Latest news with #Kurtis
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Wolverhampton man's son raised thousands after cancer diagnosis
'My son raised thousands for cancer research' 12 minutes ago Share Save Shyamantha Asokan BBC News, West Midlands Share Save Cancer Research UK Elan's nine-year-old son Kurtis took part in an annual run organised by Cancer Research UK after his father fell ill A chef has said his nine-year-old son was his "little superhero", after he did a sponsored run to raise money for cancer research when he fell ill. Elan, 57, from Wolverhampton, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in late 2023, despite having had no unusual symptoms, and was warned he may not survive. Elan's son Kurtis wanted to help his dad and asked to take part in an annual run last summer organised by Cancer Research UK – for which he ended up raising £3,000. Kurtis and his dad - whose scans so far this year have shown him to be cancer free after surgery and chemotherapy - will kick off one of this year's races in Wolverhampton later this month. "It was just – wow. Absolutely wow," Elan said of the moment he saw his son cross the finish line in his honour last year. Cancer Research UK's annual Race for Life series involves 3k, 5k and 10k runs, plus runs through mud-filled obstacle courses for adults and children. Family Elan said it felt "really special" that he would see Kurtis turn 10 this month. Elan, a father of four, was diagnosed with cancer in November 2023 after completing an NHS bowel screening kit that came through the post. He had decided to do any health check that came his way after his cousin died unexpectedly from a heart attack, a loss that he said "hit me really hard". But his cancer diagnosis, following further tests, was "a complete shock" as he had not had any unusual symptoms. He went on to have surgery to remove a mass in his bowel, a dozen sessions of chemotherapy, and further surgery to remove part of his liver. 'The Robin to my Batman' In early 2024, Kurtis said he wanted to do something to help his dad. He chose a mud-obstacle course run from Cancer Research UK's events and set up an online fundraising profile with his mum's help. "[In his profile] he said he was the Robin to my Batman, and he wanted me to see him grow up," Elan said. "It was beautiful." Elan was struggling with chemotherapy side-effects, such as severe nausea, when the run took place last June, but he still attended. "I couldn't miss it," he said. Elan and Kurtis will kick off Wolverhampton's Race for Life event on 18 May in West Park, where they will stand on a stage and sound a horn to start a 5k race. Elan said the event, which will take place one day after Kurtis' 10th birthday, would be poignant because last year he did not know if he would still be alive in spring 2025. "You've got to feel blessed for every day that you get," he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After more than 50 years, Walter Jacobson to broadcast final ‘Perspective'
For more than half a century, legendary Chicago anchorman and commentator Walter Jacobson has been broadcasting his views on everything from the city's colorful politicians to the Cubs, for whom he once worked as a batboy. On Thursday morning, he will deliver one last 'Perspective' on WGN Radio, home to his weekly commentary segment for the past decade, and perhaps conclude the final chapter of a storied Chicago broadcast career. 'Commentary was always the most important thing for me, by far,' said Jacobson, 87. 'I've always been interested in government and politics, and when I had the freedom to say what I wanted to say was right or wrong, that was a blessing for me.' The two-minute radio segment will mark the end of a prodigious run for Jacobson, who once disrupted the airwaves as the unlikeliest of TV news anchors. Paired with co-anchor Bill Kurtis at WBBM-Ch. 2 from 1973 to 1982, Jacobson's signature commentary segment was an integral part of the station's top-rated 10 p.m. newscast. Seated at a separate cluttered desk, often wearing suspenders and glasses later revealed to be purely cosmetic, his feisty take on the day's biggest story set the CBS-owned station and Jacobson apart from the happy talk newscasts that had predominated. The unusual combination of Kurtis, the quintessential anchorman, and Jacobson, a scrappy muckraker, became the yin and yang of local TV news, forming one of the most iconic teams in Chicago broadcast history. 'I was never a great anchorperson – I haven't got the voice,' Jacobson said. 'Bill was always the strength; I was the awkward guy and troublemaker.' Kurtis called it a 'forced marriage' that evolved into a great working relationship, a transformative TV newscast and a lifetime friendship. The more polished Kurtis added anchorman gravitas while hitting the streets to cover stories. More often than not, Jacobson spent most days working on his 90-second commentary feature, Kurtis said. 