Morgan Murphy Media has issued the following obituary for its former CEO:
MADISON, Wis.—Morgan Murphy Media announces with profound sadness the passing of Elizabeth Murphy Burns, the company's longtime president and CEO who led the family-owned media company for 43 years. She was 79.
Murphy Burns, who just last month stepped down as CEO to become chair of the company’s board of directors, was a pioneering figure in American broadcasting who transformed her family's business into a multi-platform media company while breaking barriers for women in the industry.
“Elizabeth Murphy Burns was a visionary leader whose influence extended far beyond our company,” said Brian Burns, who was appointed by Murphy Burns as president and CEO last month. “Her commitment to journalistic integrity, technological innovation, and community service shaped not only Morgan Murphy Media but the entire broadcasting industry. Her legacy will continue to guide us as we move forward.”
Born into a family of media pioneers, Murphy Burns began her career at 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, leading the company with her brother John Murphy.
Under her stewardship and partnership with her brother, the newspaper business her grandfather founded in 1890 and her father expanded grew to include broadcast television stations in eight markets with affiliations with all major networks, 17 radio stations, a monthly magazine, and a digital agency.
Murphy Burns was a trailblazer for women in the broadcasting industry. Her major professional accomplishments and milestones include:
- First woman elected to the CBS affiliates advisory board;
- One of the first women elected to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) board of directors;
- Inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2005, joining her father, Morgan Murphy, as an inductee;
- 2006 honoree of the NAB's Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award;
- Designated as a Giant of Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation in 2018;
- Served on the board of trustees for Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism Endowment;
- Longstanding trustee for NABPAC, working to inform members of Congress on critical broadcasting issues.
Her influence extended beyond company leadership into technological innovation and policy. In 1998, she testified before a Senate congressional hearing advocating that cable companies should be required to carry digital broadcast signals, helping to advance the transition to high-definition television.
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 recent years, Murphy 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.
Murphy Burns often reminded employees their duty was to “inform, educate and entertain.”
Despite trends toward corporate consolidation at all levels of media, she believed being family-owned and operated allowed the local properties to be more closely connected to the communities they serve.
“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,” Murphy Burns once said.
Last month, Murphy Burns secured a fourth generation of leadership at Morgan Murphy Media with the appointment of her stepson, Brian Burns, as president and CEO. Her niece, Kate Murphy Doty, continues to serve as a senior executive leading human resources at the company.
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.
Information regarding memorial services will be announced at a later date.
The NAB has issued the following statement on her passing:
“Liz Burns was a trailblazer, a fierce advocate for local broadcasting and a dear friend to me and so many in our industry. Through her visionary leadership at Morgan Murphy Media and her tireless work with NAB, Liz left an indelible mark on broadcasting that will endure for generations.
“From pioneering roles on the NAB Board and CBS Affiliate Board to championing the concerns of small market broadcasters on Capitol Hill, Liz’s passion for our mission was unmatched. She was instrumental in developing industry-changing initiatives like the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training Program and the Small Market Group Roundtable, and she inspired countless broadcasters to lead with purpose and serve with integrity. Liz’s impact on broadcasters’ ability to inform, educate and serve their communities is simply immeasurable.
“Beyond her professional achievements, Liz will be remembered for her generosity, her mentorship and her deep commitment to the future of local media. We mourn her passing, but we celebrate a life that has made broadcasting, and all of us, better. Our thoughts are with Brian, her family and everyone at Morgan Murphy Media during this difficult time.”
