CARL KASELL

Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Carl Kasell began his radio career at the age of 16, when he joined the staff of local WGBR. In 1953, he moved to Chapel Hill to attend the University of North Carolina, working as a disc jockey and announcer for WCHL and a brand-new educational station, WUNC.

In 1965, Kasell moved to Washington D.C. and took a job as a morning disc jockey at WPIK/Alexandria. In 1969, he became full-time morning news anchor at WAVA/Arlington, one of the country’s first “all-news” stations, where he eventually became news director.

In 1975, Kasell began working part-time at National Public Radio and became the network’s full-time morning newscaster in 1977. When NPR launched Morning Edition in 1979, Kasell remained in place as newscaster for the Peabody Award-winning program. He held that position until stepping down in 2009. During that time, Kasell also hosted NPR’s 1997 show, Early Morning Edition. 

Today, Kasell serves as “NPR’s Roving Ambassador” and remains active in radio as the official judge and scorekeeper for the weekly NPR news quiz program, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, as he has done since the show’s debut in 1998.

Carl Kasell was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.

He died April 17, 2018.