A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
One of the signature voices here at NPR is stepping away from the mic.
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BILL KURTIS, BYLINE: From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, the NPR news quiz.
MARTÍNEZ: That is the buttery voice of Bill Kurtis. And don't take my word for it. He'll tell you himself.
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KURTIS: I'm the voice so rich, it makes you sign a prenup.
(LAUGHTER)
KURTIS: I'm the voice so hot, the mic drops itself.
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KURTIS: I'm the voice so soothing, lullabies listen to me to fall asleep.
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KURTIS: I'm the man with a voice so smooth, you could go curling on it.
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KURTIS: You know, my favorite is, I'm Bill Kurtis, the voice of your aunt's sexual awakening. Well, that roars.
(LAUGHTER)
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Bill Kurtis is more than just a pretty voice. He spent decades as one of the most respected journalists in broadcasting, and now his final show with Wait Wait will air this weekend. He joins us now.
Bill, I must admit, because I am insecure, when I speak to someone with a voice like yours, I try to do a hundred push-ups so I can get some...
KURTIS: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: ...Bass in my voice. It sadly has not worked, so...
KURTIS: Well, you don't need it. You don't need it.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Great. Great.
KURTIS: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: Thank you for lying to me right there. Bill, I'm sure a lot of people in America are sad that you're retiring. Are you sad?
KURTIS: Boy, it's mixed. I have loved Wait Wait. It's been 12 years. What a wonderful thing to come at the end of your career, because you show up every week to 5 million listeners. The team and the writers - it's just - they're just as good as anything on Colbert or the others that are still working. So I enjoy it. On the other hand, you know, I'm coming up on 86 years old.
MARTÍNEZ: Oh, wow.
KURTIS: And so, you know, you kind of creak when you get out of bed.
MARTÍNEZ: But at least you're getting out of bed, Bill. I mean, that's (laughter)...
KURTIS: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: What does it mean to you, though, to have, like - you know, we mentioned you've had a distinguished, long journalism career. But to end your career with a show like Wait Wait, what does that do when you look back on everything you've done?
KURTIS: I love broadcasting. And it started when I was 16, as so many do, when I got a part-time job in my little town of Independence, Kansas. And I said, you know, I'm going to need experience in almost every aspect of this business. So I was a top-40 disc jockey, and it was at KTOP in Topeka - 1490 on the dial, home of the - J. Jazmo Bop, the professor at College of Knowledge. Coming your way at midnight. And (laughter) - and then it actually started for me at age 26, my 60-year career, when I graduated from law school.
MARTÍNEZ: There was a tornado in 1966 that really was one of the first big gateways for you in journalism.
KURTIS: It changed my life. I mean, I had accepted a job in Wichita, Kansas, with a trial firm, but I was having difficulty deciding between broadcasting and the law. And all of a sudden, filling in on my part-time job, I was standing in front of a camera when an F5 comes into town.
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KURTIS: Well, the east part of Topeka - it should be alerted. The entire city was alerted earlier.
I thought about cussing, crying, you know, with a bit of hysteria.
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KURTIS: For God's sake, take cover.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. And, Bill, you could hear in your voice, as much as...
KURTIS: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: ...You're reporting on...
KURTIS: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: ...This, you're part of the community. You're as worried as anyone else would be, even though you're reporting on things.
KURTIS: Well, the pressure of knowing you're going to save lives if you don't get them into the basement.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
KURTIS: That came from the gut - for God's sake, take cover.
MARTÍNEZ: You ended up in Chicago, right? And I know you got a lot of national attention with your reporting on the effects of Agent Orange among the troops in Vietnam. Tell us what came from that work.
KURTIS: First of all, the chemical companies were going by 40 years of research from farmers who used it out to clear the land and said, hey, we're fine. So the bottom line was that it was not a trouble to humans. So I had to prove - drawing on my law degree and passing the bar, I had to prove that that was wrong. And I said, you know, if they were exposed to Agent Orange, we've got biological and chemical warfare violations and a big story.
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KURTIS: The chemical was not expected to stay in the body for 10, 12 years after exposure. Chemical companies insisted it could not persist that long. But the VA found dioxin.
It sort of meant everything. It's the No. 1 story that I can claim. So now 630,000 veterans have been compensated for their exposure to Agent Orange.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, you worked at CBS for about 30 years. Then you started your own production company, and that turned out a number of documentary series for PBS, A&E network, History Channel, CNBC. When Wait Wait came into your life permanently, it was 2014. You - were you around - what? - 74, 75 years old?
KURTIS: Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. That's around the time where most people start to think about retiring, if not already retired. So what made you say, OK...
KURTIS: (Laughter).
MARTÍNEZ: ...I will be part of this show?
KURTIS: You know what happened? I filled in for Carl Kasell when he retired. The first time the audience laughed at something I said, I was hooked. I mean, it just took one. And I'm still not the stand-up comic, but...
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
KURTIS: I'm the guy who shouldn't be there. I'm like a banker, you know, that tells a joke that...
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
KURTIS: ...Shouldn't be funny. So (laughter)...
MARTÍNEZ: Now, one of the things that you're known for on Wait Wait - you read most of a limerick, and then someone else has to complete it. So it's your turn, Bill. Are you ready for this limerick that you must complete?
KURTIS: Please.
MARTÍNEZ: OK. Your career's at the end of a steep stairwell. It's hard to believe. You and Sagal paired well. We'll miss your rich voice, and while it's nobody's choice, it's time to bid you a fond...
KURTIS: Farewell.
MARTÍNEZ: There you go.
KURTIS: Farewell.
MARTÍNEZ: That is Bill Kurtis. This week, NPR stations will air his final regular appearance as the announcer on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me. Bill, we are going to miss hearing your voice. Thank you for everything.
KURTIS: Well, it's a joy to talk with you. It's been great.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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