Louisville Radio: Tony Cruise To Retire From WHAS

Tony Cruise, a market vet radio personality and morning host of Kentuckiana’s Morning News on NewsRadio 840 WHAS in Louisville, Kentucky, announced his retirement Wednesday. His final broadcast scheduled for the end of May 2025. 

After over 32 years at WHAS, Cruise’s departure marks the end of a significant era for the station, where he has been a staple of local news and talk radio. Below is a detailed overview of his retirement, career, listener reactions, and the broader context, drawing on available information and critically analyzing the implications.

Tony Cruise

Cruise expressed gratitude to his audience, stating, “I’ve been really blessed to be here for 32 and a half years, and I will be retiring here at the end of May. I want to thank the audience that has put up with me here throughout my years at NewsRadio 840 WHAS. For my informed or uninformed opinions, takes, and sometimes stupid questions. You’ve all put up with it. I really do appreciate it. So it’s weird using the term retirement, because you never think that this day is going to come.”

WHAS, owned by iHeartMedia, has not yet announced a replacement for Cruise in the morning slot. The station’s plans for the 5–9 AM daypart remain undisclosed, raising questions about whether they will promote an internal host or seek an external candidate.

Cruise previously hosted SportsTalk 840 at WHAS, a program that ended in 2015 when the station refocused on news and talk. He also co-hosted with Tony Vanetti and Dwight Witten on Tony & Dwight in late mornings, though listener feedback suggests this format faced criticism for its tone.