News Anchor Jim Boyd Has Died

Jim Boyd, a former news anchor for Boston’s WCVB-TV, has passed away at the age of 84.

The late journalist died on Oct. 27 due to failing health.

Born in 1942, Boyd started his public television career in 1961, with a mailroom job at WNET-TV in New York. After moving into pubic affairs and production roles at the station, he joined WGBH-TV’s Say Brother.

Boyd later returned to WNET-TV and served as an associate producer before becoming producer of the news program News in Perspective.

In 1972, Boyd joined WCVB-TV as a general assignment reporter. The media outlet noted that he then moved to anchoring the weekend and EyeOpener newscasts. He eventually co-anchored the midday newscast alongside Susan Wornick.

Five years after retiring in 2008, Boyd earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tufts University. He received numerous awards for his TV work, including the Golden Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences New England Chapter. He was also inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

In 2022, Boyd made a surprise return to WCVB-TV with Wornick to celebrate the station’s 50 Years Fund telethon.

“Anybody who came up to talk with him, he would talk with them,” Boyd’s wife of 42 years, Linda Polach, told the Boston Globe. “He met presidents and lawn workers, and speakers of the house and garbage collectors. He was the same with everybody. He respected everyone as an equal.”

Rev. Liz Walker, a former WBZ-TV anchor, further spoke about Boyd’s dedication to WCVB-TV viewers. “Jim was the consummate hard-working reporter, and more importantly, he was a great guy. I remember when I first came to Boston, I found most television folks to be a little distant and aloof. Jim was friendly, kind, knowledgeable, welcoming, and helpful. He was a real gentleman on and off camera.”

Wornick also spoke about Boyd, stating, “He was kind of the straight man in our team. He lived in constant fear that I’d say something that would put us out of a job.”

Boyd is survived by Linda and three daughters.