Bill Kurtis

Bill Kurtis
Born
William Horton Kuretich

(1940-09-21) September 21, 1940 (age 84)
EducationJuris Doctor
Alma materUniversity of Kansas (BS)
Washburn University School of Law (JD)
Occupation(s)Broadcast journalist, producer, narrator
Years active1966–present
Employer(s)WBBM-TV,
A&E (TV network),
AT&T Mobility
Decades
Notable credit(s)WBBM-TV, The CBS Morning News, CBS Early Morning News, Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files
Board member ofKurtis Productions
Spouses
Helen Kurtis
(m. 1963; died 1977)
Donna La Pietra
(m. 2017)
Children2
RelativesJean Schodorf (sister), Frank Kurtis (first cousin once removed)
Websitekurtis.com

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

Kurtis was studying to become a lawyer in the 1960s, when he was asked to fill in on a temporary news assignment at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas. His reporting on a devastating tornado outbreak led to a position as on-air news reporter and, later, a successful career as a news anchor in Chicago. He has been noted for his sonorous voice throughout his career.[1][2] In the early 1980s, he anchored The CBS Morning News in New York City and became especially interested in investigative in-depth reports and documentaries. When he returned to Chicago and for a time resumed his anchor duties, he also founded a production company, Kurtis Productions.[3]

Kurtis hosted or produced a number of crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Kurtis is currently the scorekeeper/announcer for National Public Radio (NPR)'s news comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! and the host of Through the Decades, a documentary-style news magazine on Decades (now Catchy Comedy).

  1. ^ "Former anchorman hasn't lost his voice". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  2. ^ Tribune, Chicago (June 29, 1998). "Your Host, Bill Kurtis: Bill Kurtis as…". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  3. ^ Smith Byan (August 21, 2018) [September, 2016]. "This Is Bill Kurtis". Chicago Magazine.