John Murphy (announcer)

John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.

Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network. From 1984 to 1989, and again from 1994 to 2004, Murphy served as the Bills' color analyst, with longtime play-by-play man Van Miller.

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.

Murphy served as sports director at WBEN from 1984 to 1992 and hosted a talk show on the station until 1995.

Television career

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 then Sports Director Bob Koshinski who had left WKBW-TV to help found the Empire Sports Network. He held the position for eighteen years, until September 2007, when contract negotiations fell through. Murphy was reportedly expected to take a twenty-percent pay cut, as other employees had done because of Granite Broadcasting's financial problems, in order to stay with the station.

Murphy 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.

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

Filmography

*Bruce Almighty (2003) (as himself)

Personal life

Murphy currently resides in Orchard Park and is married to Orchard Park town supervisor (and former WKBW investigative reporter) Mary Travers. The couple has two children named MarkMark and Jack.

References

* [http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8047214&nav=menu41_10_3 Biography] from WIVB-TV
*Information from his WKBW-TV profile, which is no longer on the Web.