Liputan6.com, Jakarta Jim Avila, a veteran television journalist widely recognized for his dedication spanning nearly five decades, passed away at his home in San Diego, California, on November 13, 2025.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, ABC News Live anchor Diane Macedo announced the "sad news" that former senior correspondent Jim Avila has died.
Advertisement
He died at the age of or 70 after a long disease.
While the exact cause of death was not officially disclosed, Avila was known to have had a complex medical history, including a kidney transplant several years earlier.
Some reports also mentioned complications from a fall and the palliative care he underwent during the final six weeks of his life.
"He also worked in the White House and broke the news that the U.S. and Cuba had reopened diplomatic relations. That story earned him the prestigious Merriman Award from the White House Correspondents Association," Macedo continued.
ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic expressed his deepest condolences to the Avila family, including his three children: Jamie, Jenny, and Evan.
Jim Avila's Profile and Career
Jim Avila, born James Joseph Simon on July 26, 1955, in Lombard, Illinois, USA, began his broadcasting career in 1973 at KCBS Radio San Francisco.
He quickly rose through the ranks, from managing editor to bureau chief, before transitioning to television at KPIX-TV.
His career took him to several leading news stations, including WLS (ABC Chicago) and WBBM (CBS Chicago), where he covered politics and served as an anchor.
Avila is known for his daring war coverage, including the Persian Gulf War from Tel Aviv and Saudi Arabia in 1991.
He also covered other significant events such as the hijacking of TWA Flight 847, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and conflicts in Lebanon and Nicaragua.
In 1994, Jim Avila joined KNBC in Los Angeles as an investigative reporter.
There, he extensively covered the O.J. Simpson murder case, cementing his position as one of television's most trusted legal reporters.
His coverage even earned the station a Golden Mike Award in 1995 and an Emmy Award in 1996.
Jim Avila's Dedication to the News Network
Jim Avila's career further blazed when he joined NBC News in 1996 as a national correspondent for "NBC Nightly News."
During his eight years at NBC, Avila averaged 130 reports per year, covering major events such as the September 11, 2001, attacks, the DC sniper attacks, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2004, Avila moved to ABC News, where he served as Senior Law and Justice Correspondent.
He also served as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for "20/20," focusing on politics, justice, law, and consumer investigations.
One of his most significant accomplishments was breaking the news of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba, for which he was awarded the Merriman Award from the White House Correspondents Association.
While at ABC News, Jim Avila also covered the White House from 2012 to 2016 during the Barack Obama administration.
He covered high-profile trials such as those of Jerry Sandusky, Michael Jackson, and O.J. Simpson, as well as immigration issues and civil unrest in Baltimore.
After undergoing a kidney transplant, he left ABC News in 2021, but returned to local journalism at KGTV San Diego in 2023.
Jim Avila's Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, Jim Avila has received numerous prestigious awards recognizing his outstanding contributions to journalism.
These awards reflect his dedication and consistent quality of reporting.
- Two-time winner of National Emmy Awards, including for coverage of the devastation of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and the plight of undocumented workers during the Southern California wildfires.
- Five-time winner of Edward R. Murrow Awards, for coverage of September 11th, the DC sniper attacks, and the War in Iraq.
- Recipient of the Merriman Award from the White House Correspondents Association for coverage of U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations.
- Named Reporter of the Year by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 1999 and inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2019.
- Winner of the Golden Mike Award (1995) and Emmy Award (1996) for coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial.
- Recipient of the Cine Golden Eagle Award, the Mongerson Prize for Investigative Reporting, and several Chicago-area Emmy Awards and Peter Lisagor Awards.