The Kentucky Broadcasters Association will induct Joel Utley into their Mic Hall of Fame on Monday during their state convention at the Owensboro Convention Center. Utley’s broadcasting career spanned 67 years. He recently announced his retirement on August 3. He received his first radio job at the age of 16 with Madisonville’s WFMW for 2 ½ years where he started out broadcasting as a disc jockey and doing high school basketball play-by-play.
The Madisonville native then moved to WVLK in Lexington for 2 ½ years covering news and sports. In 1961, Utley came to Owensboro to join the WVJS/WSTO-FM and TV2 teams where he did it all – news and sports director, disc jockey, play-by-play for high school football and basketball and college basketball. Utley completed 61 years as the Voice of the Kentucky Wesleyan College basketball Panthers after 1,933 games.
His 60-plus years make him college basketball’s record holder for play-by-play longevity and total games called. He has been selected to Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Alumni Hall of Fame (2021) and Athletic Hall of Fame (2013); the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame (2016) plus received the National Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award (2021).
