Alan Kalter (born 1943) is an American television announcer from New York City. He is best known as the announcer for the Late Show with David Letterman since September 5, 1995.
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Kalter, nicknamed "Big Red" and "TV's Uncle Jerry", began his stint as the "voice" of the Late Show with David Letterman on September 5, 1995. He announces the guests at the top of each show and the one-liner during the Worldwide Pants title card after the credits, and regularly acts in comedic sketches.
Kalter has done hundreds of voiceovers for national radio and television commercials and was also the lead continuity voice for the USA Network throughout much of the 1980s (his voice can still be heard on USA when the disclaimer before infomercials is read). Previously, he was the announcer for many New York-based television shows including To Tell the Truth, The $10,000 Pyramid, The Money Maze, and The $128,000 Question. All of those series (except The Money Maze) were taped at some point in the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the Late Show is now produced. Additionally, episodes of Truth announced by Kalter were taped in NBC Studio 6A, where Letterman later originated Late Night. Kalter also replaced Bill Wendell as announcer on both Truth and the Late Show.
On the Late Show, Kalter regularly performs in scripted comedy bits, in addition to duties which are more typical of an announcer. He is often portrayed alternately as a sexual deviant (often while grinning mischievously) or as a powerless sap who is beaten to within an inch of his life and left rolling on the ground writhing in pain. He is also often compelled to arbitrarily sing, rant in hysteria, or disrobe as he walks off stage. In many of the sketches, Kalter's antics will leave host David Letterman in a state of amusement, disgust, or total confusion.
Kalter is a native New Yorker, born in 1943 in Brooklyn and raised in Little Neck and Cedarhurst. He was an English teacher at Baldwin High School on Long Island in the late 1960s, and was also the voice of the Michelin Man. He attended Hobart College in Geneva, New York and began his broadcasting career on local radio stations.
Kalter resides in Stamford, Connecticut. After his long-time marriage to Carol Cepler ended in divorce, he married for the second time to Peggy Masterson in 2003. As of 2010, he has five grandchildren.
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| Preceded by Bill Wendell |
Late Show with David Letterman announcer September 4, 1995 –present |
Succeeded by incumbent |