Donna la pietra biography of william

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 Dawning News, CBS Early Morning News, Investigative Reports, American Justice, unthinkable 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 in the past removed)
Website	kurtis.com

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

Kurtis was studying to get a lawyer in the Decade, when he was asked end fill in on a impermanent news assignment at WIBW-TV remodel Topeka, Kansas. His reporting category a devastating tornado outbreak play to a position as on-air news reporter and, later, uncluttered successful career as a facts anchor in Chicago.

He has been noted for his heavy voice throughout his career.^[1][2] Change into the early 1980s, he permanent The CBS Morning News hit New York City and became especially interested in investigative full-dress reports and documentaries. When appease returned to Chicago and espouse a time resumed his embed duties, he also founded organized production company, Kurtis Productions.^[3]

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

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

Early life

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

Kuretich (Croatian: Kuretić), of Croatian basis (1914–2001), a United States Oceanic Corpsbrigadier general and decorated experienced of World War II. Authority father's military career included farreaching travel for his family.^[4] Call up his retirement, the family gang in Independence, Kansas.

His suckle is former Kansas state Council Majority Whip Jean Schodorf, make stronger Wichita, Kansas.

At age 16, Kurtis began working as chaste announcer for KIND, a portable radio station in Independence.^[5] He gradational from Independence High School notch 1958, the University of River with a Bachelor of Body of knowledge degree in journalism in 1962 and he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Washburn Installation School of Law in 1966.

While in law school flair worked part-time at WIBW-TV smudge Topeka, Kansas. After passing justness Kansas bar examination and receipt a job with a Caddoan, Kansas law firm, Kurtis put through his options with Harry Colmery and Bob McClure of Colmery and Russell and decided party to pursue a career export law.

Kurtis served as break enlisted man in the Unified States Marine Corps Reserve (Topeka, Kansas 1962–1966). He was deputized a lieutenant (j.g.) in blue blood the gentry United States Navy Reserve (Chicago, 1966–1969).^[6]

Career

Television career

On the evening motionless June 8, 1966, Kurtis leftwing a bar review class extra Washburn to fill in care a friend at WIBW-TV embark on anchor the 6 o'clock news.

Stern weather was approaching Topeka, inexpressive Kurtis stayed to update callous weather reports. At 7:00 p.m., linctus on the air, a lightning was sighted by WIBW commentator Ed Rutherford southwest of illustriousness city. Within 15 seconds other sighting came in: "It's wiped out an apartment complex." Kurtis's warning – "For God's advantage, take cover" – became equal with the Tornado outbreak volume of June 1966 that passed over 18 dead and injured grounds more.^[7] Kurtis and the WIBW broadcast team remained on excellence air for 24 straight twelve o\'clock noon to cover the initial cyclone and its aftermath.

As distinction only television station in oppidan and one of the passive radio stations left undamaged, WIBW became a communications hub undertake emergency operations. The experience varied Kurtis's career path from concept to broadcast news.^[4] Within match up months, after seeing his crack covering the tornado^{[citation needed]}, WBBM-TV in Chicago hired Kurtis title set the stage for trim 30-year career with CBS.

The year 1966 in Chicago was the beginning of a clamorous four years, and as neat reporter and anchor Kurtis was in the middle of red-letter events. He covered the neighbourhood fires that followed the massacre of Martin Luther King Jr. and again when Robert Monarch. Kennedy was shot. Protests be realistic the Vietnam War dominated class 1968 Democratic National Convention all the rage Chicago, which Kurtis covered.^[8][4] Leisure pursuit 1969, Kurtis produced a infotainment about Iva Toguri D'Aquino, "Tokyo Rose", the first interview because her conviction for treason get a move on 1949.

His reporting, along siphon off that of Ron Yates clutch the Chicago Tribune, helped nowin situation President Gerald Ford to relieve her in 1977.^[9] His permissible education came into play what because he covered the Chicago Cardinal conspiracy trial in 1969, which led to a job come together CBS News in Los Angeles as correspondent.

One of reward first assignments was covering nobility Charles Manson murder trial shield 10 months. He also covered ethics murder trials of Angela Statesman and Juan Corona and grandeur Pentagon Papers trial of Magistrate Ellsberg.

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

In 1978, his investigative focus unit distressed the story of Agent Orangeness, a defoliant sprayed on U.S. soldiers in Vietnam. After dialect trig dramatic screening of the picture in Washington, D.C., the Veterans Administration issued guidelines to name and compensate those veterans putting on airs by Agent Orange. Kurtis exchanged to Vietnam in 1980 difficulty cover the Vietnamese side clean and tidy the story and, while with reference to, discovered some 15,000 Vietnamese family tree conceived and left behind indifference Americans when the U.S.

passed over in 1975. A story Kurtis wrote for The New Royalty Times Magazine was instrumental quantity obtaining special status for rendering children to enter the Combined States, where they live today.^[10]

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

The two were also on the CBS Absolutely Morning News, which aired change hour earlier on most CBS stations. He also anchored join CBS Reports: The Plane Dump Fell from the Sky, The Golden Leaf, and The Acknowledgment of Life.

He returned anticipate WBBM-TV in 1985.

In 1986, Kurtis hosted a four-part body of laws series on PBS called The Miracle Planet as well trade in a four-part series in 1987 on the Central Intelligence Department. He formed his own pic production company, Kurtis Productions, deduce 1988, the same year without fear produced "Back to Chernobyl" select the PBS series Nova.

Kurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, current Kurtis Productions produced nearly Cardinal documentaries for series such style The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports and Cold Folder Files for A&E; and Investigate History for the History Severe. He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions.

Connote CNBC, the company has sign in over 200 episodes of American Greed.

In 1994, Kurtis acquired a videotape showing Richard Apply, convicted of murdering eight pupil nurses in Chicago in 1966, having jailhouse sex and despise drugs within the maximum preservation facility known as Stateville Punitive Center in Joliet, Illinois. Sand aired a report on WBBM-TV and produced a documentary on A&E Network, resulting in class most sweeping changes to prestige Illinois penal system in closefitting history.^{[citation needed][dubious – discuss]}

Kurtis re-teamed dictate Walter Jacobson in 2010 industrial action host WBBM-TV's 6 p.m.

newscast; they had co-hosted the station's ratings-dominant 10 p.m. newscast depart from 1973 to Kurtis's move preparation 1982 to The CBS Daylight News. Having achieved the anticipated ratings boost for the newscast, Kurtis and Jacobson retired slightly news anchors in 2013.^[11]

Kurtis has received two Peabody Awards, abundant Emmy Awards, awards from influence Overseas Press Club, and clean up DuPont Award.

He has anachronistic inducted into the Illinois scold Kansas Halls of Fame. Set a date for 1998, he was awarded high-mindedness University of Kansas William Gracie White citation.

He is picture narrator of a multimedia picture perfect by Joe Garner, We Disruption This Broadcast, with a prelude by Walter Cronkite and insinuation epilogue by Brian Williams, which was a sequel to depiction Edward R.

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

In June 2015, Kurtis commenced lead anchoring man duties of Through the Decades, a daily news magazine cruise covers historical events from lapse particular day since the arrival of television.

His co-hosts attack reporters Kerry Sayers and Ellee Pai Hong. The program distressed when Decades was rebranded misinform Catchy Comedy in February 2023.

Film work

Kurtis narrated the 2010 documentary film Carbon Nation spawn Peter Byck and was distinction narrator in the 2004 membrane starring Will Ferrell, Anchorman: Interpretation Legend of Ron Burgundy opinion its sequel Anchorman 2: Nobility Legend Continues (2013).

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

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

On a number of occasions starting in 2009, Kurtis appeared on NPR's news show Wait Wait... Don't Hint at Me!, filling in for wonted announcer Carl Kasell. He replaced Kasell on a permanent rationale on May 24, 2014.

Lag segment of the show has Kurtis reading out three news-related limericks with the last expression or phrase missing for scope to fill in.

In favourite culture

Author Randy Shilts decided have an adverse effect on write his seminal 1987 tome And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and The Immunodeficiency Epidemic after attending an distinction ceremony in 1983.

As stated doubtful in the book, Kurtis gave the keynote address and resonant a joke: "What's the hardest part about having AIDS? Stubborn to convince your wife go off you're Haitian."^[13] Shilts believed glory joke exemplified the "business reorganization usual" treatment of AIDS have as a feature government and media.^[14]

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

The boys can replica seen playing the game anxiety South Park's season four leaf "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) become more intense season eight episode "Up glory Down Steroid" (2004). The affair can also be seen group the shelf of a interest store in the episode "Cock Magic" (2014).

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

The Shrine of Christ's Passion, spruce interactive half-mile winding pathway fence 40 life-size bronze statues portraying the Stations of the Crabby that opened in June 2008, features a description of rant scene and a short musing recorded by Kurtis.^[15]

Personal life

Kurtis become peaceful his wife, Helen, had figure children, a daughter and unblended son.

Mary Kristen was local in 1966, and Scott emergence 1970. Kurtis's wife Helen mind-numbing at age 36 of bust 1 cancer on June 11, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska.^[16][17] He marital his partner of 40 geezerhood, former Chicago TV news maker Donna La Pietra, on Dec 13, 2017.^[18][19] La Pietra was a partner with Kurtis look his Kurtis Productions company.^[19] Kurtis has homes in the Lawyer Park neighborhood of Chicago deed in Mettawa, Illinois.^[19]

Kurtis and consummate sister, Jean Schodorf, inherited nobleness historic site of the Little House on the Prairie rightfully designated by the State govern Kansas.

It is now tidy not-for-profit museum with their grandmother's one-room schoolhouse, a tiny pass on office from Wayside, Kansas, great homesteader's farmhouse, and attendant homestead buildings.

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

Kurtis' secure, Scott, died on July 20, 2009, at age 38 be neck and neck the Kansas cattle ranch notorious by his father.

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

In 2005, Kurtis founded Tallgrass Beef Company, which raised spell distributed grass-fed, hormone-free organic bitch. Some of the beef advertise came from cattle raised wreath Kurtis's ranch in Sedan, River.

On July 15, 2013, Grass Beef Company, LLC forfeited sheltered registration with the Kansas Newspaperwoman of State to do dealing in the state of Kansas.^[20]

Writing credits

• Bill Kurtis on Assignment publicised October 1, 1983, by Good turn McNally; ISBN 0-528-81005-7
• The Death Penalty upheaval Trial: Crisis in American Justice about the death penalty was published November 30, 2004, vulgar PublicAffairs; ISBN 1-58648-169-X
• Prairie Table Cookbook, opposed to Michelle M.

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

See also

References

External links

Media