Jim Donovan (sportscaster)

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Jim Donovan
Lower Great Lakes Emmy Award
winner

James Francis Donovan III (born July 17, 1956) is an American radio and television personality who serves as sports director and news anchor for WKYC channel 3 (NBC) in Cleveland, Ohio, and has been the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns Radio Network since 1999.[1]

Early life and career beginnings

Donovan was born in

Boston, Massachusetts. He is a 1978 graduate of Boston University and began his career as a sports director for WJON radio in St. Cloud, Minnesota. From Minnesota, he moved to Vermont, providing play-by-play basketball and hockey coverage for the Satellite News Channel in Burlington, Vermont. He also did play-by-play and sports anchoring at WVMT radio and WEZF-TV
.

He also served for one season as play-by-play announcer for the Vermont Reds, a Cincinnati Reds minor league baseball team (which coincidentally is now the Akron RubberDucks, a Cleveland Guardians minor league team).[1]

WKYC and SportsTime Ohio

Following the death of WKYC weeknight sports anchor Jim Graner in 1976, the Channel 3 sports director job became something of a "revolving door," as at least six replacements (among them Don Schroeder, Tom Ryther, Joe Pelligrino, Jim Mueller and Wayland Boot) came and went over the next decade – this was until Donovan, who had joined the station in 1985 as weekend sports anchor, finally took over in 1986. He has held the post ever since.[2]

In 2006, channel 3 and

SportsTime Ohio - now known as Bally Sports Great Lakes
(BSGL) - acquired the local TV rights to the Cleveland Browns. So in addition to his duties on WKYC, Donovan also hosts several Browns themed programs on BSGL.

Play-by-play

On the national level Donovan had called play-by-play for

Summer Olympics for NBC, and World Cup Soccer
in 1994.

In 1999, when the

NFL
, Donovan was named as radio play-by-play voice of the team.

After WKYC acquired the local, over-the-air television rights to the Cleveland Indians, Donovan served as play-by-play announcer from 2006–2008.

Signature calls

Ten...Five...Touchdown Browns! – when a Browns player scores a touchdown with a clear path to the end zone.

Run William Run! - in reference to William Green 64 yard touchdown run during a Cleveland Browns vs. Atlanta Falcons game in 2002.

Is this how it feels? - when the Browns defeated the New York Jets in Week 3 of the 2018 season, their first victory in 635 days.[3]

Chubba Wubba Hubb! - in reference to Nick Chubbs 92 yard touchdown run during an Atlanta Falcons vs Cleveland Browns game in 2018.[4]

Medical leave

On May 25, 2011, during the 11 pm newscast, Donovan announced he had been battling leukemia for the last ten years, and that he would be taking a leave of absence to undergo a (what would be a successful) bone marrow transplant.

On September 11, 2011, Donovan returned to the Browns broadcasting booth in time for their opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. The next night, he returned to the sports anchor chair at WKYC, as well as his hosting duties on STO.[5]

Donovan met with his bone marrow donor on Thanksgiving night in 2013, when Dallas Gentry from Wise, Virginia, visited the Donovan family.[6]

Donovan announced on May 31, 2023 that his leukemia had relapsed and would be once again undergoing treatment.[7] On September 10, following his broadcast of the opening game of the 2023 season for the Browns, Donovan announced he would step away from announcing Browns games to undergo leukemia treatment.[8]

News anchor

On January 16, 2012, Donovan expanded his duties at WKYC as he became the anchor of channel 3's 7 p.m. newscast. He continues in his role as sports anchor at 6 and 11 p.m.[9]

Personal life

Donovan, his wife, and daughter live in Hinckley, Ohio.

Awards and honors

  • Three-time National Sports Media Association (then National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association) Vermont Sportscaster of the Year (1982–1984).[10]
  • Three-time
    Lower Great Lakes Emmy Award winner.[1]
  • 1988 Cleveland Press Club All-Ohio Best Sportscaster.[1]
  • Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2005)[11]
  • Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2009).[12]
  • 2016 Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Donovan bio - WKYC.com". Archived from the original on 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  2. ISBN 978-1-886228-32-0
    .
  3. ^ "Listen to Browns radio broadcaster's amazing call: 'Is this how it feels?!'". 22 September 2018.
  4. ^ @Browns (November 12, 2018). ""CHUBBA WUBBA HUBB!"@NickChubb21's 92-yard run + Jim Donovan's call 😂" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Donovan meets bone marrow donor - Media Bistro.com
  6. ^ Donovan meets bone marrow donor - WKYC.com[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Jim Donovan, 3News sports anchor and 'Voice of the Browns,' announces leukemia relapse". 31 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Jim Donovan Announces He Is Stepping Away From Broadcasting Browns Games to Undergo Leukemia Treatment". 10 September 2023.
  9. ^ Donovan named 7 p.m. news anchor - WKYC.com
  10. ^ "State Awards: Vermont". nationalsportsmedia.org. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  11. ^ Donovan inducted into Cleveland Broadcasters HOF, CAB Cleveland.com
  12. ^ Kelley, Kevin (December 2, 2009). "Seven journalists inducted into Press Club Hall of Fame". West Life. Cleveland, Ohio. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  13. ^ "2016 Lifetime Achievement Award - Cleveland Sports Awards". Archived from the original on 2016-02-03. Retrieved 2016-01-28.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Donovan_(sportscaster)&oldid=1212689692"