Allan Loudell is a News Anchor / Interviewer host here on 1150 AM WDEL. He anchors the "Delaware News at Noon" (12 Noon - 1pm) on 1150 AM WDEL and downstate on Delaware 105.9, and the "WDEL Delaware Afternoon/Evening News" 4-6:30 p.m.

From time to time, Allan has taught broadcast newswriting at The University of Delaware. He has served in various leadership positions at Delaware Press Association, including Vice-President for Programs, and Parliamentarian; a Board member of The Society of Professional Journalists, Philadelphia chapter; and Past President of the Corporate Board, The Delaware Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership.

Allan has been on-the-air -- more or less continuously -- since the age of thirteen! He has been on-the-air in the Wilmington market since 1987, and joined WDEL / Delmarva Broadcasting Company in September 2005. Before his arrival in Delaware, he spent ten years on-the-air in Memphis, Tennessee, including as morning news-anchor for the nation's first urban (Black)-formatted station, WDIA. His first boss in Memphis was the late Sam Phillips, owner of the legendary Sun Records studio, who discovered such rockabilly artists as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis! Allan believes he was first on-the-air with word of Elvis Presley's death!

Allan has won dozens of awards over the years. Readers of DELAWARE TODAY have named Allan "Best Radio News Anchor (Upstate)" for six consecutive years.

Allan has also received these lifetime awards: The "Delaware Communicator of Achievement" award from the Delaware Press Association, and the "People Helping People" award from the Delaware chapter of People to People International.

Allan grew-up in the Chicago area and got his start in radio in the Chicago suburbs, beginning with his high school radio station, WLTL. (His high school -- Lyons Township High School -- inducted Allan into its Hall of Fame in 1996.) He received his B.S. in communications -- with special emphasis on history and political science -- from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1977; he spent all four years as a news anchor, and also served as news director and talk-show host for the student-run commercial radio station, WPGU.

Allan has covered -- or even interviewed -- many historic figures: Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan; Al Gore as a U.S. Representative and Senator from Tennessee; the late Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley; the late Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat; the Dalai Lama; the Coptic Pope Shenouda II; retired South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu; the Swedish King and Queen; the late Lesotho King Moshoeshoe II; former Polish President & Polish Solidarity leader Lech Walesa; and various Commonwealth Prime Ministers (including a former Australian Prime Minister, just hours before the biggest scandal in that politician's career!)

Indeed, Allan has contacts around the world: Just after 9/11, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir interviewed Osama bin Laden. Only Loudell and CNN's Larry King landed an interview immediately afterwards with that Pakistani journalist. During the Soviet coup-attempt, Loudell landed an interview with Mikhail Gorbachev's former press secretary, Gennadi Gerasimov, from the (then) Soviet Embassy in Lisbon.

Allan started "High School Student Journalists' and Communicators' Hour" on Delaware radio. He guest-lectures at many area high schools and colleges (Commencement Speaker at Goldey-Beacom College in the 1990's). He helps judge the annual high-school newspaper competition in Delaware, sponsored by Delaware Press Association. He also has pioneered broadcasting from many of the area's church and ethnic festivals.

Allan Loudell is married to wife, Barbara, who teaches at St. Edmond's Academy. They have two children, Allison and Michael. Completely outside the realm of broadcast journalism and community service, Loudell is passionate about a number of subject areas, including African and Middle-East studies; comparative religion; international broadcast listening (DX'ing); entomology (insects), particularly lepidoptera (butterflies & moths); nature photography; vexillology (flags); model railroading; and license plates.