WASHINGTON >> A beloved longtime news anchor in the nation’s capital has died.

WRC-TV President and General Manager Jackie Bradford said in a statement that Jim Vance died this morning. He was 75 years old.

Vance told viewers earlier this year that he was undergoing treatment for cancer.

The Washington Post reports that Vance’s 11 p.m. shows with longtime broadcast partner Doreen Gentzler regularly attracted more viewers than the prime-time shows on the three major cable networks combined.

Vance was also open about his battles with drug addiction and depression.

Bradford said the Pennsylvania native was “not only the soul of NBC4 but of the entire Washington area.”

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that Vance was a “steady voice who shared the news — good or bad — with grace.”