CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Jim Donovan, the long-time sports director and anchor for WKYC TV-3 and radio play-by-play voice of the Cleveland Browns, passed away Friday night.
Donovan was 68.
“This is an incredibly difficult day for us and the entire Cleveland Browns organization,” Browns managing and principal partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Donovan. His impact as the Voice of the Browns for 25 years is immeasurable as he touched the lives of our fans each and every Sunday with his love for the Browns and his brilliance at his craft.
“He will be greatly missed, but he cemented a legacy that will live on forever. The only thing that outweighed his love for this city and this team was the love he had for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Cheryl, his daughter, Meghan, and everyone who was fortunate enough to call Jimmy family or friend.”
Born on July 17, 1956, in Boston, Massachusetts, Donovan graduated from Boston University in 1978. He began his broadcast career as a sports director for WJON radio in St. Cloud, Minnesota followed by a stop in Burlington, Vermont where he worked for Satellite News Channel as well as WVMT radio and WEZF-TV.
In June of this year, Donovan retired from WKYC-TV, where he began working as a weekend sports anchor in 1985. He was named the station’s sports director a year later.
Donovan, who called Cleveland Indians games from 2006-2008 for WKYC, also served as a host for various Browns television programs on Cleveland’s regional sports networks – SportsTime Ohio and Bally’s Sports Great Lakes.
Donovan called NFL games nationally for NBC from 1987-1997. He also worked the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympic Games handling swimming and soccer play-by-play for the network. In 1994 Donovan also called World Cup Soccer games.
Donovan was hired in 1999 as the radio play-by-play voice of the Browns, which returned to the NFL following a three-year hiatus as an expansion club. After 25 seasons, he retired in August and the team inducted Donovan into its Legends Club in September along with kicker Phil Dawson.
"He kept it real, but he kept a positive tone to it," Dawson said of Donovan's calls. "He just always could find that balance – authentic, real, accurate, but he was still supportive, even when there wasn't a whole lot to support. And I know the players appreciated that. I know I certainly appreciated that. He was always quick to try to provide context, rather than letting people just focus on an individual moment. He just really had a knack for seeing the big picture. It was always 'Go Browns,' yet he kept it real and accurate, so that everybody understood what was going on."
Donovan won numerous awards throughout his distinguished broadcasting career including three Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards, Cleveland Press Club All-Ohio Best Sportscaster and was the recipient of the 2016 Cleveland Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. Donovan was named to the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame.
“Today, Cleveland lost a voice that brought joy, energy, and heart to our community,” Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement. “Jim Donovan wasn’t just a legendary sportscaster—he was part of our city’s fabric. His passion for Cleveland sports was unmatched, and he’ll be missed by fans and friends alike. Rest in peace, Jim. Your legacy lives on in every game, every cheer, and every story you shared with us.”
Donovan was first diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2000 and underwent a bone marrow transplant in 2011. He met his donor on Thanksgiving night in 2013.
Following the team’s 2023 season opener, Donovan announced he would step away from the broadcast booth to receive treatment. He returned 10 weeks later in November.
In February 2024, Donovan celebrated the end of treatment but announced in August the disease had aggressively returned.
Donovan is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and daughter, Meghan.