Elizabeth Murphy Burns, a pioneering broadcaster and influential industry leader, has died. Known for her trailblazing leadership at Morgan Murphy Media, Burns was one of the first women elected to the NAB Board of Directors. She was 79.
Burns spent more than four decades helping shape the family-owned media company’s future, co-leading Morgan Murphy Media with her brother John Murphy beginning in 1982. She became CEO, helping to steward a portfolio that today includes 18 radio stations across Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, and Idaho.
She would serve pivotal roles with the NAB Board and CBS Affiliate Board and was instrumental in championing initiatives like the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training Program and the Small Market Group Roundtable. In 2005, she was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Her passion for local broadcasting extended beyond corporate leadership. Burns advocated for broadcasters on Capitol Hill and served on the Board of Trustees for Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and NABPAC.
Burns stepped aside from day-to-day operations in March, naming her nephew Brian Burns as CEO and becoming Board Chair.
In a statement, NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said, “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.”
“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.”
