Meet the News Team

August 14, 2008

Jim Watkins co-anchors the Emmy Award winning CW11 News at 10. Each weeknight, Watkins teams with co-anchor Kaity Tong, weatherman Irv "Mr. G" Gikofsky, and sportscaster Sal Marchiano.

Jim, who joined WPIX in 1998, brought over a decade of experience as an anchor, reporter, writer, and producer to his role at The CW11 News at Ten. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Jim began his broadcast career at WKPT-TV in Kingsport, Tennessee where he was an anchor and reporter before moving to Nashville (anchor, WTVF-TV), Boston (host, WBZ-TV's Evening Magazine), Los Angeles (correspondent, FOX Television's nationally syndicated Entertainment Daily Journal), Cincinnati (anchor, WLWT-TV) and Philadelphia (anchor, WPHL-TV).

Watkins came to WPIX from WNBC-TV (New York) where he co-hosted the Saturday and Sunday editions of "Weekend Today in New York" as well as the 6 and 11pm newscasts. Concurrently, Jim was the host of CNBC's newsmagazine Great Stuff.

Active in many charities and community events, Jim often emcees or hosts events around the Tri-State area, including the Ronald McDonald House, Project ALS, Special Olympics, Principal For A Day, The Leukemia Society, and The New York Center for Autism.

Jim enjoys playing guitar and mandolin but his real passion is his family, currently he is patiently teaching his three children to play baseball.

LIST OF AWARDS:

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS AND SCIENCES (NATAS) EMMY AWARDS
2005: Outstanding Single Newscast over 35 Minutes: "WB11 News at 10: 9/11 Day of Tribute"
2004: Outstanding Event Coverage: "9/11 America Remembers"
2003: Best Single News Cast over 35 Minutes: WB11 News at 10: "Crash of American 587"
2002: Outstanding Single Newscast: WB11 News at 10 "TWA 800 - 5 Years Later"

NEW YORK STATE BROADCASTERS ASSOCIATION AWARDS
1999: Outstanding Newscast