Jim Donovan, CBS Philadelphia’s longtime morning show anchor, is retiring at the end of the year, the station announced Wednesday. Donovan has worked for CBS in various roles for more than two decades.
On Wednesday’s broadcast, he said his retirement was his decision and that the early morning hours required for the show had taken a toll over the years. His final broadcast will be Friday, Dec. 19.
“After 39 years in broadcast news, 22 of those years spent here at CBS, it’s time for me to jump off the TV news rollercoaster and observe the world from a different vantage point,” Donovan said.
Donovan anchors the weekday morning newscast, which airs from 4:30 to 8 a.m., as well as the 12 to 12:30 p.m. show. He joined the station as a consumer reporter in 2004 and notably covered Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015. He moved to the anchor’s seat in 2016 when the station revised its morning show.
A Staten Island native, Donovan began his career as an intern at WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey. During that time, he also worked as an international and domestic flight attendant for People Express Airlines, later Continental Airlines. He later held roles at CNBC in New York City, WGHP in North Carolina, and WBNS in Ohio before coming to Philadelphia.
Over his career, Donovan has won 15 Emmys for his reporting and received 20 additional nominations.
“Jim Donovan is a Philadelphia institution,” said Kelly Frank, president of CBS Philadelphia. “His passion for advocacy, his commitment to our viewers, and his ability to connect with the community have made him a trusted voice in homes across the region. We are grateful for his leadership, his heart, and the legacy he leaves behind.”
Donovan revealed he wrote his retirement date on a Post-It note during the Great Recession in 2008 as a goal to work toward and stuck to that plan, even keeping a countdown on his phone. While he did not disclose specific retirement plans, he shared that he is “throwing away his alarm clock” and looking forward to a new chapter with “normal-people hours.”
“It has been an honor to bring you the news each morning,” Donovan said. “I hope that you know that I took this very seriously, this responsibility.”
https://www.phillyvoice.com/jim-donovan-retirement-cbs-philadelphia/