NBC Sports Washington anchor Julie Donaldson was named Senior Vice President of Media and Content for Washington’s NFL team on Tuesday. Donaldson will replace Larry Michael, who abruptly retired from the organization last week amid sexual harassment allegations.
Donaldson will oversee all of the team’s broadcasts, making her the franchise’s highest ranking female executive. She will also be part of the radio broadcasts, although she plans on hiring someone to take over play-by-play.
It is with great humility & sincere appreciation that I accept the new position of the Washington Football Team's Senior VP of Media and Content. This is a challenge I've been preparing and working toward for nearly 20 yrs in sports media, including the last decade in Washington.
— Julie Donaldson (@juliedonaldson_) July 21, 2020
“In this new role, I aim to bring exciting and innovative ways of delivering the gameday experience to fans, and continue my passion of telling compelling and relatable stories,” Donaldson said in a statement. “I want to connect this team to the fans, and vice versa, in new and engaging ways year-round.”
As a member of Washington’s radio broadcasts, Donaldson will become the first woman to be a regular on-air member of an NFL team’s radio booth. Donaldson has spent the last 10 years in a variety of roles at NBC Sports Washington, including contributing to the Washington NFL team’s pregame and post game shows.
“Julie Donaldson is a trailblazing journalist who has worked on multiple award-winning shows and has a passion for sports in the DMV,” team owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. “She has been a staple in the community and I can’t think of anyone better to lead our organization’s in-house media and content into this new digital age.”
Donaldson accepts the position on the heels of a devastating report from the Washington Post detailing a culture of sexual harassment within the team. Snyder and head coach Ron Rivera have vowed to improve the organizational culture in the wake of the allegations leveled by over a dozen female employees.
