Jim Avila Biography
Jim Avila is an American anchor and reporter working for KGTV as a senior investigative reporter. He joined the KGTV news team in November 2023, after previously working for ABC News.
Jim Avila Career
Avila graduated from Glenbard East High School with the name of Jim Simon. Prior to joining KGTV San Diego, Avila worked as the senior law and justice, and consumer correspondent for ABC News. There, he spent time as a White House Correspondent from 2012 to 2016, worked on 20/20, and frequently anchored World News Saturday. Avila was a national correspondent at NBC News, before his time at ABC News.
He worked as an investigative reporter for local NBC station KNBC in Los Angeles, where he covered various murder cases, including of Jerry Sandusky, Michael Jackson, and O.J. Simpson. Avila’s career began at KCBS radio in San Francisco in 1973 and has also worked in local news stations, including as an anchor and investigative reporter at KNBC Los Angeles from 1994 to 1996. He was also at WBBM Chicago, WLS Chicago, and KPIX San Francisco.
In 2008, he was recognized with a National Emmy Award for his coverage of the storm and fire that destroyed Grand Forks, North Dakota, and another Emmy for his reporting on the plight of undocumented workers during the Southern California wildfires. He has won five Edward R. Murrow Awards and the esteemed Cine Golden Eagle Award for his portrayal of an immigrant couple that collected reused cans from Los Angeles’ streets and used them to send their son to M.I.T.
Avila has won five Chicagoland Emmy Awards in the Spot News category and the 2004 Monger Son Prize for Investigative Reporting. He was named Reporter of the Year by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 1999. Furthermore, he was voted Best Reporter of 1989 and received three Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago, for his coverage of the drug warfare in Peru and the passing of Mayor Harold Washington.
Jim Avila Salary
Avila earns an annual salary of about $47,000-$120,000.
Jim Avila Net Worth
Avila has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $7 Million which he has earned through his career as a senior investigative reporter.
Jim Avila Age
Avila was born on July 26, 1956, in Los Angeles, United States. He is 68 years old as of 2024 and he celebrates his birthday on the 26th of July every year.
Jim Avila Height and Weight
Avila stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 meters). He has not disclosed his weight. However, this information will be updated when available.
Jim Avila Family
Avila was born to Eve Avila and Jim Simon, a former President of the Mutual Broadcasting System and radio broadcaster. Both of his parents were missionaries. His father attended Los Angeles Garfield High School, where he was the only white student. Simon passed away at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Cental, due to a stroke. Since then, Jim was raised by a single mother. Jim was raised alongside his three brothers, Tom Avila, and Chris Simon, who serve at ABC News radio, and Jaie Avila, the youngest and works as an Investigative Reporter at News 4 San Antonio.
Jim Avila Husband Wife and Children
Avila and his wife are proud parents of their three children, Jamie, Jenny, and Evan. The couple tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony that was attended by short-listed friends and family members. However, has not disclosed the name of his wife. This information will be updated when available.
Jim Avila Joins KGTV
In November 2013, Avila departed his role as a senior national correspondent at ABC News, after serving there for two decades and joined KGTV-ABC 10News San Diego as a senior investigative reporter.
Jim Avila Kidney Transplant | Jim Avila Health
In April 2018, Jim had a Kidney Transplant after it was clear that his kidneys were rapidly failing due to diabetes. He was determined to avoid dialysis as soon as he received his diagnosis, so he started researching the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center for a kidney transplant. Immediately, family members offered to donate one of their kidneys to Avila, including his three children.
Jaie Avila took a plane to Los Angeles for testing because receiving a kidney from a sibling rather than a different relative frequently results in more favorable outcomes. The results of the tests showed the brothers were a good fit. The Avila brothers had the transplant procedures performed in adjacent operating rooms a few weeks later. Jim was able to leave Cedars-Sinai with his new kidney in a matter of days. However, he underwent severe weight loss due to the surgery.
Jim Avila Social Media Platform
Avila is very active on his Twitter and Instagram pages. He has 10.5k followers on Twitter and 1.3k followers on Instagram.