Washington NFL team hires Julie Donaldson for historic radio role

Washington’s NFL team hired TV reporter, anchor and host Julie Donaldson to oversee its broadcast operation and be a member of a three-person radio booth for games.

She will replace longtime play-by-play announcer Larry Michael as the team’s senior vice president of media. Michael announced last week he was leaving the team after 16 years. A day later, Michael was among the team executives named in a Washington Post report about alleged sexual harassment by club employees.

Donaldson will not do play-by-play calls during broadcasts but will help choose who does.

Citing NFL Media, the team said Tuesday that Donaldson would be the first woman to be a regular on-air member of an NFL radio broadcast booth.

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Donaldson has worked at NBC Sports Washington since 2010. Her resume includes previous TV jobs in Boston, New York and Miami.

“This is a challenge I’ve been preparing and working toward for nearly 20 years in sports media, including the last decade in Washington,” Donaldson said in a statement. “I am excited to join the organization as we begin a new era and I look forward to working with my new colleagues in making it stronger than ever. I also want to thank [team owner Daniel Snyder] and the Washington Organization for trusting me with this tremendous opportunity.”