Chet Curtis Dead: Boston TV Legend, 74, Dies From Cancer


Chet Curtis, a long-time Boston area news anchor, died Wednesday night after a long fight with pancreatic cancer. Curtis, 74, was known for his on-screen chemistry with his wife, Natalie Jacobsen. The two were standards in Boston news since the 1970s.

Chet Curtis burst onto the Boston news scene in 1972 with the launch of WCVB-TV. Though he had covered Boston news with CBS affiliate WHDH, it was his work with WCVB that made him a household name. Partnering with the woman he would marry in 1975, Natalie Jacobsen, he delivered the mid-day news to audiences all across Boston. Over the next several years, the dynamic pair would serve in various other roles at WCVB, an ABC affiliate. Channel Five built a name for itself on the backs of the married couple. Chet Curtis and his wife would be reunited in 1982 to become the evening and late night news team.

For years, they were there every night for Boston residents. Covering presidential elections, celebrity deaths, Boston Red Sox woes, and every other little detail that represented what makes Boston so great. They were the standard for evening news in Boston until their divorce in 1999. As their reign over Boston news came to an end, Curtis would begin a new journey.

Chet Curtis signed with New England Cable News in 2001 to separate himself from the local scene. He began a nightly show titled The Chet Curtis Report. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame on September 12, 2013.

He was well known for his on-screen presence and ability to dialog with anyone. Check out some footage of him and Bill O’Reilly in 1986.

In 2012, Chet Curtis was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For over a year he fought hard, but in the end he lost the battle. He will be remembered by generations for over 50 years of news broadcasting. The popularity of Chet Curtis was acknowledged by Twitter, as he became a trending topic after his death.

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