CBS Philadelphia anchor Jim Donovan announces his retirement
After 22 years at CBS Philadelphia, Donovan will jump off the TV news roller coaster and onto the retirement Ferris wheel, he said.
CBS Philadelphia anchor Jim Donovan is retiring after more than 20 years at the station.
The 15-time Emmy Award-winning journalist announced his retirement on Wednesday morning’s newscast. His final broadcast is slated for Dec. 19. Donovan has had a nearly 40-year career in broadcast news, with more than two decades at CBS Philadelphia.
“It’s time for me to jump off the TV news roller coaster and observe the world from a different vantage point,“ Donovan, 59, said during Wednesday’s newscast. ”This is totally my decision. The alarm clock has been going off at 2 a.m. and has taken its toll over the years. I’m looking forward to a new chapter in life with normal people hours. It has been an honor to bring you the news each morning."
Becoming a journalist was Donovan’s dream since he was 9 years old, he told fans in a Facebook livestream Wednesday morning, the same one he has been hosting every weekday since COVID-19 lockdowns.
After he started as an intern at WWOR-TV in New Jersey in 1987, his career would take him to North Carolina and Ohio over the next decade, before he found his permanent home at CBS Philadelphia in 2004.
He remembers that first month in Philadelphia, receiving an especially warm Philly welcome when passersby brushed off the lost newcomer’s requests for directions.
“I started to cry on the corner. I thought, ‘Why have I moved to this place? These people are not nice,’” he said. “I turned, and there was a mural on the wall, titled Reach High and You Will Go Far. I remember stopping and going, ‘That’s a sign. I can handle this. I will be all right here.’”
Donovan stayed and never looked back. Since then, he has embraced Philadelphians’ passion for honesty and obsession with local broadcast news. In Philadelphia, newscasters become household names, with the likes of Jim Gardner, Ukee Washington, and Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz.
“These people really watch television news,” Donovan said. “Within two weeks of being on the air, someone recognized me in the store and it shocked me.”
He joined CBS Philadelphia as the “On Your Side” consumer reporter, helping thousands of viewers resolve issues and recover funds, according to CBS. To this day, Donovan still receives emails from viewers, from times his coverage helped identify solutions in situations ranging from broken washing machines to helping people keep their homes.
His fans are known to send him eccentric socks, for which he has amassed a nearly 1,500-pair collection that he hopes will be recognized by Guinness World Records. His most recent addition is a pair of Friends-themed socks featuring Monica and Joey in turkey heads.
In 2016, he became the morning newscast anchor, a promotion that came as a huge surprise. Of all the stories he has covered, Donovan said, Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia during the first year of his anchor position is still one of his most memorable moments.
“Jim Donovan is a Philadelphia institution,” Kelly Frank, president and general manager of CBS Philadelphia, said. “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.”
The first thing he’ll do after retirement? Just rest. As he jumps off the TV news roller coaster, he will soon be comfortably situated on the retirement Ferris wheel, he joked. In an industry where careers often end short due to layoffs or economic downturns, the New York-born reporter is glad to be going out on his own terms.
Donovan plans to spend more time with his father, who lives on Staten Island, N.Y., and dive into volunteering and nonprofit work. Outside of his journalism career, Donovan can be seen hosting LGBTQ+ events such as grand marshaling in New Hope’s Celebrate Pride Parade earlier this year.
“I’m not leaving with any regrets. I’m just leaving with a smile on my face, a heart full of love, and the fact that this career, that dream from 9 years old, I made it happen and it was all because of you guys and your support,” Donovan said before wishing his thousands of livestream viewers goodbye.