Joel Connable
Encyclopedia
Joel Connable is an American television host, news anchor and reporter. He is a former 6pm and 7pm news anchor at NBC6
in Miami. He was named "Best News Anchor," by the New Times Magazine
in 2009. Connable now runs a company, called Travel TV News, which produces television segments about vacation ideas and deals that air on the number-one television stations in major TV markets across the country. Connable makes regular appearances on WPLG (ABC) in Miami,Fox News, CNN, the BBC and many other television networks. Connable has also anchored and reported the news for CBS in Los Angeles and South Carolina as well as for MSNBC and "Early Today," on NBC. Connable is also a former private pilot
, and former paramedic
, from Long Island, New York.
Connable grew up in Roslyn, New York
on Long Island
. Joel was adopted in 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana by his parents who lived in New York. Joel grew up in Roslyn Estates and attended the Roslyn Public Schools. His father is a writer and used to be the speechwriter for the president of Columbia University in New York. His mother is avidly involved in politics and is also a writer. His parents met at the University of Michigan where they were both students. Joel Connable's brother Ben, retired from the US Marine Corps after serving as an Arabic linguist and a Major. His brother served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Connable was an editor on his high school newspaper, The Hilltop Beacon. He was almost suspended during his senior year for publishing a story about the lack of fire extinguishers in the high school. Joel was known for fighting censorship by the school's administration to make sure stories made the front page for students. While at high school, he won second prize in the Martin Luther King Jr. Heritage Project Essay Contest at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. Joel attended University of Southern California
, studying broadcast journalism at the Annenberg School for Communication
. Joel also studied at Tulane University in New Orleans and Columbia University in New York.
Connable's first broadcasting job was as a newscaster with CBS
affiliate WLTX
in Columbia, South Carolina, doing a segment called the Restaurant Report Card in South Carolina where he reported the state health inspection scores of restaurants across the state. Joel handed out one Golden Spatula every week to the one restaurant the received the highest grade. Today there are over 200 Golden Spatulas hanging in restaurants around the Midlands of South Carolina. Connable also did a segment called "Big Money Monday" where he traveled with State Treasurer Grady Patterson to notify people that they were owned money (unclaimed property) by the State. In the weekly segment, Joel brought the 82 year old State Treasurer with him to surprise people at their homes. Joel worked in a special consumer unit called, "The On Your Side Team," where he and another reporter, named Adam Murphy, answered calls about rip offs and scams and helped people get their money back or helped to notify the public about bad businesses. The On Your Side Team turned News19's ratings around after years of being in second and third place.
After three and a half years at News19, Connable was hired at CBS2/KCAL-TV
in Los Angeles, California. He spent three years there as a reporter and then in 2005, Joel Connable moved to WTVJ
, the NBC affiliate in Miami as the 6pm and 7pm news anchor. He also works as a consumer and investigative reporter. He also worked as a fill-in anchor for Early Today on NBC News in New York and as an anchor for MSNBC.
Connable earned several Emmy awards for reporting. He was also honored by the Los Angeles Press Club and the Associated Press for his breaking news and feature reporting.
Prior to entering journalism, Connable worked as a paramedic for the Nassau County Police Department. He received his paramedic license from the State of New York and New York City Medical Advisory Council certification in 1992. He was trained at St. Vincent's Hospital Institute of Emergency Care in Paramedic Class #12. Connable worked on a one person ambulance where he worked alone and was assisted by police officers on emergency calls. The Nassau County Police Department operates the only full-time EMS service in Nassau County. He also volunteered as a Captain/Paramedic in Nassau County
, New York
for a local ambulance corps.
Connable has Type I diabetes. He carries an insulin pump with him 24 hours a day. He has had diabetes since he was 13 years old. Connable was named as Volunteer of the Year by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 2005 for his work to help find a cure to the disease.
Emmy Award - 2001 - Best Breaking News Report
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
in Miami. He was named "Best News Anchor," by the New Times Magazine
New Times Magazine
New Times was an American glossy bi-weekly national magazine published from 1973 to 1979 by George A. Hirsch. Hirsch had been publisher of New York magazine, but resigned after conflicts with founder/editor Clay Felker. New Times began as a bridge between the newsweeklies and the more reflective...
in 2009. Connable now runs a company, called Travel TV News, which produces television segments about vacation ideas and deals that air on the number-one television stations in major TV markets across the country. Connable makes regular appearances on WPLG (ABC) in Miami,Fox News, CNN, the BBC and many other television networks. Connable has also anchored and reported the news for CBS in Los Angeles and South Carolina as well as for MSNBC and "Early Today," on NBC. Connable is also a former private pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, and former paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
, from Long Island, New York.
