Broadcasting Pioneer Elizabeth Murphy Burns, Former Morgan Murphy Media CEO, Dies at 79

Elizabeth Murphy Burns, who led family-owned Morgan Murphy Media, the parent company of QueenB Radio, 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. 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. Morgan Murphy Media continues to operate as a family-run business. 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, which now includes broadcast television stations in eight markets with affiliations with all major networks, 17 radio stations, a monthly magazine, and a digital agency.