Documentary on famed Indiana broadcaster Don Fischer debuting this week

BLOOMINGTON —  Indiana fans know Don Fischer’s voice.

They remember his many memorable calls.

They may even know the broad strokes of his career — the Hall of Fame broadcaster started calling Hoosiers football and basketball games back in 1973 — but WFIU/WTIU senior news editor Mark Alesia wanted to dig a little deeper.

With “Timeless: Don Fischer’s Half-Century Broadcasting IU Sports,” a documentary produced by Indiana Public Media, Alesia got a chance to do just that.

“He’s a legend,” Alesia told The Herald-Times. “And he entrusted us with his story. There have been other video tributes, but we want to put it all together, his humble beginnings, his perseverance and longevity, and his connection to the fans.”

Indiana athletics is hosting a free advance screening of the film at 7 p.m. Thursday night at Assembly Hall, ahead of its premier Friday at 6:30 p.m. on WTIU.

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Alesia, the film’s director who is a longtime investigative and enterprise reporter, traced the project’s origins to Indiana football’s 10-0 start in 2024 under Curt Cignetti.

As Alesia listened to Fischer, 79, call one of those early victories, he texted his boss about doing a longer piece on IU’s famed broadcaster, which eventually became the documentary fans will have a chance to see this week.

Fischer has called more than 2,000 IU games, including three men’s basketball national championships and the football team’s perfect 16-0 season.

The 30-minute film will tell Fischer’s story through archival footage, historic radio calls, and fresh interviews, including ones with Cignetti, Bob Costas, Scott Dolson, and members of Fischer’s family, including his twin brother, David.

“His iconic calls are part of this, for sure, but Don gave us clips from his first season, more than 50 years ago,” Alesia said. “It’s pretty remarkable; he sounds exactly the same, like it could have been something from last season."

Alesia’s team also followed Fischer around for multiple games in 2025. They captured behind-the-scenes footage of Fischer in the broadcast booth during Indiana football’s win over UCLA, then followed him around at Assembly Hall for the basketball team’s game against Chicago State.

“That game was like five days before Christmas, not really a big marquee matchup, but all sorts of people came up to him asking for autographs and selfies,” Alesia said. “There’s something in the film of an older gentleman telling him, ‘You keep me connected to my roots.’ It was just the perfect moment.”

All told, they spent more than a year putting the documentary together, and Alesia is eager for fans to see the finished product.

“Somebody we interviewed said, ‘There’s no fake in him,’” Alesia said. “I think that’s what people will see. It’s amazing; he’s made it through 18 head coaches in football and men's basketball, and he’s really just this beloved figure. It’s special.”

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Timeless screenings

August 27 at 7:00pm at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN

September 2 at 6:00pm at Yes Cinema in Columbus, IN

September 9 at 6:30pm at Tivoli Theatre in Spencer, IN

September 15 at 6:00pm at Brown County Public Library in Nashville, IN

September 20 at 2:00pm at Mitchell Opera House in Mitchell, IN

September 22 at 6:30pm at Thompson Recital Hall of DePauw University in Greencastle, IN

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here .

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Documentary on famed Indiana broadcaster Don Fischer debuting this week

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