“And he copy edits every word.”īenemann said that’s his favorite – making sure every word is absolutely spot on. Fully participating in editorial meetings, making calls to confirm information, communicating with our crews to talk about their stories, communicating with our promotions department,” Weiland said. Wieland said he’s seen some ease off a bit after announcing retirement, but not so with Benemann. Leigh credits Benemann for being a supportive news partner from day one, and “always shared the desk as an equal co-anchor.” “Does he get upset and does he get frustrated and does he get heartbroken? Of course he does. He’s done a beautiful job of handling all those moments. Jim has always been that strong sense of security and he’s going to walk them through it and he’s going to be with you there until the end,” Leigh said. “Viewers know we’re going to walk them through it, and they come to us for that. Leigh said they know they “must keep telling the story.” “I shake my head and say, as a society, what’s it going to take before we finally get serious about protecting ourselves? I’m not going to make it political, but what the hell people? What more do you need to see? Do you need to see the bodies of slain kids before you take on the gun lobby and really pass some meaningful reforms? It’s been tough as a reporter with kids and grandkids, and now I’m starting to feel the same way about climate change. “We’ve been through so many other mass shootings and it continues to this very day,” he said. He’s been there for Denver Broncos and Colorado Avalanche victory parades and rallies, but he’s also covered the Columbine High School shooting, the Aurora Theater shooting and most recently the Marshall Fire. It’s a serious business, and there’s professionalism, but there’s always a lot of laughs too and it’s just a great place to go to work everyday.” “I can’t tell you how supportive and enjoyable it has been working in this newsroom. “It just felt like a bit more of a family atmosphere, so I got a great offer, made the switch and I’ve never looked back,” he said. He spent time at Channel 9, too, but ended up back at CBS and settled in for a two-decade run as a Denver prime-time news anchor. He got back to Denver as a news writer for then-Channel 7, and worked with then-weekend anchor Bill O’Reilly. After graduation, he got his first break at a radio and TV operation in Davenport, Iowa – “the official quad cities market,” he jokes. He asked them for good journalism school recommendations and Colorado State University was on this list. Though he originally wanted to go to Northwestern, his grades and family finances didn’t quite allow for that. But I just knew I wanted to be in broadcast journalism.” I was thinking that’d be pretty cool, too. “One weekend he’s covering Michigan State, and the next weekend he’s at the (L.A.) Coliseum with Southern Cal playing and horses running around the field. I’m a longtime sports fan and remember Keith Jackson, the legendary college football announcer,” Benemann said. You know what you’re getting with him as a trustworthy, good guy with great news judgement.”īenemann knew he wanted to be broadcast journalist from the time he was in high school growing up in Chicago. “He stayed in this market and never waivers. “I just love Jim - he’s been a really stable anchor for Denver,” said Mike McPhee, former longtime Denver Post reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner. Sporting his signature bow tie, he laughed and bantered with guests, sharing stories of his father, who served as a tank sergeant for the U.S. In July, he raised money for the Food Bank of the Rockies by collecting tips as the guest bartender for the Denver Press Club. Many Denver area nonprofit organizations benefited from Benemann’s smooth delivery and quick wit as an emcee for countless fundraising events. Wieland and Benemann's co-anchor for almost 15 years Karen Leigh described him as a “consummate professional,” a dedicated news junkie, role model for young journalists and meticulous with preparations for every newscast. “Jim is the kind of anchor the community will remember for a long, long time.” “In so many ways, he’s irreplaceable,” Wieland said. “Jim has covered about every major news story to happen in Colorado for the last 40 years,” said KCNC-TV Vice President Tim Wieland, who as news director recruited him back to the station in 2002 to take over the evening news desk from retiring Bill Stewart.īenemann, 65, announced his retirement in May and was originally planning to leave at the end of 2022, but agreed to stay through March to allow enough time for station officials to find his replacement.
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