Jim Hill, the NFL player turned sportscaster who has been a stalwart of the Los Angeles’ sports scene for six decades and counting, will be feted with the Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award at a ceremony later this month.
Hill is a fixture of L.A. airwaves, and he ranks as one of the nation’s most respected and well-known sports anchors. He’s started his career at what was then KNXT-TV (now KCBS-TV Los Angeles) in 1976. In 1987, he moved to ABC-owned KABC-TV for four years but returned to KCBS in 1992. Hill is known as a straight-shooter in his reporting and for his Texas-inflected flair in describing games and interviewing sports figures.
Related Stories
“Jim is a legendary and beloved figure in sports broadcasting — a trusted voice and a true pioneer in Los Angeles area news,” said Abrego. “His decades of dedication, excellence and influence have left an indelible mark on the industry; and we are proud to celebrate his extraordinary contributions to our Southland television community.”
Popular on Variety
The Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards will be handed out July 26 at the Skirball Cultural Center. Spectrum News 1 anchor Kelvin Washington will host.
At present, Hill is the sports anchor for the 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. weekday newscasts on CBS2 (KCBS), and he hosts the weekend edition of the station’s “Sports Central” program. Over his long career he’s also covered such events as the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics. He’s also hosted pay-per-view boxing on Showtime. Hill got his start at the mic while he was playing football for Texas A&I University. He went on to play in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns before retiring to pursue broadcasting.
Hill has long been active as a philanthropist and L.A. civic leader. He has served as chair of Los Angeles County’s “Just Say No” antidrug program, as president of the nonprofit Athletes for Kids and chair of the Watts Summer Games. He has served on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Urban League and on the advisory board for the Grossman Burn Center.
The veteran broadcaster earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. He was inducted into the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2010. He’s collected career achievement honors from the the Associated Press, Los Angeles Press Club, United Press International and USA Today, among other organizations.