MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Wednesday marks 30 years at News13 for a very special and familiar face there.
Nicole Boone began her career at WBTW-TV on Nov. 13, 1989.
Since, she’s become a household name in the Pee Dee and on the Grand Strand by bringing viewers stories with professionalism and heart.
Boone has had the opportunity to tell a wide range of stories, earning viewers’ trust and becoming a decorated journalist along the way.
“You don’t find that too often at any TV station,” News13 Vice President and General Manager Jeff West said. “She’s such a loyal employee. The market has been fortunate to have her and WBTW News13 has been fortunate as well.”
Boone grew up in the South Carolina Upstate, spending her childhood years in rural Roebuck. Later on, she studied communications at Winthrop College in Rock Hill.
After graduating, Boone began her professional broadcasting career at WGSE-TV, an independent Christian television station based in Myrtle Beach.
A year later, Boone headed to Florence to start at WBTW. It marked the beginning of an award-winning and wide-ranging era in her career that would give her the chance to tell the region’s stories for decades.
Boone spent the first four years at WBTW as a general assignment reporter and health reporter. She started anchoring the 5 p.m. news with Brad Means in 1994.
Later that same year, Boone moved from the 5 o’clock desk to the 6 and 11 o’clock shows.
A walking encyclopedia of the region, Boone is well-versed in both the history and current happenings of the Grand Strand and Pee Dee.
Ask her about standout stories from throughout the years, and she’ll likely tell you about the death of James Jordan, the Myrtle Beach ferris wheel accident, the Susan Smith case and the tragic shooting of seven officers in Florence.
But not every story she’s worked on has been that heavy.
She’s interviewed high-profile celebrities like Gloria Gaynor, Darius Rucker and Tom Cruise, among many others. She also traveled to Hollywood to do a series of special reports on the stars of the Young and the Restless and the Bold and the Beautiful. She even appeared as an extra on the Young and the Restless!
Her talents on the desk and in the field have not gone unnoticed. She’s racked up numerous awards throughout the years, including a Television Journalism Award for her series on childhood obesity and two awards from the South Carolina Associated Press Broadcast Awards contest.
If she’s not at WBTW, there’s a good chance Boone is serving her community in other ways. Whether that be participating at events for the Grand Strand Miracle League, volunteering at a local school or speaking at a church group, Boone is giving back every chance she can.
“You’ve been a great friend and a great mentor to so many who have come and gone,” WBTW News Director Eric Walters said. “And when you look at the phrase ‘Coverage You Can Count on’, you’ve embodied that so long. We appreciate you and we look forward to working with you for many years to come.”
From everyone at News13, thank you, Nickie, for being such an important and irreplaceable part of our team.
Here’s to another 30, Nickie!