Submitted photo Jed Donahue was inducted into the Capital Area Chapter Pa. Sports Hall of Fame this past summer.

Donahue’s pipes highlight Pa. sports action

LEWISTOWN — Jed Donahue has delivered a variety of sports coverage to Pennsylvania over his 35 years behind the microphone. The hall of fame broadcaster’s career resembles an assortment of chocolate — every moment has the potential to be just as sweet as the next.

Donahue was inducted into the Capital Area Chapter Pa. Sports Hall of Fame this past summer, but he keeps pushing to make sure his website, pasports.net, is growing at an acceptable level. He wants to gain an audience that may not be available with a local station.

“I have no regrets about anything that has happened…it’s all gone the way I could have hoped…Getting that hall of fame nod in June kind of justified, ‘Hey, all right other people recognized that you weren’t too bad,” Donahue noted about his career and hall of fame nod.

Donahue would host podcasts such as “Pa. Sports Saturday” from 8 a.m. to noon and “Pa. Sports Mid-day” with Joe Lodanosky from noon to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. “Pa. Sports Now” could be heard Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

What does Donahue enjoy most about hosting a show on his platform?

“The best part is getting to know a lot of the participants. The players, and all of that sort of thing. I’ve covered a lot of great games over the years. High school, pro, Penn State…getting to know people you watched when you grew up…and all of a sudden you’re interviewing them later on…it’s something I’ve always wanted to do as a kid,” Donahue said.

“I think I’ve had a pretty good run, covering the NFL, covering Penn State for 35 years and doing 20 years of state championships — PIAA basketball and football…so I’ve got a lot of great stories, a lot of great memories and it worked out the way I thought it would.”

“The Pennsylvania Sports Network” (pasports.net) worked with Penn State to create the “Cael Sanderson Show” and “Penn State Wrestling Radio Network.”

Donahue explained that his network has altered over the years.

“Biggest change is I got eight affiliates. We used to have a high of 23 back in the early 2000s, but with the internet and the growth of online listening we focus a lot of our attention now to the website…that’s where we’re building and we’re getting a nice, solid audience with that,” the founder and president of the Pa. network stated.

With elements of sports broadcasts changing — some for the better and for others for the worst — Donahue has caught on to how the landscape has tweaked itself.

“When you watch television and games now, it’s unbelievable, the production value. The different camera angles…when I was growing up some of these big games there would be four or five cameras. Now these big games have 13. The Super Bowl has like 30 cameras…I think the broadcaster for the most part is top notch…as far as the production value is concerned it’s night and day from the 70s, 80s and to be honest with you even in the 90s,” Donahue said.

“But I thought the guys (broadcasters) back in the day captured some of the key moments…a lot of the older announcers had a radio background and I think that kind of helped…I think the older announcers have a tendency to be a little bit more iconic than what I think we’re going to be talking about with today’s guys.”

Donahue enjoyed the work of Dick Enberg, Pat Summerall and Harry Kalas during their days calling games. However, today’s play-by-play voices may not have the same impact that trio had many years ago.

“I’m not sure if we’re looking at an iconic announcer today, especially radio. The big guys are on TV now,” Donahue added.

State of PSU football

With Penn State football losing its eighth game in a row to rival Ohio State last weekend, Donahue brought his analysis and addressed where PSU is as a program.

The Nittany Lions have a chance to go 11-1 and host a playoff game at Beaver Stadium.

“They’ll host a game if they win out, which I think they’re favored…keep an eye on the Minnesota game. That could get tricky. But, I think they’ll win out. They’ll be 11-1 and they’ll host a playoff game…I think they’ll win that playoff game and go to the quarterfinals,” Donahue explained.

PSU hosts Washington at 8 p.m. on Saturday for another White Out game.

Powerhouse Matmen

PSU wrestling is eyeing its 12th national title since 2011. The Lions have won three straight national crowns.

Donahue believes PSU will reign supreme once again this wrestling season. He highlighted their recruiting and head coach as some reasons to fear the Lions. The broadcaster added that the Lions could potentially capture 20-25 national titles and that it’s impossible to beat PSU as long as their coach is there.

With all of the PSU matmen’s national title victories and PSU football struggling to win their conference, could Penn State wrestling surpass PSU football as the most popular sport in Happy Valley?

“I don’t know if it’s a possibility. The football thing is a separate category…if you look at the pecking order as far as where the fan interest is concerned, wrestling is second behind football. Then, it’s basketball. I like the guy they have now, Mike Rhoades…the nice thing about Rhoades is he isn’t going to go anywhere. He’s going to put a foundation together and I think that program is on the move,” Donahue said.

Tales of the Tape

Donahue has interviewed players and coaches from all over the state, including the late Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno and college football announcer Brent Musburger.

“Pretty awesome to cover 25 years of Joe Paterno…he could be difficult at times, but for the most part if you knew the rules and you followed them it was okay.. (he was a) legend and he was a national figure,” Donahue voiced.

“Brent Musburger, one of my all-time favorites.”

Donahue also interviewed Bo Schembechler when he wasn’t coaching and “Monday Night Football” announcer Howard Cosell during his younger days in Philadelphia.

Donahue said his advice to young kids who want to get into this field is, “Good luck it’s changed…I tell all of my interns major in business and minor in communications. So you know how to run yourself.”

Despite having achieved so much in his media career, Donahue keeps climbing the ladder and leaving his mark on those around him. His journey brings plenty to the highlight reel.

Donahue called a high school basketball game that featured Kobe Bryant when he was with Lower Merion. He was a CBS and Westwood One correspondent and covered the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles and Big East Basketball. He called more than 2,500 high school football and basketball games during a 20-year run (1987-2007) with WHP 580 AM, WKBO 1230 AM and WRVV 97.3 FM. During a two-year span (’95-’97), Donahue was an announcer for some Hershey Bears games, too.

Donahue is proof that if you stay committed to your craft the possibilities are endless. His career is one that has earned a curtain call.