Longtime South Carolina TV anchor will soon retire. Here’s what’s next for him

A longtime South Carolina TV news anchor will soon leave his station after more than three decades on air.

Michael Cogdill on Wednesday said he is planning to retire from WYFF, an NBC affiliate based in Greenville.

“I’ve been blessed to cover so much news — the bad and the good — and to be welcomed into your homes,” he said in a video on the news outlet’s website. “Everybody out there is extended family.”

Cogdill has been with WYFF since March 1989, when he was hired as an anchor and reporter. Since then, he has interviewed notable politicians and other news makers, according to the station.

“He is a tremendous journalist and a gifted storyteller, who has mentored so many young reporters and producers through the years,” news director Akili Franklin said on the WYFF website. “We are grateful for the legacy he’s left.”

Next, Cogdill is onto another venture.

In his next chapter, he said he plans to start a consulting company and publish a book. He’s already the author of a novel and two children’s stories.

Cogdill is leaving his job in late November, and the station said it’s paying tribute to him throughout that month. After he announced his plans to retire from the anchor desk, tributes started pouring in on social media.

“Enjoy your retirement,” one Facebook user said. “You have been a part of our family’s news for many years and we appreciate your great reporting. Best wishes.”

“Thank You, Michael Cogdill for 33-years at @wyffnews4,” another person wrote on Twitter. “It will never be the same without you when you retire next month. #EndOfAnEra.”

Cogdill is from the mountain town of Weaverville, North Carolina, and attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He started his journalism career in Wilmington before landing at WYFF, where officials said he won multiple awards.

“It is so bittersweet because these are some of the best people in the industry and in the world,” he said in a video.