The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

Jim Donovan is a 13-time Emmy Award-winning consumer reporter whose honors run the gamut from the Better Business Bureau to the Associated Press.

Since 2004 he has been the featured reporter for the “On Your Side” consumer unit at CBS 3 and The CW Philly. Each year, he and his team help resolve thousands of consumer-related complaints from viewers in the Delaware Valley.

His work at CBS 3 has earned him nine Emmy Awards and an additional sixteen Emmy nominations. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Donovan initiated a fundraising phone bank in which CBS 3 viewers donated over $1 million dollars over the course of two days to assist with the Red Cross relief effort. In January, 2010, he spearheaded a similar effort for victims of the Haitian Earthquake, raising more than half a million dollars during a 14-hour fundraiser.

A native of Staten Island, New York, Donovan began his career as a news department intern at WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey. Over a period of six years he worked in a variety of roles there including that of news writer and Emmy-nominated field producer, while, at the same time, working 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, as a domestic and international flight attendant. When he wasn't working in the WWOR newsroom, he could most likely be found on a plane traveling to destinations from London to Tahiti.

He's been in TV continuously since 1987. He then got hired at WWOR (where he previously served an internship) and worked part-time while also working for the airlines. He would fly all night, then go into work in TV in the morning.

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.

Donovan left the Big Apple in 1997 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."

Before coming to Philadelphia, Donovan was the consumer reporter for WBNS-TV, a highly-rated CBS station in Columbus, Ohio. His advocacy on behalf of his viewers was recognized by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Donovan 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 Mazzoni Center.

In his free time, Donovan enjoys traveling the world. His passport includes stamps from 44 countries in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific. When he's not traveling, Donovan resides in Center City Philadelphia.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com