Bill Kurtis
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Bill Kurtis (born September 21, 1940) is a television journalist and producer best known as the host of numerous A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.
Biography
Kurtis was born in Pensacola, Florida and is of Croatian decent. Kurtis's Father was a Marine Corps general, so the family traveled extensively. When they settled down, he was raised in Independence, Kansas.In college, Bill Kurtis was an announcer for KIND-AM, the radio station at Independence Community Junior College. He graduated from The University of Kansas with a B.S. in Journalism in 1962. He then attended Washburn University School of Law where he was awarded a Juris Doctor in 1966.
Since 2005, Kurtis has become heavily involved in raising and marketing grass-fed beef. While looking for innovative uses for his 10,000-acre ranch in Southeastern Kansas, Kurtis learned about the health and environmental benefits of grass-fed beef and founded Tallgrass Beef Company. He currently serves as the CEO.
Television career
Kurtis began his television career as a part time anchor at WIBW-TV in Topeka, Kansas. On the evening of June 8, 1966, a severe thunderstorm 20 miles southwest of town was heading straight towards Topeka. Bill warned: For God's sake, take cover. He remained on the air for 24 straight hours to cover the destruction. This warning became synonymous with the Topeka Tornado of 1966 that left 16 dead and injured hundreds more. It was also Kurtis' big break.Despite passing the Kansas bar examination and winning a job with a Wichita law firm, Kurtis decided on a career in journalism, which had been his undergraduate major.
He moved to Chicago in 1966 to work at WBBM-TV's Channel 2 News Chicago, first as a reporter and then as an anchorman. In 1982, he moved to New York to anchor the CBS Morning News, but returned to Chicago three years later to produce documentaries for the television show The New Explorers. He also returned to WBBM-TV at that time and worked as an anchorman there until 1996. He started his own production company, [Kurtis Productions] in 1990, and joined the A&E cable television network the following year.
Kurtis has received numerous awards for his television work, including over twenty Emmys and the Illinois Broadcasters Association 1998 Hall of Fame Award.
Bill Kurtis served as the narrator in the Will Farrell comedy, "Anchorman".
Writing career
- Bill Kurtis on Assignment published October 1, 1983 (out of print) by Rand McNally ISBN 0528810057
- American Justice published August 1, 1999 by TV Books Inc ISBN 1575001098.
- The Death Penalty On Trial: Crisis in American Justice about the death penalty was published November 30, 2004 by Public Affairs ISBN 158648169X.
External links
- [Tallgrass Beef Company]
- [Photo of Bill Kurtis]
- [A Bill Kurtis Tribute]
- A&E [American Justice]
- A&E [Cold Case Files]
- [Illinois Broadcasters Association] [Hall of Fame]
- [Community College Alumni Profile]
- [Biography] for his September 26, 2002 lecture at Kansas State University.
- [Biography] for his May 14, 2005 Commencement address at Washburn University.
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