2022 Excellence Honoree

Director of news and programming, WDEL Radio in Wilmington

Chris Carl has worked in news broadcasting for the past 28 years at WDEL in Wilmington. He joined the staff in 1993 as a weekend anchor and part-time reporter. He was named news director in 1999, and director of news & programming in 2008, and has served in this position ever since. 

Under his leadership, WDEL has won an NAB Marconi Award as Medium Market Station on the Year, an NAB Crystal Award for public service, several RTDNA national Murrow Awards including multiple awards for Overall Excellence, and has been named News Operation of the Year several times by the Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association. 

Carl is a past national chairman for RTDNA/RTDNF and a past president of the Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association, Delaware Coalition for Open Government and Delaware Bar-Bench-Media Conference. He’s been active in leadership for the Delaware Press Association and Society of Professional Journalist Delaware Chapter. In 2012, Carl received the Delaware Press Association’s highest honor: Communicator of Achievement.