He graduated from the College of Wooster in Ohio and received his master's in communications from Syracuse University.
In 1966, he moved to New York City to join ABC Radio News to anchor the network's newscasts, which were broadcast across the United States.
In 1969, Edel moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to anchor the television newscasts for KSOO-TV (later renamed KSFY-TV).
In 1980, he moved to Washington, DC, where he worked at ABC as a news writer for Good Morning America.
In 1982, Edel anchored the newscasts on the Voice of America shortwave radio service for eighteen years.