Longtime ABC News Star Passes Away At 69; Heartbroken Colleague Makes On-Air Announcement

Former ABC News correspondent Jim Avila has died at 69, colleagues confirmed on Thursday.

Anchor Diane Macedo announced on air that Avila passed away after a “long illness,” though she did not reveal details about his condition. The veteran journalist had received a kidney transplant in 2020 from his brother.

Avila, based in Los Angeles, served as a senior national correspondent and contributed to 20/20 during a career spanning more than four decades. He covered politics, justice, law, and consumer investigations — including a stint at the White House during President Barack Obama’s second term.

He earned national recognition for breaking the story that the U.S. and Cuba had restored diplomatic relations, one of several honors marking his long tenure in broadcast journalism.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, including his three children, Jamie, Jenny, and Evan, and we thank him for his many contributions and unwavering commitment to seeking out the truth,” ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic said in a statement.

Tributes poured in from colleagues and fans remembering Avila’s professionalism and friendship.

Jim Avila, former ABC News senior correspondent and “20/20” correspondent, has passed away after a long illness. He was 69 years old. pic.twitter.com/OMD1wbKMCn

— ABC News (@ABC) November 13, 2025

“One of the greats in broadcast journalism has passed,” KTLA anchor Frank Buckley wrote on X. He called Avila “one of my close friends with whom I had too many nights out to count” and “someone who cared deeply about journalism, his friends, his family.”

“I will miss him,” Buckley added.

ABC Supervising Producer and Reporter John Parkinson shared that Avila “demanded the best from his colleagues but always kept it fun.”

“Our assignments took us to G20 in Antalya, Turkey, to Martha’s Vineyard to Waikiki and many places in between. RIP, my friend,” he wrote.

In an internal memo cited by ABC News, Karamehmedovic told staff: “Jim was a gifted journalist and a generous colleague.” Fans also remembered Avila as a fixture in American news.

One described him as a “staple in broadcast journalism” and said his death was a “sad loss” for the industry.

“Honestly, this one hits a little harder because of his presence on 20/20 — he had such a calm, steady way of delivering tough stories,” the fan wrote.

Another posted, “I’m really sorry to hear of the death of former ABC News correspondent Jim Avila. He was a very fine reporter. We could use more like him right now.”

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