John Murphy (sportscaster)

John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York. He is best known as the voice of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network and host of The John Murphy Show on WGR and MSG Western New York. In addition to the Bills, he also served as commentator for the Buffalo Bisons, Canisius College Golden Griffins, Buffalo Bulls and Niagara University Purple Eagles in the 1980s.

Broadcast career

In August 1984, Stan Barron, the longtime sports director at WBEN, died from bone cancer, shortly after calling the Bills' last preseason game of the year. Barron's short-notice death led to Murphy's immediate hiring; Murphy initially served in all of the same capacities that Barron did.^[1]

Murphy served as sports director at WBEN from 1984 to 1992 and hosted a talk show on the station until 1995. In 1989, Murphy succeeded Rick Azar as WKBW-TV's 6 PM sports anchor, joining Irv Weinstein and Tom Jolls in Western New York's most popular (at the time) newscast. Murphy was named Sports Director in 1992, one year after the departure of Sports Director Bob Koshinski. He held the position for eighteen years, until September 2007, when Murphy balked at taking a twenty-percent pay cut, as other employees had done because of Granite Broadcasting's financial problems.

Murphy remained off television until his non-compete contract clause expired, after which he joined WIVB-TV, WKBW's crosstown rival, in March 2008, to become that station's sports director. He replaced longtime sports director Dennis Williams in the position. Murphy left WIVB in June 2012 to focus full-time on his Bills duties.^[2]

During his time at WKBW, he made a cameo in the film Bruce Almighty, the only WKBW anchor to do so.

Buffalo Bills

Murphy serves as the play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Bills radio network, a position he has held since the retirement of Van Miller following the 2003 season. Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills. From 1984 to 1989, and again from 1994 to 2004, Murphy served as the Bills' color analyst, alongside Miller. Starting on July 26, 2012, he has hosted The John Murphy Show, a Bills-themed talk show on WGR in Buffalo.^[3][4]

Filmography

• Bruce Almighty (2003) (as himself)

Personal life

John Murphy is originally from Lockport, New York, and currently resides in Orchard Park. His father, Matthew Murphy, was a member of the New York State Assembly. Murphy is married to former Orchard Park town supervisor (and former WKBW consumer affairs reporter) Mary Travers. The couple have two children, Mark and Jack.

References

1. Pergament, Alan (August 2012). Media Watch: Murphy gets the Bills job of a lifetime. Buffalo Spree. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
2. Pergament, Alan (March 30, 2012). Sources: Murphy to Bills June 1. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
3. http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/144072-john-murphy-to-host-nightly-show-on-wgr/
4. http://prod.www.bills.clubs.nfl.com/news/article-1/The-John-Murphy-Show-debuts-July-26/382e7c83-0a8a-4bd4-952f-ea09dc5239a4

• Information from his WKBW-TV profile, which is no longer on the Web.

External links

• Biography from WIVB-TV