Voice of the Bills Murphy leaving Buffalo, signs on with Syracuse news Station

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

The voice of the Bills John Murphy has signed a five year contract to do sports for a Syracuse news station who will be sports reporter and sports director. Murphy who attended Syracuse University and got his bachelor's degree in broadcasting from Syracuse, so he knows Syracuse well. He was let go from WKBW-TV when they offered him a lowball contract offer and Murphy refused to sign it. Murphy said that he wanted to stay in Buffalo but no one was hiring. WGRZ has Ed Kilgore, Adam Benigini, Stu Boyer and Matt Pearl. WIVB has Dennis Williams and Paul Peck who also works as a sideline reporter on the Bills broadcasts on WGRF 97 Rock along with Murphy. Murphy will still be the voice of the Bills. Murphy has said that he will not start his new job in Syracuse until the Bills season is over.

[camelcowboy]

any link?

[camelcowboy]

he not listed under personalities for wkbw so maybe its true, what a shame.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

this was published in the Buffalo News a couple weeks ago,

WKBW-TV sports director John Murphy is ending his 18-year run at the station tonight after being unable to reach a new contract with cost-cutting management.

Murphy, the sports anchor on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, is the most visible name and face to leave Channel 7 News since veteran anchor Susan Banks departed in December.

Murphy confirmed his departure when reached Saturday before he headed to Pittsburgh to do play-by-play for the Bills radio network for today’s game with the Steelers.

“I didn’t get a good contract offer,” Murphy said. “Coupled with where the station is at and where it is headed, it is time to move on.”

Asked to assess where the station is headed, Murphy said: “It is probably going to be sold again soon, and there is uncertainty about that. It is a tough environment.”

Cost-cutting at Channel 7 has intensified since Granite Broadcasting — which owned the station until bankruptcy caused it to restructure — became controlled by a privately owned hedge fund sponsor, Silver Point Capital of Greenwich, Conn.

Murphy said contract talks with the station’s general manager, Bill Ransom, started in June and didn’t change substantially in three months. He said goodbye to co-workers Friday night.

According to one source, Murphy was being asked to take a 20 percent pay cut from his six-figure salary over three years. News anchor Keith Radford and weatherman Mike Randall accepted pay cuts, so perhaps management expected Murphy to fall in line. “Everybody has got to do what they have to do,” Murphy said. “I’m not going to second-guess those guys. I love those guys.”

Now a TV free agent, Murphy said he has no immediate job plans other than doing radio play-by-play on 97 Rock for the Bills games.

“I’m looking for work,” he added. “I want to do sports broadcasting in Buffalo. Now I’m free to do what I do. I’ll be interested in anything.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/163742.html

[Johnny Bugmenot]

The voice of the Bills John Murphy has signed a five year contract to do sports for a Syracuse news station who will be sports reporter and sports director. Murphy who attended Syracuse University and got his bachelor's degree in broadcasting from Syracuse, so he knows Syracuse well. He was let go from WKBW-TV when they offered him a lowball contract offer and Murphy refused to sign it. Murphy said that he wanted to stay in Buffalo but no one was hiring. WGRZ has Ed Kilgore, Adam Benigini, Stu Boyer and Matt Pearl. WIVB has Brian Williams and Paul Peck who also works as a sideline reporter on the Bills broadcasts on WGRF 97 Rock along with Murphy. Murphy will still be the voice of the Bills. Murphy has said that he will not start his new job in Syracuse until the Bills season is over.

1. WIVB's sports reporter is DENNIS Williams, not Brian. There are at least two people named Brian Williams on TV; one anchors The National on CBC, the other anchors the NBC Nightly News.

2. What Syracuse station? I did a quick look around and Channels 3, 5 and 9 said nothing. I presume it's not 5 since that station is owned by the same people that own Channel 7 in Buffalo.

3. How long do you think a three-hour commute back and forth between home games is going to last?