Feliks Banel is KIRO Newsradio’s resident historian and a leading voice in Pacific Northwest cultural preservation. With three decades of experience across museums, radio, and digital media, he specializes in:
Banel prioritizes stories that:
“History isn’t just about dates - it’s the breathing connection between who we were and who we’re becoming.”
Recent recognitions include a 2016 Northwest Regional Emmy and the 2019 Charles Payton Award for historical communication. His work continues to shape how Northwesterners understand their shared heritage.
Banel’s journey began in the halls of the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), where he served as deputy director in the late 1990s. Here, he developed innovative programs blending historical preservation with community engagement. His 2000 launch of Seattle Radio Theatre at MOHAI marked a turning point, reviving live radio drama through annual productions like It’s a Wonderful Life. This fusion of historical storytelling and performative media would become his signature style.
Transitioning fully to broadcast media in the 2000s, Banel became a fixture on Seattle airwaves. His KIRO Newsradio segments and SPACE 101.1 FM’s Cascade of History program demonstrate his mastery of making regional history accessible. Notable projects include:
This 2016 piece combines environmental history with cultural analysis, tracing how a 1965 orca capture shaped Northwest attitudes toward marine conservation. Banel employs oral histories, archival news clips, and policy analysis to show how Namu’s story influenced modern whale protection laws. The article’s impact led to renewed interest in marine preservation partnerships between tribal nations and state agencies.
Banel’s 2022 obituary-analysis hybrid goes beyond standard biographical fare. Through interviews with Evans’ contemporaries and analysis of his conservation policies, the piece contextualizes how one leader’s vision shaped modern Washington. Researchers have cited this work in studies of bipartisan environmental policymaking.
Demonstrating his policy analysis range, this 2025 article examines transportation history through the lens of current events. Banel draws parallels between 1970s Seattle transit debates and modern urban planning challenges, providing historical context rarely seen in contemporary policy journalism.
Banel consistently links current events to historical patterns. A successful pitch might explore how today’s tech workforce migration mirrors 19th-century logging camp demographics. His 2021 series on WWII-era Boeing expansion shows how he contextualizes industrial changes through human stories.
With his radio production background, Banel favors stories incorporating archival audio or visual elements. Proposals including access to historical photographs, oral history recordings, or location filming opportunities align with his award-winning Seattle Channel documentaries.
The journalist prioritizes stories that fill historical gaps, particularly regarding indigenous communities and mid-20th century cultural shifts. His 2018 series on vanished Puget Sound towns demonstrates interest in preserving marginalized histories.
Banel received this honor for his Seattle Channel documentary series exploring the city’s musical history. The award recognizes his innovative blending of archival footage with contemporary interviews, setting a new standard for local historical programming.
This prestigious honor acknowledges Banel’s decades of work making state history accessible through multiple media platforms. The selection committee particularly noted his radio work’s impact on engaging younger audiences with regional heritage.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on History, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
