WLS newsman Jim Johnson dies at 80; funny, warm, irreverent and loved by everybody

WLS newsman Jim Johnson dies at 80; funny, warm, irreverent and loved by everybody

Jim Johnson started at WLS after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and worked there his entire career— nearly 50 years — alongside Steve Dahl, Garry Meier, Fred Winston and Roe Conn, who recalled Mr. Johnson's warmth and humor.

WLS newsman Jim Johnson dies at 80; funny, warm, irreverent and loved by everybody – Usa news

Bill Clinton won reelection in 1996 promising to “build a bridge to the 21st century.” But when newsman Jim Johnson went to read that memorable phrase on the radio, it came out as “build a bridge to the 21st secretary,” a malapropism echoing the president’s famous roving eye. “Jim Johnson was a professional news gatherer and on-air reporter with amazing punchlines lurking in the weeds,” said radio icon Steve Dahl. Mr. Johnson, who managed to str…