WRC anchor Jim Handly to retire after 35 years at NBC Washington

Jim Handly, a longtime evening news anchor at WRC in Washington, D.C., plans to retire in November 2026, ending 35 years with the NBC-owned station.

Handly, who currently co-anchors “News4 at 6” and “News4 at 11,” is expected to leave the station following the November 2026 midterm elections.

DCRTV first reported the retirement plans.

Handly joined WRC in the early 1990s and became one of the station’s principal evening anchors, covering major developments in the nation’s capital and throughout the Washington television market.

No replacement for him has been named.

His assignments have also taken him overseas to the Middle East, Russia and the Caribbean. Domestically, he has covered hurricanes, major breaking news events, the Olympics and the Super Bowl.

His reporting has earned multiple Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

Before arriving in Washington, Handly worked as an anchor and reporter at the CBS affiliate serving Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut. He began his television career at WPTV, the NBC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he also worked as an anchor and reporter.

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Beyond his broadcasting responsibilities, Handly has maintained connections with several charitable and community organizations in the Washington area.

He has supported the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, the Humane Rescue Alliance and the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland. He has also been involved with ThanksUSA, an organization that provides educational scholarships to military families.

Fellow NBC4 anchor Shawn Yancy also acknowledged Handly’s upcoming departure in a social media post congratulating him on his induction into the Silver Circle of the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.