In a note to NPR editorial staff, Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! Executive Producer Mike Danforth announced that Alzo Slade will be the show's new judge and scorekeeper:
All,
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is thrilled to announce that Alzo Slade will be our next judge and scorekeeper.
Listeners already know Alzo from his frequent appearances as a panelist and occasional guest judge and scorekeeper. On this weekend’s show in Austin, Texas, he officially takes on the role full time, succeeding iconic broadcaster Bill Kurtis, who retired at the end of May.
Says Slade: “Joining Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! as co-host, judge and scorekeeper feels equal parts honor and elaborate hoax or clerical error. Every time I've been on the show I'm reminded it somehow makes the news feel intelligent, human and just unhinged enough to survive the week. And much love and respect to Bill Kurtis. This guy is amazing! Stepping into anything connected to that legendary voice is a bit like following a jazz legend at an open mic.”
Slade is only the third judge and scorekeeper in the 29-year history of the show. NPR legend Carl Kasell created the role in 1998 and was succeeded by Kurtis in 2014. Like his predecessors, Slade is an award-winning journalist (a Peabody and three Emmys) but unlike his predecessors, he’s a stand up comic, worked as a concert photographer for Prince, won the Mr. Prairie View A&M pageant, and created Grits and Biscuits, a Southern hip-hop dance party that tours the country. Most importantly, Alzo has a deeply resonant voice that warms up your radio.
Wait Wait host Peter Sagal says, “If Bill Kurtis has the voice of the Dad you always wished you had, Alzo’s is the voice of the friend you always wanted. He’s funny, he’s kind, he’s ridiculously smart, and knows just how to cut you down to size when you need it — or at least, when I need it.”
Please join me in welcoming Alzo to Wait, Wait and be sure to give him a listen this weekend.
–Mike Danforth, Executive Producer, WWDTM
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