Jim Donovan
Jim Donovan anchors CBS News Philadelphia's popular morning newscast weekdays 4:30-8 a.m. and the station's noon newscast.
The 15-time Emmy Award-winner joined CBS News Philadelphia as its "On Your Side" consumer reporter in 2004. In April 2016, he stepped up to the anchor desk to relaunch the station's morning newscast, after distinguishing himself with his memorable coverage of Pope Francis' visit to Philadelphia in 2015.
Donovan began his career as a news department intern at WWOR-TV in Secaucus, N.J. Over a period of six years he worked in a variety of roles at WWOR including that of news writer and Emmy-nominated field producer. He did this while also employed in the aviation industry.
While in college in the mid 1980s, Donovan was hired by People Express Airlines. He continued to work for People Express and later with Continental Airlines after an airline merger, as a domestic and international flight attendant. When he wasn't working in the WWOR newsroom, he most likely could be found on a plane traveling to diverse destinations from London to Tahiti.
In 1993, Donovan decided to clip his airline wings and concentrate on his broadcasting career full-time. He joined WNBC-TV, the NBC flagship station in New York City, as a research coordinator. It was there that he put his aviation experience to good use and earned his first Emmy Award for an investigative report on plane crash survival.
In 1994, Donovan made the jump to network programming and joined NBC's cable business network, CNBC, as an investigative producer and consumer reporter for "Steals & Deals," a nightly consumer news program. At CNBC Donovan developed his passion for consumer advocacy and his work there earned him a National Cable Ace nomination and allowed him to contribute reports for NBC's Today Show.
In 1997, Jim left the Big Apple to start an investigative unit at WGHP-TV, a highly rated Fox television station in High Point, North Carolina. While working in North Carolina, the Better Business Bureau named him "Outstanding Consumer Reporter." One of his most popular reports at WGHP involved a weekly segment where he helped reunite people with unclaimed funds. Over the course of one year he helped return $1.4 million dollars to viewers that were owed money by the North Carolina unclaimed property program.
In 2000, Donovan was recruited by WBNS-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. At WBNS he served as the station's lead consumer reporter, earning an Emmy Award and an additional five Emmy nominations for his consumer investigations and reporting. His advocacy on behalf of his viewers was recognized by the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
In 2004 Donovan joined CBS Philadelphia where he developed the 3-On Your Side consumer unit. He and his team helped resolve thousands of consumer related complaints from viewers in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys. His work at CBS Philadelphia has earned him 13 Emmy Awards and an additional 20 Emmy nominations. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Donovan initiated a fundraising phone bank in which CBS Philadelphia viewers donated over $1 million over the course of two days to assist with the Red Cross relief effort.
A native of Staten Island, New York, Jim is a graduate of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. Active in the community, he volunteers his time to numerous local charities including MANNA, CARIE and the Autism Cares Foundation. In 2015, he was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia's Hall of Fame in recognition of his body of work and community service.
In his free time, Jim still enjoys traveling the world. His passport includes stamps from 51 countries in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. When he's not traveling, he resides in Gloucester County, N.J.
