One of radio’s most respected news leaders, Jim Farley, has passed away at the age of 75 from complications during surgery. Farley was perhaps best known for his role as Vice President of News and Programming at Washington, DC’s WTOP.
Starting in 1965 at WINS-AM in New York, Farley helped transition the station to its all-news format, which remains in place today. Over the next decades he moved to NBC Radio News and later became Managing Editor at ABC News Radio. Farley joined WTOP in 1996.
As Neal Augenstein wrote in WTOP’s obituary, “During his 17 years as vice president of News & Programming at WTOP…Jim Farley oversaw the transformation of a poorly-rated AM news, talk and sports station into the consistent top-billing radio station in the country.” That trend continues to this day.
Farley was revered for his powerful approach to radio broadcasting, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in news reporting. He famously energized his teams with his commitment to excellence and his belief in radio’s power to connect with listeners immediately and compellingly.
Augenstein shared more memories on his own Facebook account, commenting, “The fact that Jim would invest in my promise is a gift I’ll never be able to repay. He also bought my first iPhone, and encouraged me to experiment with mobile reporting as I saw fit. Along the way, he empowered the whole newsroom with the responsibility of news judgment, and the importance of ‘Get it right, then get it first.’ He was just the greatest boss. WTOP was lucky to have him, and we all benefited by learning from him.”
