Away From His Job, Todd Donoho’s Life Is Far From Trivial

The Los Angeles media used to treat Todd Donoho as if he were Terry Donahue during a losing season.

He was called the clown prince of sportscasting in this space, and worse things elsewhere. Jim Healy, who tabbed one of his favorite targets, Dan Dierdorf, Dan Dierdork, or simply the Dorkster, used a similar moniker for Donoho.

He was once rated the worst sportscaster in Los Angeles here, and was given the same distinction by Steve Harvey in TV Times and by others as well.

Donoho was blindsided by all the criticism. Until he went to Channel 7 in July of 1989, the press clippings had almost all been favorable.

At FNN Score, the now-defunct sports arm of the Financial News Network, Donoho gained national attention for his work in general and his “Time Out for Trivia” show in particular.

During his five years at FNN Score, the rave reviews included a profile in Sports Illustrated, which was probably seen by more readers than could even get FNN Score.

Before his FNN stint, the Indiana native and University of Missouri graduate was the fair-haired boy at NBC stations in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Cincinnati, even doing occasional NFL play by play for NBC.

But then he went to Channel 7.

Since he had made a name for himself with trivia, he decided to lead off his sports segment with a trivia question.

He was barely on the job two weeks when he had to deal with a tragic story--the suicide of former Angel reliever Donnie Moore. But still he followed his regular format and led off Channel 7’s sports segment that night with a trivia question.

It was deemed in poor taste, and every sports media critic in town went after him.

“I think I was unfairly criticized for that,” he said the other day. “At the top of the hour, at the start of the newscast, we led with the Donnie Moore story, so by the time we got to sports, it had already been reported.

“The story didn’t keep The Times from printing its trivia question in Morning Briefing the next day.”

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Now don’t think Donoho is a complainer. He rarely complains, and when he does, he does it with class.

“Sure, you hate to see yourself criticized in print,” Donoho said. “Sure, it hurts. But you just go on and time heals the wounds.”

Donoho realizes criticism is usually simply opinion, and opinions vary greatly. In an unofficial readers’ poll after Harvey’s 1992 critique in TV Times, the anti-Donoho letters led the pack, but at the same time he came in a close second behind Channel 2’s Jim Hill as the readers’ favorite.

But despite the bashing, which seems to have subsided, Donoho has survived in a major market for nearly five years, no easy feat.

He has made a few subtle changes along the way--the trivia question was dropped two years ago--and viewers have grown accustomed to him.

Not only is he a part of L.A’s No. 1-rated television news team, he is also part of the popular morning radio show “Mark and Brian” on KLOS-FM. He has had that job for 6 1/2 years.

The two gigs together give him a bigger combined television and radio audience than any other L.A. sportscaster, something he is proud of.

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Donoho might or might not be your favorite sportscaster. Sports purists, who make up about 30% of his audience, tend to like their sports more straight. But off the air, it’s hard not to like him.

“Todd Donoho is the consummate nice guy,” said Joe Safety, the Clippers’ vice president of public relations who was the executive producer at FNN Score when Donoho was there.

Said Channel 4’s Fred Roggin: “I’ve known Todd since he was in Grand Rapids and I was at the NBC station in Phoenix. I not only respect his talent, but he is also a good friend.”

A lot of people around the Santa Clarita Valley consider Donoho a good friend, too. He and his family, which includes sons Kevin, 11; Jeff, 9, and Scott, 6, moved to Valencia 3 1/2 years ago.

Donoho, 38, and his wife of 15 years, his college sweetheart, Paula, are involved in church and charitable activities in the area.

It’s not uncommon for people on a fund-raising home tour to find Donoho at one of the homes as a greeter.

On May 21, Donoho, for the second year, will serve as host of a charity golf tournament at Valencia Country Club that benefits the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Last year, the event raised more than $50,000 for the hospital’s trauma and paramedic services.

Not only does Donoho serve as host, he also spends countless hours helping promote the event.

Donoho’s charitable activities cover more than the Santa Clarita Valley. He is also an honorary booster for Jordan High in South-Central L.A., and donates his money toward a scholarship fund.

Criticize Donoho as a sportscaster if you like. But if you criticize him as a human being, take a hike.