Kim Khazei: Beyond the Desk—The Enduring Legacy of Boston’s Trusted Voice

I. The Final Sign-Off: Choosing a New Chapter

Kim Khazei, a fixture on the Boston news scene for a quarter-century, announced her plan to step away from the anchor desk at WHDH-TV and WLVI-TV.

The announcement, made on November 4th, 2025, confirmed that the long-time 7NEWS anchor would be signing off permanently in December of that year, concluding a 25-year tenure that began when the station adopted its aggressive, fast-paced news format.

For millions of viewers, Khazei’s presence on the evening news broadcasts had become a steady constant. Her departure marks the end of an era defined by stability in a notoriously volatile industry.

Rather than marking a transition to a new job or a forced retirement, the exit was framed as a positive, self-directed move.

Khazei expressed a straightforward desire to prioritize her life outside the studio, stating she was “excited to take a breath, spend time with loved ones and see what comes next”.

I.B. Management’s Tribute: A Trusted, Reliable Voice

The response from WHDH management confirmed the high regard Khazei held within the organization. Jimmy Rogers, WHDH-WLVI Vice President and General Manager, offered high praise for her impact.

He thanked Khazei for her “dedication, and unwavering commitment,” emphasizing that her role was far more significant than just reading the news.

Rogers highlighted that her long-time “presence on the anchor desk, as a trusted, reliable voice in Boston, for more than two decades, leaves an impact beyond her departure”.

This public affirmation of trust speaks volumes about the anchor’s value. It acknowledges that viewers relied on her judgment, especially during challenging times.

Linda Miele, WHDH/WLVI News Director, echoed this sentiment, noting the immense breadth of Khazei’s work. Miele affirmed that there hasn’t been a major story in the last 20 years that Khazei failed to share with viewers.

She praised Khazei as an “accomplished journalist” and wished her well as she began her “new chapter”.

Khazei, in turn, expressed gratitude to the Ansin family, the owners of Sunbeam TV, for the professional opportunity, noting that her colleagues would be lifelong friends, and promising to cheer on the 7News team.

I.C. The Privilege of Choice

The phrasing used by Khazei—the desire to “take a breath” and spend time with family—provides a rare glimpse into the persistent demands of high-profile local news anchoring.

An anchor’s life is often ruled by late-night shifts and breaking news crises, imposing immense, ongoing stress. The ability for Khazei, who is currently 65 or 66 years old, to announce her departure publicly and on her own timeline suggests a professional rarity: a successful exit on her own terms.

In a modern media environment often characterized by quiet layoffs or sudden anchor shuffles, Khazei’s planned sign-off, celebrated by management, confirms her enduring high value and her positive relationship with the station’s ownership.

Her decision reinforces the trust audiences had in her: she successfully controlled the final chapter of her professional story, proving her standing within the competitive Boston media market.

II. Forging the 7NEWS Identity: The 1994 Revolution

Kim Khazei’s arrival in Boston did not just coincide with a new job; it coincided with a revolution in Boston local news, setting the stage for one of the most contentious periods in the market’s history. Her steady presence would become essential to legitimizing this aggressive new style of journalism.

II.A. Arrival Amidst Controversy

Khazei came to Channel 7 in Boston in January 1994, joining the station precisely when Sunbeam Television Corporation acquired WHDH.

This acquisition ushered in an immediate and controversial overhaul of the station’s news operation. Station owner Ed Ansin enlisted Joel Cheatwood, known for creating the sensational, “fast-paced” news format at WSVN in Miami.

Cheatwood brought a streamlined, graphics-driven, and highly aggressive brand of local news to Boston.

This format was startling by Boston standards, which had traditionally favored a more measured, staid approach. Khazei was part of the foundational team tasked with implementing this radical change.

She was hired as one of the new anchors and helped launch the 7 News Morning Edition, which quickly expanded its air time. She also co-anchored the debut of WHDH’s first 4 p.m. news.

II.B. The Transition to Independence

Khazei’s role expanded significantly as Sunbeam TV consolidated its regional presence. After the company purchased sister station WLVI (CW) in 2006, Khazei helped launch and co-anchor the station’s 7NEWS at 10PM broadcast. This period demanded adaptability as the Boston media landscape continued to shift.

The ultimate test of WHDH’s local news brand came in 2017 when the station lost its long-held NBC affiliation. Losing a major network connection is often seen as a critical blow that cripples a station’s viewership.

