Multi-award-winning WAVE news anchor John Boel has announced he will retire in early 2025.
The beloved Kentucky journalist took to Instagram earlier today to declare the culmination of his 40-year career and how he intends to continue helping people.
Between her time at WLKY and WAVE, Boel has won a record 106 Emmy Awards for her investigative work, four of them this year alone.
Additionally, he has also won 17 Edward R. Murrow Awards and two Eclipse Awards in his career.
Multi-award-winning WAVE news anchor John Boel has announced he will retire in early 2025.
While he has spent years behind a camera, Boel is best known for his efforts to help people on the road to addiction recovery.
The long-time triathlete began rehabilitation in November 2010 and since his recovery, he has shared his story to help others suffering from the disease.
Boel is the author of two books titled In the News… In the News: A Journalist’s Own Story of Recovery and Self-Discovery and Castaway: Five Generations of Fish Family Stories, the first of which delves into his experience with addiction.
In his announcement, the revered journalist wrote: ‘When I arrived at rehab in November 2010, I thought my life and career were over. A couple of days after I arrived, a counselor at Hazelden handed me the St Paul Pioneer Press because he had an article he wanted me to read. It turned out to be about a guy I idolized in college named Don Shelby, a legendary anchorman and leader of the I-Team at WCCO-TV. The guy I wanted to be like.
While he has spent years behind a camera, Boel is best known for his efforts to help people in the world of addiction recovery.
The long-time triathlete entered rehab in November 2010 and since recovering has shared his story to help others suffering from addiction.
‘The story was news to me. It detailed his downfall due to alcoholism. But he had gone to treatment, turned his life around and was happily retiring after having fulfilled his career.
‘I was told that story to give me hope. But I sat there and cried because it all seemed so unattainable and impossible at that point in my shattered life.
‘After that, something wonderful happened. People were encouraging me and at the same time genuinely criticizing my character flaws, the list went on and on. They told me that I could get there too if I did what they told me and put it in the hands of a higher power.
The beloved Kentucky journalist took to Instagram earlier today to declare the culmination of his 40-year career and how he intends to continue helping people.
Boel is also the author of two books titled ‘On the News… In the News: A Journalist’s Own Story of Recovery and Self-Discovery’ and ‘Cast Away: Five Generations of Family Fish Stories’, the first of which delves into his experience with addiction.
In the same post, he revealed that his last broadcast will air on February 28, 2025.
‘I received the same kind of encouragement, support and honesty from countless people after the plane landed in Louisville and after.
‘One thing led to another. An offer from WAVE. Promotions. Amazing coworkers. Paying off debt. Achievements in journalism. A better family life. Successful children. Growth as a person. And now, I’m happy to announce my own retirement.’
“I’ve spent 40 years in this business trying to help people, but there are other people in Wisconsin who need my help. I hope I can do that as a son, brother, father and grandfather, rather than as a journalist.”
In the same post, he revealed that his last broadcast will be on February 28, 2025.
Boel shares two daughters, Kelsey and Brianna, and a dog named Durango with his wife Brenda.
