R.I.P.: Harry Donahue, Longtime KYW Radio News Reporter

Harry Donahue (1948-2025)

Longtime KYW Newsradio anchor Harry Donahue, a beloved voice of the city for generations, died Wednesday at age 77 following a fight with cancer, the station confirmed with his family, according to a posting on the KYW website.

Donahue began at KYW as a freelance reporter in 1974 and became a full-time anchor in 1979, anchoring morning drive and sports for 35 years until his retirement in 2014. His calm, familiar voice delivered news, traffic, weather, and — to the delight of schoolchildren — snow day closings that became a Philly tradition.

A sports broadcasting icon, Donahue called play-by-play for the Philadelphia Stars (USFL) in the 1980s and served as the radio and TV voice of Temple University football and basketball for over two decades. 

He also hosted Comcast SportsNet’s “Inside Golf,” worked 15 years with NFL Films, and lent his voice to Eagles preseason games, Atlantic-10 basketball, and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Upon retiring in 2014, Donahue was immediately inducted into the KYW Newsradio Hall of Fame. In 2000, he entered the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.