However, WHDH successfully transitioned to an independent station, relying almost entirely on its established local news programming.

During this crucial time, WHDH managed to remain a “ratings leader”.³ Khazei’s experience and familiarity with the audience were instrumental in maintaining viewer loyalty throughout this tumultuous corporate change.

II.C. Stability in Chaos

The continued success of WHDH post-2017 underscores a vital component of Khazei’s authority. She served as the necessary anchor—both literally and figuratively—who grounded the volatile 7NEWS brand.

The “fast-paced” format introduced in 1994, while successful, always risked being perceived as sensationalist. For the station to maintain a lead against competitors, the audience needed to trust the messenger implicitly.

Khazei’s consistent presence and professional gravity offered a reliable counterpoint to the high-intensity graphics and speed of the news delivery. Her role was not simply to deliver facts, but to provide assurance.

Her sustained authority allowed the station to maintain its aggressive editorial approach while preserving necessary journalistic credibility, proving that professional authority can thrive even within a controversial corporate strategy.

III. The Six-Year Anchor Break: Anchoring the Household

The definitive element distinguishing Khazei’s career from many high-profile peers is the six-year sabbatical she took at the height of her initial success.

This defining personal decision provided the profound human dimension that cemented her relatability to her audience, ultimately strengthening her career upon her return.

III.A. The Defining Personal Decision

After seven high-pressure years establishing the new 7NEWS brand, Khazei chose to step away from the professional demands of television. She took a personal leave in July 2001 and officially resigned that September.

The motivation behind this resignation was profoundly personal and deliberate: she dedicated herself to being a full-time parent to her three children—Hayden (born 1994), Walker, and Tatum—and supporting her husband, Scott A. Huff.

The move was significant enough to attract coverage from major local publications. When she eventually returned, The Boston Globe captured the essence of her time away by titling its August 6, 2007, story: ”

And now, back to the news: Kim Khazei returns to TV after six years of anchoring the household”. This phrase recognized that her commitment shifted from the anchor desk to the demands of domestic life.

III.B. The Successful Reintegration

In a brutally competitive industry where leaving often means permanent replacement, Khazei’s return in August 2007 was a remarkable testament to her enduring appeal and value.

Her successful reintegration into a prime slot proved that the bond she shared with her audience was robust.

She often spoke about this relationship, noting that since 1994, WHDH had been her “second home,” and “our viewers have been like family”.

Her decision to prioritize family and then return to the anchor chair reinforced this perception of intimacy and trust.

She was no longer just a face on a screen; she was a relatable figure who navigated the same complex decisions about career and motherhood that many of her viewers faced.

III.C. A Statement on Motherhood in Media

The six-year hiatus is arguably the most insightful period of Khazei’s public life. It represents a powerful, non-traditional career move that transformed her from a talented anchor into an authentic, deeply human public figure.

In an industry defined by relentless visibility, her choice to step back and then return demonstrated that genuine life experience can become invaluable professional capital.

The fact that the station willingly re-hired her for a prominent role after such a long absence speaks volumes about the immense loyalty she commanded.

This situation suggests that her personal brand and the audience connection she maintained were stronger than the institutional imperative for constant visibility.

Her decision to leave and the subsequent success of her return are foundational elements of the “Experience” and “Trust” that characterize her professional stature.

IV. The Journalist’s Passport: Global Events, Local Heart

Khazei’s career is defined by its impressive journalistic range, successfully guiding Boston audiences through massive international crises and hyper-local celebrations. This breadth of coverage establishes her authority across the full spectrum of news reporting.

IV.A. Global Reach: Witness to History

Khazei’s assignments were far from limited to the Massachusetts state line. Her ability to report from international hubs solidified her status as a top-tier anchor capable of handling complex, sensitive assignments.

Her international credentials include traveling to cover historical moments of global significance:

• The Election of a Pope (Pope Francis).

• The Funeral of a Queen (Queen Elizabeth).

• Multiple Royal Weddings.

Furthermore, she anchored live from Washington D.C. near the White House and provided essential coverage of political turbulence, including four impactful presidential primaries in New Hampshire.

IV.B. Deeply Local Commitment

While her passport carried stamps from Vatican City and London, Khazei’s true connection was always rooted in Boston and New England.

