Dave Cohen

News Director

Dave Cohen is a veteran journalist and talk show host. He earned his journalism degree from the first and finest journalism school in America at the University of Missouri.

Dave joined our WWL team in 1997 and became news director in 2000.

He hosts the highly rated "Early Edition" of WWL First News at 5am weekday mornings. Yes, New Orleans wakes up with Dave!

Dave brings listeners across Greater New Orleans and the Gulf South the news of the day, conversations that hit home, and topics to make us smile, think, or shake our heads. He’s that trusted voice in the morning, and Dave loves keeping listeners company…and making sure they get the information they need all day long from our award winning WWL news team.

Dave also hosts and anchors news specials and breaking news coverage on WWL... from the 2025 terror attack on Bourbon Street…to the 2005 coverage of Hurricane Katrina …and all the elections and events in between. Dave has been a guiding voice on WWL through some of the most challenging times and biggest moments.

He has been center stage for the breaking coverage of countless hurricanes…the BP oil disaster …numerous indictments and trials…presidential, state-wide and local elections…celebrations like Mardi Gras, the reopening of the Superdome, the Buddy D Dress Parade, the Saints Super Bowl parade…plus countless other key events for more than a quarter of a century.

Dave fell in love with Louisiana and New Orleans, raising his four children here with his wife. Nothing he loves better than boiling (and eating) crawfish, swinging on the porch and watching birds enjoy the feeders, and heading out to fantastic Louisiana fairs and festivals!

Since his first radio show, when he was just 14-years-old, Dave has continued to make his dreams of informing and entertaining people on the radio come true for nearly three decades at WWL.

New Orleans depends on Dave Cohen!

on-air

Nick Ashooh

audio from WWL

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Dave Cohen