Connable grew up in Roslyn, New York
Roslyn, New York
Roslyn is a village in Nassau County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the village population was 2,770...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Joel was adopted in 1973 in New Orleans, Louisiana by his parents who lived in New York. Joel grew up in Roslyn Estates and attended the Roslyn Public Schools. His father is a writer and used to be the speechwriter for the president of Columbia University in New York. His mother is avidly involved in politics and is also a writer. His parents met at the University of Michigan where they were both students. Joel Connable's brother Ben, retired from the US Marine Corps after serving as an Arabic linguist and a Major. His brother served several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Connable was an editor on his high school newspaper, The Hilltop Beacon. He was almost suspended during his senior year for publishing a story about the lack of fire extinguishers in the high school. Joel was known for fighting censorship by the school's administration to make sure stories made the front page for students. While at high school, he won second prize in the Martin Luther King Jr. Heritage Project Essay Contest at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. Joel attended University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, studying broadcast journalism at the Annenberg School for Communication
USC Annenberg School for Communication
The USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism comprises a School ofCommunication and a School of Journalism at the University of Southern California . It is led by Dean Ernest J. Wilson III, Ph.D....
. Joel also studied at Tulane University in New Orleans and Columbia University in New York.
Connable's first broadcasting job was as a newscaster with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WLTX
WLTX
WLTX, is the CBS-affiliated television station in Columbia, South Carolina. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 17 from a transmitter located in Lugoff, South Carolina. Syndicated programming on the station includes: The Andy Griffith Show, The Doctors, The Ellen DeGeneres...
in Columbia, South Carolina, doing a segment called the Restaurant Report Card in South Carolina where he reported the state health inspection scores of restaurants across the state. Joel handed out one Golden Spatula every week to the one restaurant the received the highest grade. Today there are over 200 Golden Spatulas hanging in restaurants around the Midlands of South Carolina. Connable also did a segment called "Big Money Monday" where he traveled with State Treasurer Grady Patterson to notify people that they were owned money (unclaimed property) by the State. In the weekly segment, Joel brought the 82 year old State Treasurer with him to surprise people at their homes. Joel worked in a special consumer unit called, "The On Your Side Team," where he and another reporter, named Adam Murphy, answered calls about rip offs and scams and helped people get their money back or helped to notify the public about bad businesses. The On Your Side Team turned News19's ratings around after years of being in second and third place.
After three and a half years at News19, Connable was hired at CBS2/KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV
KCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
in Los Angeles, California. He spent three years there as a reporter and then in 2005, Joel Connable moved to WTVJ
WTVJ
WTVJ, virtual channel 6 , is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC television network, located in Broward County. WTVJ shares its TV studio and office facility with co-owned Telemundo station WSCV in Miramar, Florida, and its transmitter is located near Sun Life Stadium in north...
, the NBC affiliate in Miami as the 6pm and 7pm news anchor. He also works as a consumer and investigative reporter. He also worked as a fill-in anchor for Early Today on NBC News in New York and as an anchor for MSNBC.
Connable earned several Emmy awards for reporting. He was also honored by the Los Angeles Press Club and the Associated Press for his breaking news and feature reporting.
Prior to entering journalism, Connable worked as a paramedic for the Nassau County Police Department. He received his paramedic license from the State of New York and New York City Medical Advisory Council certification in 1992. He was trained at St. Vincent's Hospital Institute of Emergency Care in Paramedic Class #12. Connable worked on a one person ambulance where he worked alone and was assisted by police officers on emergency calls. The Nassau County Police Department operates the only full-time EMS service in Nassau County. He also volunteered as a Captain/Paramedic in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for a local ambulance corps.
Connable has Type I diabetes. He carries an insulin pump with him 24 hours a day. He has had diabetes since he was 13 years old. Connable was named as Volunteer of the Year by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 2005 for his work to help find a cure to the disease.
Movie and Television Appearances
- Paparazzi 2004
- Las VegasLas Vegas (TV series)Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and...
2004 - Threat MatrixThreat MatrixThreat Matrix is a 2003 American drama television series. It lasted 16 episodes. The plot consisted of the events in a United States Homeland Security anti-terrorism unit, led by Special agent John Kilmer....
2002 - Third WatchThird WatchThird Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
2000 - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
2001 - Liar LiarLiar LiarLiar Liar is a 1997 American comedy film written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur, directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical...
1996
Awards
- Los Angeles Press Club - 2004 - Best Feature Story
- Nominated for 2010 Emmy Award - Best Human Interest Story - The Ladder Shop - story about San Francisco firefighters and how the department builds their own wooden ladders.
- Los Angeles Area Emmys - News Feature Reporting - 2004
- Emmy Award - 2003 - Outstanding Feature Reporting - Los Angeles
- Emmy Award - 2004 - Best Breaking News Coverage - Los Angeles
- Emmy Award - 2002 - Best Spot News Reporting
- Emmy Award - 2000 - Best Series Reporting
- Emmy Award - 2001 - Best Feature Reporting
Emmy Award - 2001 - Best Breaking News Report
- Associated Press Award - 2000 - 2nd Place - Investigative Reporting
- Associated Press Award - 2005 - 2nd Place Investigative Reporting
- Edward R Murrow Award - 2004 - Best Feature Report
- Commendation from the State of South Carolina - 2000 - Consumer Advocacy
- Volunteer of the Year - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - 2004
- World Travel Awards - 1st Place Travel Reporting