Carl Kasell Retires From "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"

Carl Kasell

Longtime SAG-AFTRA member Carl Kasell has retired after a three-decade career at NPR.

Kasell’s career began in North Carolina, where he started a radio station with classmate Charles Kuralt at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After stints in commercial radio, Kasell joined NPR in 1975 as a weekend news announcer and ascended to Morning Edition four years later — a job he held for 30 years.

After decades as a signature voice of NPR’s newscasts, Kasell became an audience favorite in an unexpected comedy role as the official judge and scorekeeper of Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, which premiered in January 1998.

In retirement, Kasell announced that he will become scorekeeper emeritus of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He will continue to record custom voicemail greetings for the show’s lucky winners and occasionally appear on the program.

Throughout his career, Kasell has received many awards and accolades. In 2010, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. In 2004, UNC at Chapel Hill selected Kasell as an inductee to the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame, which recognizes North Carolina natives who have made exceptionally distinguished and career-long contributions to the field of journalism. In 1999, Kasell shared in the George Foster Peabody Institutional Award given to NPR’s Morning Edition, and in 1996, he was honored with the Leo C. Lee Friend of Public Radio News Award for lasting commitment to public radio journalism.

Congratulations on an outstanding career from your friends at SAG-AFTRA!

This item was originally featured in the August 2014 local newsletter.