Jim Avila, journalist for NBC, ABC and KNBC, dies at 70

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Jim Avila, a veteran news reporter who covered the O.J. Simpson trial for KNBC in Los Angeles, passed away Wednesday at Providence Hospital in Mission Viejo. He was 70 years old.

According to NBC News correspondent Josh Mankiewicz, who was a friend and former coworker, Avila passed away due to complications following a fall. He had received a kidney transplant and had been receiving hospice care for six weeks.

Mark Avila comes from a family with a strong background in broadcasting. His father, Jim Simon, was a radio executive who played a key role in developing the news talk format at KABC in Los Angeles. Mark, like two of his three brothers, chose to use their maternal grandmother’s last name professionally, and all three worked in broadcast journalism.

David Avila was raised in Lombard, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago, and graduated from Glenbard East High School. He started his journalism career in 1973 as a reporter for KCBS-AM, a 24/7 news radio station in San Francisco. In 1976, he transitioned to television news, becoming the San Jose bureau chief for KPIX-TV.

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Major changes are happening with TV news anchors, shaking up one of the few remaining routines of traditional television watching. Two out of the three major network evening news programs are getting new anchors or significantly changing their formats.

In 1980, Avila moved to Chicago and began working in local news. He first joined WLS, an ABC station, and later worked for WBBM, a CBS station, where he covered politics and also worked as an anchor.

In 1994, Avila relocated to Los Angeles and began working for KNBC. He quickly became a recognizable presence outside the downtown courthouse during the O.J. Simpson trial for the murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. Avila reported on the case from the very beginning, starting with the initial police investigation at Simpson’s home in Brentwood. His coverage was award-winning, earning him both an Emmy and a Golden Mike Award.

Like many television reporters then, covering the Simpson case helped Avila launch his career at a major network. In 1996, he joined NBC’s Chicago bureau and became a national correspondent for “NBC Nightly News.”

Throughout his time with NBC News, he consistently delivered strong reporting, averaging 130 reports each year. He covered stories from both Afghanistan and Iraq, and bravely continued reporting from within the NBC hotel compound in Baghdad, even after a terrorist bombing.

In 2004, Avila joined ABC News as a senior justice and law correspondent, reporting on major trials. He also served as the network’s White House correspondent between 2012 and 2016.

In 2012, Jim Avila reported for ABC News on “pink slime,” a processed meat used as a filler in ground beef. Beef Products Inc., a South Dakota meat company, claimed the report harmed its reputation and sued ABC News for $1.9 billion, alleging defamation.

ABC News settled the case for $177 million but stood by its reporting.

From 2017 to 2022, Avila was based in Los Angeles, reporting on legal and consumer issues for ABC News. He often appeared on programs like “World News Tonight” and “20/20.”

Throughout his career, Avila received many awards, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists‘ Reporter of the Year in 1999. He also won a Cine Golden Eagle Award for a story about an immigrant couple in Los Angeles who worked tirelessly collecting cans to fund their son’s education at MIT.

I was really surprised to see that veteran journalist, Maria Avila, briefly came out of retirement in 2023! She took a part-time job as an investigative reporter for KGTV in San Diego, which was fantastic news for anyone who appreciates great journalism.

He is remembered by his mother, Eve Simon, as well as his brothers, Jai Avila, an investigative reporter at WOAI in San Antonio, and Thomas Avila. He also leaves behind his sister, Kari Lemay, and his three children: Jamie, Evan, and Jennifer.

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2025-11-13 21:01