Kasell to Retire This Spring

NPR's venerable Carl Kasell announced his retirement on today.

He will make it official this spring, but will continue to record voice mail greetings for the show's winners.

Eric Nuzum, NPR's vice president for programming, said Carl, 79, is "ready for some serious R&R."

In a memo today, Nuzum said:

"Carl's relationship with public radio audiences dates back to his 30 years as the newscaster for NPR's Morning Edition. He was the voice people woke up to. They opened their eyes, and for 30 years, he was there, reassuring them the world was still in one piece. In 1998 he was recruited to provide gravitas to NPR's new news-quiz, where his title, Official Judge and Scorekeeper, belied his key role as the show's straight man. Carl delighted in the role, and we all know the audience delighted in him.

"In retirement, Carl will become Scorekeeper Emeritus of Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!, and continue to record custom voice mail greetings for the show's lucky winners and continue to occasionally appear in the program. Thanks to the long-standing and much-coveted prize, more than 2,200 people have Kasell's voice on their home answering machines and cellphones — where he's performed everything from 'What's New Pussycat' to 'Rapper's Delight.' "