Legendary Washington D.C. NBC 4 anchor, Jim Vance, has died.
The station made the announcement this morning.
Vance, who’d been with WRC-TV for more than 45 years, was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. No further details about his death were provided.
The Emmy-award winning anchorman was an institution in D.C. for decades. He started at the station as a reporter in 1969 and was soon elevated to the anchor chair. He’d sat along a cast of co-anchors including Doreen Gentzler, who he teamed up with in 1989.
The Post reports NBC’s 11 p.m. newscast brought in more viewers in the D.C. market than the primetime shows on the cable networks.
NBC Washington’s general manager, Jackie Bradford, released this statement today on the station website.
We are heartbroken to announce that Jim Vance died this morning. For more than 45 years, Jim Vance was not only the soul of NBC4 but of the entire Washington area. His smooth voice, brilliant mind and unforgettable laugh leaves each of us with a tremendous void. Vance always celebrated the good and acknowledged the parts of life that didn’t go so well. That made him a great man. To everyone in the Washington area who is heartbroken today, please know we grieve right along with you. Jim loved his job, his family and Washington with all his heart, and we will all cherish the legacy he has left us forever.