Chet was one of the New England region’s most well-known and respected news anchors. He celebrated 50 years of Broadcast excellence and received the Gold Circle Award. He began his career in Boston in 1968 at the former WHDH-TV Channel 5 before it re-launched as WCVB-TV in 1972. Throughout his career, Curtis received many regional Emmy awards, but none he was more proud of than his Emmy for “And Poland Survives.”
Chet Curtis was one of the New England region’s most well-known and respected news anchors. He celebrated 50 years of broadcast excellence and received the Gold Circle Award.
In Spring, 2001, Curtis joined New England Cable News (NECN) as an anchor where he hosted FYI, a block of news and business programming. Previously, he had also anchored the Chet Curtis Report and New England Business Day. Curtis began his career in Boston in 1968 at the former WHDH-TV/Channel 5 before it re-launched as WCVB-TV in 1972. For the majority of his time with WCVB, Curtis co-anchored the station’s principal weekday newscasts, and was the original host for the award winning Chronicle program airing in January, 1982. He was best known as co-host with Natalie Jacobson of the 6 an 11PM newscasts on WCVB-TV. “Chet and Natalie” was a household saying and was parodied on national TV shows such as, “30 Rock.” Other notable highlights from his career at WCVB include coverage of the visits to Boston by both Queen Elizabeth (1976) and Pope John Paul ll (1979) as well as many years hosting the Boston Marathon and Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethons. Throughout his career, Curtis received many regional Emmy awards, but none he was more proud of than his Emmy for “And Poland Survives.”
Chet Curtis was born Chester Kukiewicz in Amsterdam, NY to parents of Polish descent. At the age of 12 he began a singing career on a local kids’ TV show, and at 15 worked at a local radio station where he began reading news. In 1963 he began his professional career as a news anchor and reporter at WTOP-TV, the CBS affiliate in Washington, DC, moving on to WCBS-TV in New York and, finally, Boston. Curtis has three daughters. He currently resides at Marina Bay in Quincy, Massachusetts. In addition to family and friends, his passion was his boat and flying, as he was also an accomplished pilot.
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