Bill Kurtis, the veteran broadcast journalist known for his rich voice, is retiring from the irreverent NPR news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” after serving as its judge and scorekeeper for a dozen years. Kurtis, 85, said in a statement that was sent to NPR’s editorial staff Monday that there was no better way to stay young than to give voice to jokes written by people who are fearless in taking down anything and anyone.
“What an incredible chapter ‘Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!’ is in my life,” he said. Before joining the show in 2014, Kurtis was a co-anchor of “CBS Morning News” and narrated the true crime docuseries “Cold Case Files” on the A&E Network.
— NYT
Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich on September 21, 1940, in Pensacola, Florida) is a highly respected retired American broadcast journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor with a career spanning over six decades.He grew up in Independence, Kansas, after his father (a career Marine officer) retired. Kurtis earned a B.S. in journalism from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law in 1966, even passing the Kansas Bar. However, he chose journalism over law.
His break came early: While working as a reporter at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas, Kurtis provided 24-hour continuous coverage of the devastating June 1966 tornado outbreak (including a direct warning to viewers: “For God’s sake, take cover”). This led to his hiring by WBBM-TV (CBS affiliate) in Chicago later that year, launching his long association with the city and network.
At WBBM-TV, he worked as a field reporter and later became a prominent anchor for The Channel Two News. He also served as a CBS News correspondent in Los Angeles and covered major events like the 1968 Democratic National Convention protests in Chicago and the Charles Manson murder trial.
In 1982–1985, he co-anchored The CBS Morning News in New York alongside Diane Sawyer. He returned to Chicago and WBBM-TV in 1985, anchoring there until 1996 (with a later reunion with co-anchor Walter Jacobson around 2010). Over his three stints at the station, he became an iconic figure in Chicago television news. After stepping back from daily anchoring, Kurtis focused on documentaries. He founded Kurtis Productions in 1987, serving as president and producing hundreds of episodes of acclaimed series. He hosted and executive-produced notable shows, including:
Investigative Reports (A&E, Emmy and CableACE winner)
American Justice (A&E, 1992–2005)
Cold Case Files (helping popularize true crime documentaries)
The New Explorers with Bill Kurtis (PBS, Peabody Award-winning science series)
His deep, authoritative voice also made him a sought-after narrator for programs like Nova and even a cameo/narration in the comedy film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).
From around 2014 until recently (announced retirement in early 2026, with his final full-time episode on May 23, 2026), Kurtis served as the judge and scorekeeper on NPR’s popular news quiz show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! Now in his mid-80s and retired, Kurtis released a memoir in 2025 titled Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News, reflecting on his career highlights.
