Jim Hill (broadcaster)
Jim Hill | |
---|---|
Born | San Antonio, Texas , U.S. | October 21, 1946
Occupation | Sportscaster |
Years active | 1976-present |
American football career |
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No. 39, 49 | |
Position: | 1968 / Round: 1 / Pick: 18 |
Career history | |
Career NFL statistics | |
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
James Webster Hill (born October 21, 1946) is an American
Football career
Hill played college football at
Broadcasting career
Hill started his broadcasting career in college, after a professor referred him to the general manager at KINE in Kingsville, Texas following a prank to get out of biology class. There, he was a disc jockey and talk show host. When he was drafted by the Chargers, the station which carried them, KCST (now KNSD), wanted to be closer to Hill. Thus, his football number with the Chargers was 39, a reference to the channel number, and he hosted the music show Mr. 39's Talent Night, a program similar to American Bandstand, as well as sports reporting. He later moved on to KGTV, before moving to Green Bay.[1]
During his first season as a Green Bay Packers player in 1972, Hill contributed to the Monday and Tuesday evening newscasts of Green Bay station WBAY-TV;[2] as the primary affiliate of the CBS-TV Network in Green Bay at the time, WBAY-TV carried most Packers games during the 1970s.
After retiring from the NFL, Hill started in 1976 at
A popular broadcast personality in
Honors
Hill has been honored by the Associated Press, Los Angeles Press Club, United Press International, the California Press Television and Radio Association, and USA Today for his outstanding work in sports reporting.
Hill was honored on May 9, 2006, with the 2,311th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Colleagues, friends, family and dignitaries such as Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa were in attendance to honor the popular sportscaster. Mayor Villaraigosa declared May 9, 2006, in Los Angeles as "Jim Hill Day."
Personal life
Hill is an avid golfer who often plays at Wilson & Harding Golf Courses at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. He also plays golf with Ernie Camacho.
He was formerly married to Erma White (1965–1973). Hill has one son, Walter J. Hill, San Antonio, Texas. He is divorced from actress Denise Nicholas.[3]
His younger brother is former Los Angeles Rams tight end David Hill.
He has appeared as himself in movies and television shows such as
Partial filmography
References
- ^ Hammond, Rich. "Q&A: Jim Hill and the exploding frog that launched a legendary TV career". The Athletic. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ TV Guide magazine, Wisconsin Edition dated September 23–29, 1972, WBAY-TV ad on page A-40
- ^ Park, Jeannie; Armstrong, Lois (May 7, 1990). "In the Heat of the Night's Eerie Parallels to Her Sister's Murder Allow Actress Denise Nicholas to Finally Conquer Her Grief". People. Vol. 33, no. 18. Retrieved July 8, 2012.