Renee Shaw to retire from KET after nearly 30 years of service

After 29 years of dedicated service, Renee Shaw will retire from KET at the end of the month.

Beginning her KET career as a reporter and associate producer, Shaw has been key to connecting viewers with the issues, leaders and conversations shaping Kentucky. As Director of Public Affairs and Moderator, Shaw currently hosts Kentucky Edition each weeknight as well as Kentucky Tonight, KET’s signature public policy discussion series. In addition, she moderates KET Forums and election coverage.

“Renee is one of the most trusted and respected voices in Kentucky journalism, known for her thoughtful reporting, in‑depth interviews, and commitment to civil, informed public discourse,” said KET Executive Director and CEO Shae Hopkins. “We are deeply grateful for everything she’s done to serve communities across the state, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter.”

Over the years, Shaw has played a central role in the expansion of KET’s public affairs coverage to include a daily current events series, townhall-style forums, and multi-platform initiatives around issues such as aging, opioid addiction and youth mental health.

“For nearly three decades, KET has been my professional home and offered me such rich opportunities. To sit across from governors, lawmakers, artists, educators and everyday Kentuckians has been a privilege. I have always believed that if the last thing I did becomes the last thing I did, it had better be the best thing I did,” said Shaw. “As I look back on this journey, my heart is full of gratitude for the viewers who trusted me, the colleagues who inspired me, and the Commonwealth that allowed me to tell its stories.”

During her tenure at KET, Shaw won three Ohio Valley Regional Emmy awards and has been inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame, and Western Kentucky University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, providing trusted programming, lifelong learning opportunities and essential services to more than two million people each week. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization at KET.org, on X @KET and at facebook.com/KET.