Jim Swift

KXAN Reporter and Georgetown native, Jim Swift, has been a part of the team since August 1977. 

While earning his degree at Southwestern University, Jim worked part time as a disc jockey for KGTN radio from 1966-1970.  For two weeks every summer, while the general manager was on vacation, Jim replaced him as the station’s news reporter and anchor.

After graduation, Jim spent some time at Perkins School of Theology at SMU before joining a repertory theater group out of Dallas.  When the time came for Jim to seek a career, he remembered the thrill and challenge of his days doing news at KGTN. 

He recalled growing up watching network news correspondents dodging riots and bullets while covering the Civil Rights Movement and the war in Vietnam.  All those influences came together to point Jim in the direction of broadcast news.

Jim landed his first job at KWHI Radio in Brenham, Texas.  After two years in Brenham, Jim moved to Austin for a job with KTVV-TV, which later became KXAN-TV.

In April of 1988, Jim had the opportunity to cover a reunion in the Soviet Union of an American pilot and a Soviet pilot whose lives became intertwined during World War II. They had been unable to find each other for over 40 years due to the Cold War.

But with the thaw in American-Soviet relations that came with the rise to power of President Mikhail Gorbachev, they were reunited in a telephone call made from the KXAN newsroom. The reunion trip followed and Jim spent eight days shadowing the American contingent as they renewed friendships.

Despite the thaw, the Cold War was still very much in play, and the opportunity to get inside the Soviet Union for a close look at life there was invaluable to Jim, personally and professionally. When he returned, KXAN aired a series of reports and a 30-minute special on the trip.

Jim Swift is the 2010 Winner for Best Light Feature Reporting for the story "Armadillo Bob" and 2010 Honorable Mention for Serious Feature Reporting for the story "Swan Songs" as voted by the Texas Associated Broadcasters. 

Jim was also honored in April 2011 by Gov. Rick Perry with a Barbara Jordan Media Award for his story, "Actors With Disabilities Find Open Arms."

Email Jim at jim.swift@kxan.com.

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