Jim Jensen (reporter)
| Jim Jensen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Harold Jens Jensen November 13, 1926 Kenosha, Wisconsin |
| Died | October 16, 1999 (aged 72) New York City |
| Nationality | USA |
| Alma mater | University of Denver (B.A., Broadcast Jourbalism) |
| Occupation | journalist, TV news anchor |
| Known for | TV news anchor WCBS New York |
Harold Jens Jensen, usually known as Jim Jensen (November 13, 1926 – October 16, 1999) was a longtime American anchor and reporter, most notably at CBS' flagship station, WCBS-TV in New York.
Jensen, who was of Danish descent, was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and received a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Denver. then moved into broadcasting—first at WLIP-AM in Kenosha, then at WMBD-TV in Peoria, Illinois; and WBZ-AM-FM-TV in Boston.
In November 1963, he was the "pool" reporter in Hyannis Port at the Kennedy compound in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination. His reporting was noticed by WCBS, who hired him in 1964. He soon became weekend anchorman and backup weekday anchor behind Robert Trout, who was doing double duty at the station and at CBS News. Jensen didn't take too long to make an impact, winning notice for his coverage of Robert F. Kennedy's Senate campaign soon after he arrived in New York. When Trout left for a network assignment in Europe, Jensen succeeded him as WCBS' main anchor. He was the face of the WCBS newsroom for the next three decades.
Jensen was known in New York for his booming, gravelly voice and deliberate demeanor, and was often thought of as a local version of Walter Cronkite. WCBS had gone back and forth with WNBC-TV for first place, but under Jensen became the dominant station in New York, a lead it kept for most of the time until the mid-1980s. He was also known for asking perceptive questions, even of his colleagues at the news desk. WCBS' reporters had to know their stories very well if their stories aired when Jensen was behind the anchor desk. They risked embarrassing themselves on-air if Jensen asked them a question that they could not answer. Over the years, his partners at the anchor desk – some of them New York broadcast legends in their own right – included Ralph Penza, Rolland Smith, Carol Martin, Michele Marsh and finally Dana Tyler. He was reportedly the model for Jim Dial, Murphy Brown's co-anchor.
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