'I've never seen anybody so focused,' Kurtis said. 'He loved it. I don't think he wanted to do anything in the world except that 'Perspective.' And he owned it.' In 1982, Kurtis left for New York to co-anchor 'The CBS Morning News,' first with Diane Sawyer, and later Phyllis George. Kurtis returned to WBBM-Ch. 2 in 1986, where he again partnered on-air with Jacobson, but the station relinquished its ratings crown to WLS-Ch. 7. Jacobson left WBBM in 1993 for a 13-year-run at WFLD-Ch. 32. The pair reunited on Channel 2 in 2010 to reprise their co-anchor roles for the station's 6 p.m. newscast, but ratings fizzled and they stepped down after 2 1/2 years. In 2014, Jacobson joined WGN Radio, bringing with him, as he has at every stop along the way, his 'Perspective.' 'That gave me another way to be in the business,' Jacobson said. 'That's why I've been doing it for so long.' Growing up an avid Cubs fan in Rogers Park, Jacobson landed his first dream job after his family moved to north suburban Glencoe, becoming a batboy for the team at age 15. Jacobson earned a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and a master's in journalism at Columbia University before earning his stripes as a journalist through stints at City News Bureau, UPI and the Chicago American, an afternoon newspaper owned by the Tribune that ceased publication 50 years ago. Shifting to local television in 1963, Jacobson bounced between a few stations before his 1973 pairing with Kurtis at WBBM-Ch. 2 changed the face of Chicago TV news. Gone were the logoed blazers, pristine sets and cheerful patter, replaced by an actual working newsroom filled with anchors and reporters that became media stars in their own right. 'It was a very big time,' said Kurtis, reflecting on a decade where Channel 2's rating dominance revolutionized local TV news. It also gave Jacobson, originally hired to be the station's version of Len O'Connor, then the acerbic dean of Chicago TV news commentators, a big platform to take on politicians, corporations and others whose misdeeds found their way into his nightly segment. Jacobson, sometimes dismissively referred to as 'Skippy' by competitors and commentary subjects alike, more than rose to the challenge. 'The joke was, what's the worst thing that can happen to a politician? To get a call from Walter Jacobson,' Kurtis said. 'He was a hell of a reporter. He was getting news that nobody else was.' In addition to his Emmy-winning commentaries, Jacobson's legacy includes some notable reporting scoops, such as a 1992 prison interview with serial killer John Wayne Gacy. It also includes a legendary ratings stunt in the winter of 1991, where Jacobson spent two days living as a homeless man, trailed by a camera crew documenting his rapid descent into a state of self-declared misery. But it was Jacobson's 'Perspective' that defined his career, and fittingly became the title of his 2012 memoir. It remained his signature when he shifted from TV to WGN-AM 720 more than a decade ago. The weekly two-minute radio segment has been airing Thursday mornings during Bob Sirott's show. Recent topics have included Walgreen's closing stores, Tesla CEO Elon Musk's unprecedented role in the new Trump administration, and of course, waxing about the rites of spring and his beloved Cubs. 'He has never taken his foot off the gas as far as how he approaches covering any of it,' said Mary Sandberg Boyle, WGN Radio's vice president and general manager. 'He is just as passionate today as he was when he got started.' Sirott, a Chicago TV and radio veteran who took over the morning drive slot at WGN in 2020, first worked with Jacobson and Kurtis when he joined WBBM-Ch.2 in 1980. Getting to work with Jacobson again in the twilight of his career has been a thrill, Sirott said. 'I see Walter in the hall, I still want to get his autograph,' Sirott said. 'It's impossible to convey to someone who wasn't around during the heyday of 'THE 10 O'Clock News' on Channel 2, just how important Walter's 'Perspectives' were – they were must viewing.' In recent years, Jacobson has been recording his weekly segments a day in advance at WGN studios on the 18th floor at 303 E. Wacker Drive, the station's home since 2018, when Tribune Tower was sold and converted to million-dollar condos. Launched more than a century ago by the Chicago Tribune, WGN Radio was purchased in 2019 by Nexstar, the Dallas-based TV station group, as part of its $4.1 billion acquisition of Tribune Media's broadcast properties. On Wednesday, Jacobson arrived at the station to record the final 'Perspective,' and was feted with a farewell party by his radio colleagues. For Jacobson, there is plenty of change in the air. Widowed when his wife died from a head injury after a 2019 dog-walking fall, Jacobson said he is moving from his Gold Coast apartment into a Chicago senior living community in the next few months. He is also planning to visit his daughter and son-in-law, who just had their first baby, at the cannabis farm they own and operate in upstate New York. As to his final 'Perspective,' which is scheduled to air Thursday at 9:25 a.m. on WGN Radio, it may not come off as a farewell address. Jacobson said that while he's 'pretty well ready to retire,' he's not ruling out returning to the airwaves at some point down the road. 