Jim Watkins (news anchor)
James Raymond Watkins (born October 21, 1956) is an American anchor and journalist.
Career
Watkins was previously employed by WPIX-TV from October 26, 1998, to October 9, 2011, where he was the weeknight anchor for PIX11 News at Ten for 11 years.[1] During Watkins' career as a New York City news anchor he also worked for WNBC-TV (weekends) and alongside WPIX's Kaity Tong for 14 years.[2] While working at WPIX, Watkins received three Emmy awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award for Broadcast Excellence.[3][4]
Watkins was Tribune Broadcasting's lead anchor during the 9/11 live television coverage consecutively for 5 days. In 2014, his recollections of the tragedy, starting with the day before the World Trade Center attack, were featured in the NatGeo documentary "9/10: The Final Hours."[5]
Watkins' TV news career also included time at WPHL Philadelphia (anchor), the syndicated FOX Los Angeles "Entertainment Daily Journal" (correspondent), WBZ Boston's "Evening Magazine" (co-host), and WTVF-TV Nashville (anchor).
Every year, Jim Watkins hosts a television program at the Hispanic Day Parade, which occurs on the second Sunday of October. Watkins, a native of Ohio, was a former anchor and reporter from CBS affiliate WTVF in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.[6] He writes columns for AM New York, a free weekday daily distributed in New York City. He also writes a blog for the television station's news program.
In 2014 Watkins joined News 8 WTNH-TV in New Haven Connecticut.[7] On August 19, 2015, Watkins left WTNH News 8.
Personal life
Watkins is married and has three children, including a teenage son with autism.[8] Watkins is an autism advocate and has been a keynote speaker at numerous autism benefits.
References
- "WTNH Hires Jim Watkins for Weekend Mornings". NewEnglandOne.com. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- "Anchor's away at WPIX-TV veteran Cafferty out". Daily News. New York. 7 October 1998. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- "Jim Watkins officially ends association with WIPX". FishbowlNY. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- Starr, Michael (23 March 2001). "THE STARR REPORT".
- Lowry, Brian (5 September 2014). "TV Review: HBO's 'A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY,' NatGeo's '9/10: The Final Hours'". Variety. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- "Jim Watkins - HuffPost". Huffington Post.
- "News team 8". wtnh.com. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- "Funding cuts jeopardize services for Staten Islanders with autism". silive.com. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2015.