Elizabeth Murphy Burns, a pioneering figure in American broadcasting who led family-owned Morgan Murphy Media for 43 years, has died at the age of 79.
Burns, whose grandfather founded the influential Superior Evening Telegram in 1890, was a third-generation media executive who transformed her family’s business into a multi-platform media company while breaking barriers for women in the broadcasting industry.
Born into the media business, Burns began her career at just 14 years old selling classified ads for her family’s newspaper. After attending the University of Arizona, she entered broadcasting and owned and operated a radio station by age 25 before rejoining her family’s management team. In 1982, she became vice president of what would later become Morgan Murphy Media.
“We enlighten, educate, entertain, and have fun doing it. If you don’t have fun, you aren’t going to be good at it. And I think we’re very good at it,” Burns once said about the broadcasting industry.
Under Burns’ leadership and partnership with her brother John Murphy, the newspaper business her grandfather started and her father expanded grew significantly. The company now includes broadcast television stations in eight markets with affiliations with all major networks, 17 radio stations, a monthly magazine, and a digital agency.
Burns was a trailblazer for women in the broadcasting industry. She served as the first woman on the CBS Affiliates Board and was among the first women elected to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Board.
“I hope that I made it easier for women to come after me because we worked out the kinks, and so when the women came along the line, the guys were used to me. I hope that’s a gift,” Burns said when receiving an award from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
Her influence extended beyond company leadership into technological innovation and policy. Burns was an early advocate for the transition from analog television to high definition. in 1998, she testified before a Senate congressional hearing that cable companies should be required to carry digital broadcast signals.
“The transition to digital TV will only succeed if the early adopters can get their local DTV stations over cable and have assurance that DTV sets will operate with digital cable systems and other devices,” Burns told lawmakers.
Her impact reached international levels when she participated in a delegation for the George W. Bush administration to promote independent news media in Russia, collaborating with Russian media executives to foster journalistic integrity.
In 2018, Burns was honored by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation’s Giants of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts Award, recognizing her significant contributions to the industry.
During her acceptance speech, Burns emphasized the responsibility that came with her position: “I and my family take what we do very seriously. Being an integral part of our communities to inform, educate, and entertain viewers on any platform that they want to watch us on, and being the one they trust and turn to, what a responsibility.”
At that same ceremony, entertainment personality Ryan Seacrest was a fellow honoree and acknowledged Burns’ pioneering role in bringing HDTV to American homes, jokingly noting the next day in the popular syndicated TV show “Live with Kelly and Ryan” that viewers “can see our wrinkles now” because of the technology she championed. Seacrest described Burns as “a lovely true pioneer” who was “charming and smart and funny” during her acceptance speech.
Neil Heinen, in an on-air editorial for Morgan Murphy Media’s Madison-based CBS affiliate WISC-TV, noted that Burns “was recognized for both her national leadership in broadcasting, as well as her commitment to local broadcasting, and the unique relationship local broadcasters have with the communities they serve.”
In recent years, Burns and her husband Richard spent time in Arizona, helping shape the next generation of journalists at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The couple’s contributions led to the dedication of the school’s largest teaching space in their honor—a 141-seat technologically advanced classroom.
Burns’ commitment to public service and giving back to the industry remained a cornerstone of her professional philosophy.
“This industry has been very good to me and my family. And you need to give back, and you need to set an example. Because what you’re doing is what should be focused on. It’s the act, not the person,” Burns said.
Elizabeth Murphy Burns leaves behind a legacy of innovation, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to public service and to her family, especially her five grandchildren.
Morgan Murphy Media continues to operate as a family-run business with the values and vision established by Burns during her four decades of leadership. Last month, Burns stepped down as CEO of the company and appointed her stepson Brian Burns as CEO ensuring a fourth generation of leadership for the 135-year-old company.
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