Her commitment to local identity is reflected in her extensive coverage of the events that mattered most to the community.

This included difficult reporting assignments, such as leading coverage on numerous significant events, including mass shootings, which required providing critical, vital information during concerning times.²

Perhaps most importantly, she became synonymous with Boston’s civic pride and sports dominance, anchoring crucial celebratory moments that deeply bonded her with the regional audience.

For example, she anchored live from the field just minutes after the famous Malcolm Butler interception secured a Patriots Super Bowl victory. Over her tenure, she also anchored coverage for an extraordinary nine championship parades in the city.

IV.C. Range and Authority

The ability to successfully pivot from chronicling the Funeral of a Queen to celebrating a Patriots championship on the streets of Boston showcases exceptional journalistic versatility.

This versatility ensured that Khazei was positioned as a reliable guide for the audience across the entire emotional and informational spectrum of news.

The analysis of her assignments confirms that the best local anchors are those who feel like a trusted guide during a major global event, while remaining deeply invested in the local fabric, like a neighbor during a celebration.

Khazei fulfilled her responsibility to connect people to their world , demonstrating a profound investment in Massachusetts’s identity, thereby solidifying her comprehensive professional authority.

The table below summarizes the extensive scope of her career coverage:

Defining Coverage Moments: The Scope of Khazei’s Authority

V. The Professional Backbone: Career Trajectory and Partnerships

Before arriving in Boston to help launch a new news era, Khazei built a robust journalistic foundation across various markets nationwide, establishing the “Experience” required for high-level anchoring. Her eventual stability at WHDH was further amplified by enduring professional partnerships.

V.A. Building the Foundation: The Journey to Boston

Like many successful journalists, Khazei began her career moving through several key feeder markets across the country.

This progression through different regional newsrooms provided the extensive training necessary for her future success in the highly competitive Boston market.

Her television career began at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. She subsequently spent four years at KQTV, also in Missouri, serving as an evening anchor and reporter.

Moving up the market chain, she anchored the evening news for NBC affiliates in Champaign, Illinois, and later worked at KOVR-TV in Sacramento, California, where she served as an anchor and reporter.

This multi-market experience provided the necessary background and versatility she would rely on when she took the highly pressurized job at WHDH in 1994.

V.B. The Power of Co-Anchoring

A defining feature of Khazei’s second act at WHDH was her stable, long-running partnership with co-anchor Adam Williams. Together, they anchored the station’s core evening newscasts, including the 7NEWS at 5, 6, 10, and 11 p.m..

The durability of this co-anchor pairing offered a comforting, consistent presence for viewers, proving particularly crucial during periods of corporate transition.

When WHDH lost its NBC affiliation in 2017, the continued stability of the anchor team provided the essential familiarity required for WHDH to successfully maintain its position as a ratings leader despite the major industry setback.

V.C. Durability and Adaptability

Khazei’s instrumental role in maintaining WHDH’s ratings after the NBC affiliation loss highlights her immense individual brand loyalty.

When a station loses a network, viewers are often forced to choose a new channel for national content; Khazei’s ability to retain viewers demonstrated that audiences were tuning in specifically for the quality and reliability of her local news, rather than solely for the network feed.

Her return in 2007, after six years away, only reinforced her deep connection to the market. Her longevity and success across the three distinct eras of WHDH (the 1994 Sunbeam takeover, the 2006 WLVI integration, and the 2017 independent shift) confirm that she was a critical force driving the strength of the local news brand itself.

The progression of her service to the Boston audience can be viewed as two distinct professional acts:

Kim Khazei’s WHDH Career Timeline: The Two Acts

VI. Beyond the Broadcast: Personal Life and Social Context

To fully appreciate the narrative of Khazei’s career, particularly her decision to take a sabbatical, it is necessary to consider the context of her personal life and family commitments in Massachusetts.

VI.A. Family Life and Residence

Born in 1959, Kim Khazei built her long-term family life in the Boston area. She is married to Scott A. Huff, an alumnus of Bowling Green State University, who works as a division manager for a medical technology company.

The couple resides in Winchester, Massachusetts, where they raised their three children: Hayden Khazei Huff (Born 1994), Walker (Born 1998), and Tatum (Born 2000).

This timeline is critical, as it overlaps precisely with Khazei’s intense transition into the demanding, fast-paced atmosphere of the newly revamped WHDH in January 1994.

