For nearly three decades Bob Donaldson has been at the center of news coverage in central Indiana, but his career as a journalist started before he’d even earned a college degree.
Bob began his career as the Assignment Editor, the City Government Reporter and the Weekend 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. News Anchor at KOMU in Columbia, Missouri, while still a student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Bob’s career took him to Beaumont, Texas where he worked for two years as a reporter at KFDM. And then to KTVY in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where in 1985 he won a first place award for Spot News Reporting from Sigma Delta Chi.
In 1987, Bob’s journalistic journey led him west to KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah where he worked as an Environmental Reporter and Special Projects Reporter. After two years in the Intermountain West, Bob’s work as a news anchor began back in Oklahoma City on weekend anchor desk where he was honored with a UPI Tri-State Individual Reporting Achievement Award.
Next, a Monday through Friday anchoring opportunity provided a move to KARK in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Bob was chosen after an extensive nationwide search to serve as the lead anchor in Indianapolis at WXIN FOX59 in 1991 when the station started its award-winning newscast, FOX59 News at 10. He was a key contributor to one of the most successful local news launches ever among Fox affiliates. His efforts helped make WXIN, “Fox Station of the Year” both in 1992 and again in 1994.
Besides his work on the anchor desk, Bob has produced Emmy-award winning special reports and documentaries during his long career at FOX59. Just as significantly, Bob was at the forefront of the effort to transform FOX59 into one of the most dominant Fox affiliates in the country. He launched the highly-rated launch of FOX59 News First at Four, which led to the station’s expansion at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. He also served for a brief stint as FOX59 Interim News Director and until recently, served as the newsroom’s Managing Editor as well.
Bob journey in Indianapolis television took an unexpected turn in 2015, when CBS Affiliate Programming moved from WISH to WXIN sister station, WTTV. Bob’s experience launching top rated newscasts and his respected stature in the market led to him being chosen again to lead a new news team. He continued his anchoring duties on FOX59 News at 10 on WXIN while also taking on the new 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on the new CBS4. His anchoring on two top rated network affiliates had never been attempted before in the Indianapolis market. As he had done numerous times in his career, Bob’s efforts exceeded expectations and made the launch of CBS4 Indy a resounding success while maintaining the high ratings of FOX59. CBS4 Indy’s 11 p.m. was honored with the Emmy award for Best Newscast in 2018 just two years after its launch.
He continued the dual anchor role on two stations for one year before leaving FOX59 News at 10 to focus solely on the evening newscasts on CBS4. He continues to thrive today in the evening anchor role at CBS4 and has now become the longest tenured male anchor in the Indianapolis market.
Bob has been recognized repeatedly for his volunteer work for groups such as College Mentors for Kids, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Habitat for Humanity and the Children’s Bureau and the Center for Leadership Development. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Indianapolis Chapter of the National Kidney Foundation.
He and his wife Dr. Skye Winslow have raised three children in central Indiana. They are proud Hoosiers, who love to call Indiana their home.
