Luke Burbank

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling.
You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available. (June 2008)

Luke Burbank (born May 8, 1976) is the host of Too Beautiful to Live, a nighttime radio show in Seattle (7pm-10pm daily) on 710 KIRO.

Burbank was the co-host of National Public Radio's morning show Bryant Park Project at its inception. His last appearance on the program was on December 14, 2007. He was previously a freelance reporter for other NPR shows such as All Things Considered, This American Life, and Morning Edition.

In July 2006 he became a panelist on the radio game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He substituted as host for Peter Sagal for some weeks while Sagal finished his book, and continues whenever Sagal takes a vacation. When he is hosting, it is traditional for the audience to yell "Luke!" as the show comes back from break. The audience chants "Luke" the same way it was chanted in Chicago Bulls games when Luc Longley was in possession of the ball. The home listeners sometimes think that the audience is booing him, requiring an explanation on the main Wait, Wait website.

Bryant Park Project struggled with low carriage rates by NPR stations, and Burbank left the show in mid-December 2007. He said he was leaving so he could return to Seattle to spend more time with his daughter.

Prior to NPR, Burbank was producer at the Kirby Wilbur show, a conservative talk show in Seattle. He also did some work with then-Seattle Times columnist Michelle Malkin, who later become nationally known. Burbank was featured in a promo in which a caller accused Burbank of being a secret "plant." The caller claimed that Burbank was a former U.S. Customs agent who was a frequent caller to the Art Bell radio show known as "Charlie, liberal from California."