Denver residents will miss Jim Benemann, who has been a fixture in so many living rooms delivering the news from the anchor desk of CBS4 for the past 20 years.

His last day is Friday. 

Benemann’s broadcast journalism career — most all of it in Denver — spans almost 45 years.

“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.

Benemann, 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.

“In so many ways, he’s irreplaceable,” Wieland said. “Jim is the kind of anchor the community will remember for a long, long time.”

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.

Many Denver area nonprofit organizations benefited from Benemann’s smooth delivery and quick wit as an emcee for countless fundraising events.

In July, he raised money for the Food Bank of the Rockies by collecting tips as the guest bartender for the Denver Press Club. 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. Army in World War II.

“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. “He stayed in this market and never waivers. You know what you’re getting with him as a trustworthy, good guy with great news judgement.”

Benemann knew he wanted to be broadcast journalist from the time he was in high school growing up in Chicago.

“It wasn’t just on the news side. I’m a longtime sports fan and remember Keith Jackson, the legendary college football announcer,” Benemann said. “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 was thinking that’d be pretty cool, too. But I just knew I wanted to be in broadcast journalism.”

Though he originally wanted to go to Northwestern, his grades and family finances didn’t quite allow for that. He asked them for good journalism school recommendations and Colorado State University was on this list. After graduation, he got his first break at a radio and TV operation in Davenport, Iowa – “the official quad cities market,” he jokes.

He got back to Denver as a news writer for then-Channel 7, and worked with then-weekend anchor Bill O’Reilly. 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.

“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. “I can’t tell you how supportive and enjoyable it has been working in this newsroom. 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.”

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.

“We’ve been through so many other mass shootings and it continues to this very day,” he said. “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. I mean, it’s here.”

Leigh said they know they “must keep telling the story.”

“Viewers know we’re going to walk them through it, and they come to us for that. 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. “That’s what he’s been. He’s done a beautiful job of handling all those moments.

“Does he get upset and does he get frustrated and does he get heartbroken? Of course he does. But it’s still our job.”

Leigh credits Benemann for being a supportive news partner from day one, and “always shared the desk as an equal co-anchor.”

Wieland said he’s seen some ease off a bit after announcing retirement, but not so with Benemann.

“He’s a workhorse. 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. “And he copy edits every word.”

Benemann said that’s his favorite – making sure every word is absolutely spot on.

“I don’t care if you’ve been in the business for two years or 40 years, you should be inspired by trying to get some compelling, impactful reporting out to your audience – every newscast, every day,” Benemann said. “I’m an aggressive copy editor because I’m the last gate before everything goes out to the audience. So, yeah, that’s a responsibility I take very seriously.”

Benemann still enjoys playing hockey and golf and is looking forward to traveling with his wife, Karen. It’s the second marriage for both and he describes a “Brady Bunch situation” with eight children and five grandchildren.

“There have been so many things I’d like to do that, frankly because of the constraints of the job, have not been able to do,” he said. “My wife and I are really looking forward to having the free time to kind of live the life we want at our own pace, and go where we want to go for however long we want to stay.”

The 16,000+ fans of Benemann’s Twitter handle (@jimbcbs4) enjoy his quick wit, pointed observations and sometimes sarcastic humor. He enjoys engaging his audience, and almost always responds or participates in online discussions “as long as it stays respectful.”

“There’s been a few times I’ve gotten a little too political, or whatever, and Tim says ‘Jim you can’t go there buddy.’ I fully understand where he coming from and throttled back,” he said. “We are unbiased, but I will say some things about gun violence or climate change not as a journalist, but just somebody who lives in our community and as a dad.”

Many have asked aloud “What’s Benemann going to be like when he can say whatever the hell he wants, after he’s retired,” Benemann said. “It’ll be interesting. Stay tuned on that.”