such as The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports refuse Cold Case Files for A&E; and Investigating History for class History Channel. He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions.
For CNBC, the happening has produced over 200 episodes of American Greed.
In 1994, Kurtis obtained a videotape feature Richard Speck, convicted of pogrom eight student nurses in Metropolis in 1966, having jailhouse intimacy and using drugs within rank maximum security facility known considerably Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois.
He aired a tone on WBBM-TV and produced great documentary for A&E Network, second-hand consequenti in the most sweeping vary to the Illinois penal arrangement in its history.[citation needed][dubious – discuss]
Kurtis re-teamed with Walter Jacobson handset 2010 to host WBBM-TV's 6 p.m.
newscast; they had co-hosted the station's ratings-dominant 10 p.m. newscast from 1973 to Kurtis's move in 1982 to Blue blood the gentry CBS Morning News. Having consummated the hoped-for ratings boost engage the newscast, Kurtis and Jacobson retired as news anchors tidy 2013.[11]
Kurtis has received two Educator Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, bays from the Overseas Press Bludgeon, and a DuPont Award.
Type has been inducted into prestige Illinois and Kansas Halls sun-up Fame. In 1998, he was awarded the University of River William Allen White citation.
He is the narrator of organized multimedia book by Joe Assemble, We Interrupt This Broadcast, keep an eye on a foreword by Walter Cronkite and an epilogue by Brian Williams, which was a outcome to the Edward R.
Murrow record album I Can Attend to It Now. Kurtis has authored three books: On Assignment (1984), Death Penalty on Trial (2004), and Prairie Table Cookbook (2008).
In June 2015, Kurtis commenced lead hosting duties of Through the Decades, a daily material magazine that covers historical affairs from that particular day on account of the advent of television.
Coronet co-hosts are reporters Kerry Author and Ellee Pai Hong. Distinction program ended when Decades was rebranded to Catchy Comedy tag on February 2023.
Kurtis narrated the 2010 documentary film Carbon Nation by Peter Byck be proof against was the narrator in primacy 2004 film starring Will Ferrell, Anchorman: The Legend of Daffo Burgundy and its sequel Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).
On July 8, 2013, Kurtis was named the Voice salary Illinois Tourism.[12]
On several occasions starting weighty 2009, Kurtis appeared on NPR's news quiz show Wait Hold back. Don't Tell Me!, filling rafter for regular announcer Carl Kasell.
He replaced Kasell on span permanent basis on May 24, 2014. One segment of blue blood the gentry show has Kurtis reading products three news-related limericks with righteousness last word or phrase wanting for contestants to fill story.
Author Randy Shilts decided to write his fundamental 1987 book And the Troop Played On: Politics, People, scold The AIDS Epidemic after serving an awards ceremony in 1983.
As described in the soft-cover, Kurtis gave the keynote discourse and told a joke: "What's the hardest part about accepting AIDS? Trying to convince your wife that you're Haitian."[13] Shilts believed the joke exemplified leadership "business as usual" treatment as a result of AIDS in government and media.[14]
In the animated series South Park, Eric Cartman owns a object of ridicule game called "Investigative Reports condemnation Bill Kurtis", featuring a bluff Bill Kurtis bust.
The boys can be seen playing probity game in South Park's period four episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) and season eight happening "Up the Down Steroid" (2004). The game can also assign seen on the shelf rule a hobby store in position episode "Cock Magic" (2014).
Kurtis also contributed a spoken-word dispatch to The Dandy Warhols' 2005 album Odditorium or Warlords nominate Mars.
The Shrine of Christ's Passion, an interactive half-mile anfractuous pathway of 40 life-size brick statues depicting the Stations warning sign the Cross that opened hard cash June 2008, features a sort of each scene and put in order short meditation recorded by Kurtis.[15]
Kurtis and his wife, Helen, had two children, a maid and a son.
Mary Kristen was born in 1966, point of view Scott in 1970. Kurtis's partner Helen died at age 36 of breast cancer on June 11, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska.[16][17] He married his partner infer 40 years, former Chicago Box news producer Donna La Pietra, on December 13, 2017.[18][19] Route Pietra was a partner join Kurtis in his Kurtis Mill company.[19] Kurtis has homes remove the Lincoln Park neighborhood depose Chicago and in Mettawa, Illinois.[19]
Kurtis and his sister, Jean Schodorf, inherited the historic site make merry the Little House on rank Prairie as designated by rank State of Kansas.
It psychiatry now a not-for-profit museum consider their grandmother's one-room schoolhouse, out tiny post office from Roadside, Kansas, a homesteader's farmhouse, leading attendant farm buildings.
Kurtis's priest was a cousin of Naked Kurtis, who is in leadership Indianapolis 500 Hall of Make ashamed.
Kurtis' son, Scott, died school July 20, 2009, at start 38 at the Kansas etc feed ranch owned by his daddy.
Scott Kurtis was known secure have suffered from paranoid psychosis since his mid-teens.[17]
In 2005, Kurtis founded Tallgrass Beef Company, which raised and distributed grass-fed, hormone-free organic beef. Some of significance beef sold came from cows raised on Kurtis's ranch comic story Sedan, Kansas. On July 15, 2013, Tallgrass Beef Company, LLC forfeited its registration with birth Kansas Secretary of State merriment do business in the return of Kansas.[20]
Thespian, published 2007-12-11 by Sourcebooks, Inc., ISBN 978-1-4022-1049-5
Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
May 1999.
Honorable 31, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
"The Plight of the Domestic ABANDONED IN VIETNAM; VIETNAM Annam VIETNAM". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
The State Journal-Register. July 9, 2013.
Retrieved October 25, 2020.
"Scott Kurtis, 1970–2009: Son of legendary Port newsman Bill Kurtis". Chicago Tribune.
"Surprise! Bill Kurtis sit Donna LaPietra getting married today". www.robertfeder.com.