Indiana Broadcast History Archive

Career Overview 

Don Hein was a longtime Indianapolis sportscaster best known for his 33-year career at WTHR-TV (Channel 13). As the station’s sports director and lead anchor, Hein covered professional, college, and high school athletics across Indiana. His reporting spanned major events like the Indy 500, the rise of the Indiana Pacers, and the arrival of the Indianapolis Colts, along with coverage of IU and Purdue sports. 

Before coming to Indianapolis in 1969, Hein worked as sports director at WMBD-TV in Peoria, Illinois. He was named Sportscaster of the Year three times by both the Associated Press and United Press International and earned the title of Indiana’s best play-by-play announcer for nine consecutive seasons. 

Hein retired from full-time broadcasting in the early 2000s but remained involved through occasional special reports and continued to engage with the local sports and arts communities. 

Don Hein was inducted into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2004. 

Early Life and Career Beginnings 

Donald Ray Hein was born on May 24, 1940, in Oelwein, Iowa, and raised in Waverly. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning First-Team All-State honors in basketball and helping lead his team to the state finals. He went on to attend Wartburg College and later the University of Northern Iowa, where he played basketball under Coach Norm Stewart and earned All-Conference recognition twice. He graduated with a degree in speech and English. 

After college, Hein started his broadcasting career at WMBD-TV in Peoria. There, he formed an early on-air partnership with meteorologist Bob Gregory, a collaboration that would continue when both eventually joined WTHR in Indianapolis. 

WTHR and Sports Coverage in Indiana 

Hein joined WTHR (then WLWI) in 1969 as sports director and television play-by-play announcer for the Indiana Pacers during the ABA era. He called games during the team’s three ABA championships and continued covering the Pacers into the NBA years. Over the next three decades, Hein became a fixture in local sports media, known for reporting on a wide range of events from Colts games and IU basketball to high school championships. 

Of course, one of the biggest sports events every year is the Indianapolis 500. In this 30-minute special, “Horses of Steel,” Hein and the WTHR sports team previewed the 1987 race. 

He developed a reputation for strong sourcing and access, including frequent interviews with then-IU basketball coach Bob Knight, even during times when Knight avoided other media outlets. He was also one of the few journalists to land a one-on-one television interview with Knight following the public release of abuse allegations in 2000. 

Community Involvement and Interests 

Outside of his broadcast work, Hein was deeply engaged in the Indianapolis community. He served on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Symphonic Band, performed as a tuba player in several local music groups, and frequently emceed community events. He also volunteered as a youth sports official and guest lecturer at Butler University. 

Legacy 

Don Hein died on July 3, 2025, at the age of 85. During his career, he received multiple professional honors, including the Edward R. Murrow Award and induction into the Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame, the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, and the Indiana Television Pioneers Hall of Fame. 

Hein helped shape local sports journalism during a critical period of growth in Indiana sports, covering the ABA-NBA transition, the arrival of the Colts, and decades of high school and college athletics. Known for his direct style and strong newsroom presence, Hein remained a steady fixture on Indianapolis television for more than three decades. 

August 2025

Katherine Maners

Indiana Broadcast Pioneers