Longtime NBC4 (WRC) news anchor Jim Handly will retire following the November midterm elections, ending a career of more than three decades with the Washington, D.C. station.
DCRTV reported the retirement, and Handly’s NBC4 colleague and 11pm co-anchor Shawn Yancy also shared the news while congratulating Handly on his induction into the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Silver Circle. Yancy wrote that Handly is preparing to retire in November after 35 years with NBC Washington.
Handly currently anchors News4 at 6 and 11. He joined NBC4 in the early 1990s and has spent much of his tenure anchoring the station’s evening newscasts while also reporting on major stories throughout the Washington region.
During his career, Handly has earned multiple Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. His reporting has taken him to the Middle East, Russia and the Caribbean, in addition to covering major breaking news throughout the D.C. area.
According to NBC4, Handly has covered seven presidential inaugurations, numerous election nights, four U.S. papal visits and several hurricanes. His assignments have also included the Olympics and Super Bowl, along with the Washington Nationals and Capitals championship celebrations.
Before joining NBC4, Handly served as an anchor and reporter for the CBS affiliate in Hartford/New Haven, Connecticut. He began his broadcasting career anchoring and reporting for WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Handly has also been involved with several organizations throughout the Washington region, including the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, Humane Rescue Alliance, Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland and ThanksUSA, which provides scholarships for military families.
Outside of the station, Handly is a competitive tennis player and has participated in charity tennis events. He also enjoys biking, kayaking and visiting coffee shops, roasters and farmers markets throughout the region.
Handly lives in Washington, D.C., and is an active member of the Washington National Cathedral congregation. His retirement is expected to follow the November 2026 midterm elections.
