Jim Boyd, Longtime WCVB-TV News Anchor and Reporter, Dies at 84
Jim Boyd, a pioneering Boston television news anchor and reporter who worked at WCVB-TV for nearly four decades, has died aged 84. His death was announced on 27 October 2026 by WCVB-TV, where he served as a familiar presence in local news until his retirement.
Boyd joined WCVB-TV in 1972, the year the Boston station began broadcasting. Starting as a general assignment reporter, he later anchored weekend and EyeOpener newscasts and spent approximately 25 years co-anchoring NewsCenter 5’s Midday programme alongside Susan Wornick.
His contribution extended beyond daily news coverage. Boyd became the original host of Third World, WCVB’s minority public affairs programme, which was later renamed City Line.
The role formed part of his broader career covering communities and bringing their experiences to television audiences.
Boyd’s broadcasting journey began in 1961, when he joined New York public television station WNET-TV as a mailroom employee. He subsequently moved into public affairs and production, including work on WGBH-TV’s Black public affairs programme “Say Brother” in Boston.
He later returned to WNET-TV, working as an associate producer and producer on the Emmy Award-winning news analysis programme “News in Perspective”. Those early production positions preceded his move into on-air reporting and anchoring in Boston.
When Boyd retired in December 2008, he had completed 36 years with WCVB. Reflecting on his time at the station, he told colleagues, “It’s been a magnificent experience.”
His achievements continued after leaving broadcasting. In 2013, Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tufts University at the age of 71, completing an educational ambition he had postponed earlier in life.
Born James Lloyd Boyd in New York City in March 1942, he built a television career spanning five decades, from behind-the-scenes production work to becoming a longstanding figure in Boston news broadcasting.
