Jim Donovan was a prominent American radio and television personality best known as the voice of the Cleveland Browns.
He also served as the sports director and news anchor for WKYC Channel 3 (NBC) in Ohio.
The sportscaster passed away on October 26, 2024, at the age of 68, after battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Highlights
- Jim Donovan was an American radio and television personality known for his contribution as the sports anchor for the Cleveland Browns.
- Donovan’s net wealth at the time of his demise is estimated at $1 million.
- While working as a sports castor at WKYC, Jim’s annual pay cheque ranges from around $50k at the base level to $100K at the senior level.
Donovan graduated from Boston University in 1978. He initially worked at the university radio station and began his career as a sports director for WJON radio in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
After that, he was a play-by-play announcer for basketball and hockey on the Satellite News Channel, WVMT radio, and WEZF-TV.
In 1985, Jim Donovan joined WKYC as a weekend sports anchor and was involved in news programming and Cleveland Browns pre-and post-game shows.
Moreover, the sports anchor served as the “Voice of Cleveland Browns” for 25 seasons. Over the course of the course, Donovan made signature calls highlighting his time as a play-by-play announcer.
As The Sports News Anchor Of WKYC, Jim Donovan’s Annual Salary Was Approximately $100K
Jim Donovan had an extended career as a news anchor. He gained immense popularity and admiration from his first work at the Boston University radio station to his role as an NFL radio announcer.
Along with fame, the newscaster accumulated adequate wealth. He resided in Hinckley, Ohio, an unincorporated community whose average home value records around $500K.
While the records of his initial salary while working at WJON are not available publicly, the news anchor initially earned an estimated base salary ranging from $40K to $50K at WKYC.
So many great memories with Jim Donovan over the years 🧡🧡🧡 pic.twitter.com/z0rxGYJaMa
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 26, 2024
Later, his service to the WKYC broadcasting channel for about 25 years earned him an estimated annual salary of $100K to $150K.
Moreover, the salary structure of the news anchor and sports director was mainly based on the contractual system and sports season, so Jim Donovan’s career earnings fluctuated.
As of October 28, 2024, there are no explicit mentions of Jim Donovan’s total wealth.
However, based on his career earnings and involvement, Jim Donovan’s net worth was estimated to be around $1 million at the time of his demise.
In addition to monetary earnings, newscaster Donovan earned honors and awards. Jim was a three-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Award winner and 2016 Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Similarly, Donovan earned Three-time National Sports Media Association Vermont Sportscaster of the Year in 1982,83, and 84.
Moreover, he was inducted into the Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame in 2009. Receiving the honors, Donovan said,
I was not really thinking that Cleveland was going to be on my radar in my professional career. Twenty-five, 26 years later, I have truly found my home in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jim Donovan
Additional Informaiton
- Jim Donovan is survived by his beloved wife, Cheryl Donovan, and daughter, Meghan.
- On May 25, 2011, Donovan revealed he had leukemia for the last ten years. In September of the same year, he underwent a bone marrow transplant. However, in 2023, the leukemia relapsed and became the cause of his demise in October 2024.
- Jim announced his retirement as the Browns lead radio announcer on August 29, 2024.