'I'm not going to say goodbye,' Jacobson said. 'I can say, 'So long for now.'' His longtime on-air partner understands Jacobson's reluctance to sign off for good. Kurtis, who served as the tongue-in-cheek narrator for 'Anchorman,' the 2004 comedy film featuring Will Ferrell as the legendary and semi-fictional Ron Burgundy, has remained a ubiquitous on-air presence during the new millennium, producing and hosting TV shows such as 'Investigative Reports,' 'American Justice' and 'Cold Case Files.' These days, in addition to his production company, Kurtis, 84, keeps busy with the weekly NPR quiz show 'Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!' where he serves as judge and scorekeeper. 'Walter is older than I am … and both of us should be in assisted living,' Kurtis quipped. 'But we can't let go. And God bless him as long as he can keep going.' rchannick@
Chicago Tribune
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
After more than 50 years, Walter Jacobson to broadcast final ‘Perspective'
For more than half a century, legendary Chicago anchorman and commentator Walter Jacobson has been broadcasting his views on everything from the city's colorful politicians to the Cubs, for whom he once worked as a batboy. On Thursday morning, he will deliver one last 'Perspective' on WGN Radio, home to his weekly commentary segment for the past decade, and perhaps conclude the final chapter of a storied Chicago broadcast career. 'Commentary was always the most important thing for me, by far,' said Jacobson, 87. 'I've always been interested in government and politics, and when I had the freedom to say what I wanted to say was right or wrong, that was a blessing for me.' The two-minute radio segment will mark the end of a prodigious run for Jacobson, who once disrupted the airwaves as the unlikeliest of TV news anchors. Paired with co-anchor Bill Kurtis at WBBM-Ch. 2 from 1973 to 1982, Jacobson's signature commentary segment was an integral part of the station's top-rated 10 p.m. newscast. Seated at a separate cluttered desk, often wearing suspenders and glasses later revealed to be purely cosmetic, his feisty take on the day's biggest story set the CBS-owned station and Jacobson apart from the happy talk newscasts that had predominated. The unusual combination of Kurtis, the quintessential anchorman, and Jacobson, a scrappy muckraker, became the yin and yang of local TV news, forming one of the most iconic teams in Chicago broadcast history. 'I was never a great anchorperson – I haven't got the voice,' Jacobson said. 'Bill was always the strength; I was the awkward guy and troublemaker.' Kurtis called it a 'forced marriage' that evolved into a great working relationship, a transformative TV newscast and a lifetime friendship. The more polished Kurtis added anchorman gravitas while hitting the streets to cover stories. More often than not, Jacobson spent most days working on his 90-second commentary feature, Kurtis said. 'I've never seen anybody so focused,' Kurtis said. 'He loved it. I don't think he wanted to do anything in the world except that 'Perspective.' And he owned it.' In 1982, Kurtis left for New York to co-anchor 'The CBS Morning News,' first with Diane Sawyer, and later Phyllis George. Kurtis returned to WBBM-Ch. 2 in 1986, where he again partnered on-air with Jacobson, but the station relinquished its ratings crown to WLS-Ch. 7. Jacobson left WBBM in 1993 for a 13-year-run at WFLD-Ch. 32. The pair reunited on Channel 2 in 2010 to reprise their co-anchor roles for the station's 6 p.m. newscast, but ratings fizzled and they stepped down after 2 1/2 years. In 2014, Jacobson joined WGN Radio, bringing with him, as he has at every stop along the way, his 'Perspective.' 'That gave me another way to be in the business,' Jacobson said. 'That's why I've been doing it for so long.' Growing up an avid Cubs fan in Rogers Park, Jacobson landed his first dream job after his family moved to north suburban Glencoe, becoming a batboy for the team at age 15. Jacobson earned a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and a master's in journalism at Columbia University before earning his stripes as a journalist through stints at City News Bureau, UPI and the Chicago American, an afternoon newspaper owned by the Tribune that ceased publication 50 years ago. Shifting to local television in 1963, Jacobson bounced between a few stations before his 1973 pairing with Kurtis at WBBM-Ch. 2 changed the face of Chicago TV news. Gone were the logoed blazers, pristine sets and cheerful patter, replaced by an actual working newsroom filled with anchors and reporters that became media stars in their own right. 