Beyond the Desk: Community and Philanthropy

Khazei’s connection to the community extends far past the nightly news. She is a dedicated advocate for several important causes.

• Active Volunteer: She actively participates in projects supporting local organizations focused on cancer, hunger, and family homelessness.

• Mentorship: Khazei has a long history of mentoring young people, including a connection to her “little sister” from the Big Brother program that has lasted over 25 years.

• Hobbies: When she’s not working, she embraces the New England lifestyle, enjoying time with her family, doggie Ralphie, and bunny Benny, whether hitting the slopes or relaxing on the region’s beaches.

VI.B. Connections to Public Service

The Khazei family has roots in civic engagement and public service within Massachusetts. Kim Khazei is the cousin of Alan Khazei, a notable Massachusetts social entrepreneur and politician.

Alan Khazei is known for co-founding City Year and is recognized as a leader in philanthropic and social endeavors.

This family connection situates Kim Khazei and her immediate family within the broader fabric of civic and community leadership in the region.

While her primary occupation was journalism, this familial context connects her to the deep tradition of community service in the Commonwealth.

VI.C. Contextualizing the Sacrifice

The tight overlap between the beginning of her high-intensity career at WHDH (January 1994) and the birth of her first child (Hayden, 1994) created a powerful professional and personal tension.

Balancing the rigors of launching a groundbreaking, high-pressure news operation with the demands of new motherhood proved unsustainable for nearly seven years.

By highlighting this demanding timeline, the biographical narrative gives full emotional weight to her eventual choice to step back in 2001.

This choice to step away and anchor the household for six years was not arbitrary; it was a necessary and authentic priority shift that ultimately reinforced the theme of her humanity and commitment to family, making her all the more relatable to her devoted audience.

VII. Legacy and Epilogue: A Defined Career

Kim Khazei’s retirement marks the definitive conclusion of one of the most successful and resilient careers in modern Boston television history.

Her legacy is defined not just by the stories she covered, but by the trust she cultivated through stability and intentional vulnerability.

VII.A. The Core Legacy

Khazei’s long career garnered professional recognition, including collecting “a few Emmys” ⁷, confirming her high standard of technical and professional skill.

However, her most enduring legacy is her reliability. She maintained her reputation as a “trusted, reliable voice” capable of guiding viewers through massive global events while retaining a deep connection to intimate local concerns.

Her relationship with the audience was uniquely personal, reflected in her own words: “Going back to 1994, this station has been my second home, and our viewers have been like family”.

This familial bond survived a major corporate shift (losing the NBC affiliation) and her own long sabbatical, proving the strength of her professional-personal brand.

VII.B. The Future After the Desk

Khazei’s decision to retire is clearly one of anticipation, as she expressed excitement about taking time to “see what comes next”.

Given her deep roots in Massachusetts, her professional profile, and her family’s connections to social entrepreneurship and philanthropy, there is significant potential for her to pivot her established public trust toward community or civic efforts in the region.

Regardless of her future endeavors, her final sign-off removes one of the most recognizable, authoritative, and enduring faces from Boston television.

Her departure creates a significant void and a ratings challenge for WHDH, which heavily relied on her star power and steady presence to maintain its position as an independent station.

Khazei’s career will stand as an example of adaptability, defined by her journalistic skill, her stability in a chaotic environment, and her humanizing vulnerability in a relentlessly demanding industry.

Quick Facts: Kim Khazei at a Glance

For those searching for concrete facts, here is a breakdown of key details about the veteran anchor.

WHDH Colleagues and Collaborators

Khazei has worked alongside many talented journalists who upheld 7News’s dynamic style, including:

• Adam Williams: Longtime co-anchor on evening newscasts.

• Juli McDonald: Anchor and reporter.

• Ryan Schulteis: News anchor known for dynamic reporting.

• Kimberly Bookman: Reporter specializing in investigative and breaking news.

• Amaka Ubaka: Morning news anchor.

📚 Sources and Further Reading

• WHDH-TV Official 7News Team Biography (Archived)

• The Boston Globe Archives (Coverage of WHDH’s 1994 format change)

• Medium Article on Khazei’s Departure (November 2025)

• Wikipedia: Kim Khazei (Career and Personal Details)

• Public Records and Family Announcements (For spouse and children’s names)