He broadcast Marshall University football and basketball games and
 did two daily sports reports (at 6 and 11 p.m.) on WSAZ-TV.

Thacker left Huntington in 1967 to help usher in the era of televised
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball. From 1968 through
1981, Thacker was sports anchor for WBTV in Charlotte.

In the 1970s, he joined with college basketball analyst Billy
 Packer to form the popular “Thacker and Packer”
 broadcast duo for ACC games.

After his days at the ACC and WBTV, Thacker did freelance work for
 CBS sports, broadcasting a wide range of sporting events, including
Sun Belt basketball games, the NCAA basketball tournament,
 ESPN college football, NASCAR, the Masters
 and other golf tournaments.

The 64-year-old Thacker died in 1992 after suffering a stroke.

The legendary Bos Johnson was the news director at WSAZ-TV
 when Thacker was the station’s sports director. Remembering
 his late friend and former co-worker, Johnson hailed
Thacker as “a consummate professional. He had
a really quick mind and a great voice, and he
 knew sports. That’s an unbeatable combination.”

“But what I really respected most about Jim,” Johnson
said, “is that he never got in the way of the game.
The game was the important thing. Not
his personality or his views.”