'It was a very big time,' said Kurtis, reflecting on a decade where Channel 2's rating dominance revolutionized local TV news. It also gave Jacobson, originally hired to be the station's version of Len O'Connor, then the acerbic dean of Chicago TV news commentators, a big platform to take on politicians, corporations and others whose misdeeds found their way into his nightly segment. Jacobson, sometimes dismissively referred to as 'Skippy' by competitors and commentary subjects alike, more than rose to the challenge. 'The joke was, what's the worst thing that can happen to a politician? To get a call from Walter Jacobson,' Kurtis said. 'He was a hell of a reporter. He was getting news that nobody else was.' In addition to his Emmy-winning commentaries, Jacobson's legacy includes some notable reporting scoops, such as a 1992 prison interview with serial killer John Wayne Gacy. It also includes a legendary ratings stunt in the winter of 1991, where Jacobson spent two days living as a homeless man, trailed by a camera crew documenting his rapid descent into a state of self-declared misery. But it was Jacobson's 'Perspective' that defined his career, and fittingly became the title of his 2012 memoir. It remained his signature when he shifted from TV to WGN-AM 720 more than a decade ago. The weekly two-minute radio segment has been airing Thursday mornings during Bob Sirott's show. Recent topics have included Walgreen's closing stores, Tesla CEO Elon Musk's unprecedented role in the new Trump administration, and of course, waxing about the rites of spring and his beloved Cubs. 'He has never taken his foot off the gas as far as how he approaches covering any of it,' said Mary Sandberg Boyle, WGN Radio's vice president and general manager. 'He is just as passionate today as he was when he got started.' Sirott, a Chicago TV and radio veteran who took over the morning drive slot at WGN in 2020, first worked with Jacobson and Kurtis when he joined WBBM-Ch.2 in 1980. Getting to work with Jacobson again in the twilight of his career has been a thrill, Sirott said. 'I see Walter in the hall, I still want to get his autograph,' Sirott said. 'It's impossible to convey to someone who wasn't around during the heyday of 'THE 10 O'Clock News' on Channel 2, just how important Walter's 'Perspectives' were – they were must viewing.' In recent years, Jacobson has been recording his weekly segments a day in advance at WGN studios on the 18th floor at 303 E. Wacker Drive, the station's home since 2018, when Tribune Tower was sold and converted to million-dollar condos. Launched more than a century ago by the Chicago Tribune, WGN Radio was purchased in 2019 by Nexstar, the Dallas-based TV station group, as part of its $4.1 billion acquisition of Tribune Media's broadcast properties. On Wednesday, Jacobson arrived at the station to record the final 'Perspective,' and was feted with a farewell party by his radio colleagues. For Jacobson, there is plenty of change in the air. Widowed when his wife died from a head injury after a 2019 dog-walking fall, Jacobson said he is moving from his Gold Coast apartment into a Chicago senior living community in the next few months. He is also planning to visit his daughter and son-in-law, who just had their first baby, at the cannabis farm they own and operate in upstate New York. As to his final 'Perspective,' which is scheduled to air Thursday at 9:25 a.m. on WGN Radio, it may not come off as a farewell address. Jacobson said that while he's 'pretty well ready to retire,' he's not ruling out returning to the airwaves at some point down the road. 'I'm not going to say goodbye,' Jacobson said. 'I can say, 'So long for now.'' His longtime on-air partner understands Jacobson's reluctance to sign off for good. Kurtis, who served as the tongue-in-cheek narrator for 'Anchorman,' the 2004 comedy film featuring Will Ferrell as the legendary and semi-fictional Ron Burgundy, has remained a ubiquitous on-air presence during the new millennium, producing and hosting TV shows such as 'Investigative Reports,' 'American Justice' and 'Cold Case Files.' These days, in addition to his production company, Kurtis, 84, keeps busy with the weekly NPR quiz show 'Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me!' where he serves as judge and scorekeeper. 'Walter is older than I am … and both of us should be in assisted living,' Kurtis quipped. 'But we can't let go. And God bless him as long as he can keep going.'
