Bill Burns (anchor)
Encyclopedia
William M. "Bill" Burns (April 10, 1913 – September 16, 1997) was an American
journalist and news anchor.
Burns anchored the news for over three decades (1953–1989) in Pittsburgh
for KDKA
, which was the largest station in the market.
and earning a Purple Heart
, Burns came to Pittsburgh in 1946 to work for radio station KQV
. He settled in Pittsburgh with his wife, and the couple subsequently had two children, Michael and Patti.
He, reported for KQV until 1953, when he went to work for what was then WDTV
, Channel 3. WDTV was originally identified as a DuMont Television Network
affiliate but became a CBS
affiliate and changed its call letters to KDKA and its frequency to Channel 2 in 1955.
Burns was a familiar face to Pittsburghers; for much of the time he was at KDKA
, he anchored the noon and 11 p.m. newscasts. Burns became a part of news history when in 1976, he began to share anchor duties with daughter and fellow journalist Patti Burns
, who had become an anchor in her own right. Their pairing, initially derided as "The Patti and Daddy Show" garnered high ratings. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/10year/s_105329.html
Burns anchored KDKA-TV's noon news continuously for over 35 years until he retired in 1989. For most of that time, he also anchored the station's 11 p.m. newscast, working a split 14-hour shift. Pittsburghers still recall his familiar sign-off from his late newscasts, wishing viewers a "Good night, good luck, and good news tomorrow."
Among colleagues, Burns was beloved for his gruff sense of humor and admired for his near photographic recall of details of news stories and the arcania of Pennsylvania politics.
It was Bill Burns who broke into KDKA's broadcast of The Mike Douglas Show
around 1:40 p.m. on November 22, 1963 (KDKA pre-empted CBS' As The World Turns
during that period) to report the shooting of President Kennedy
in Dallas, Texas. He would remain on the air for several hours that day.
Burns was noted for sometimes injecting his personal opinion into a news story, such as when the Pittsburgh Penguins
replaced their popular "skating penguin" logo with the "flying penguin" logo. (Burns would call the "flying penguin" logo a pigeon, though the team has since brought back the "skating penguin" logo.) He was also prone to making jokes and off-the-cuff comments; he once introduced the soap opera
that followed his newscast as "The Young and the Breastless".
Burns died on September 16, 1997.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist and news anchor.
Burns anchored the news for over three decades (1953–1989) in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
for KDKA
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
, which was the largest station in the market.
Career
Burns was a native of Houtzdale, PA. After serving in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and earning a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, Burns came to Pittsburgh in 1946 to work for radio station KQV
KQV
KQV is a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is the only broadcast station owned by Calvary, Inc., broadcasts at 1410 kHz, with 5000 watts of power day and night. KQV's call letters reportedly stand for King of the Quaker Valley...
. He settled in Pittsburgh with his wife, and the couple subsequently had two children, Michael and Patti.
He, reported for KQV until 1953, when he went to work for what was then WDTV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
, Channel 3. WDTV was originally identified as a DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
affiliate but became a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate and changed its call letters to KDKA and its frequency to Channel 2 in 1955.
Burns was a familiar face to Pittsburghers; for much of the time he was at KDKA
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
, he anchored the noon and 11 p.m. newscasts. Burns became a part of news history when in 1976, he began to share anchor duties with daughter and fellow journalist Patti Burns
Patti Burns
Patricia Jeanne Burns was an American journalist and news anchor.Burns was a familiar face to television audiences in Pittsburgh, where she worked for many years for KDKA, a station that her father, Bill Burns, was also a journalist and anchor for...
, who had become an anchor in her own right. Their pairing, initially derided as "The Patti and Daddy Show" garnered high ratings. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/10year/s_105329.html
Burns anchored KDKA-TV's noon news continuously for over 35 years until he retired in 1989. For most of that time, he also anchored the station's 11 p.m. newscast, working a split 14-hour shift. Pittsburghers still recall his familiar sign-off from his late newscasts, wishing viewers a "Good night, good luck, and good news tomorrow."
Among colleagues, Burns was beloved for his gruff sense of humor and admired for his near photographic recall of details of news stories and the arcania of Pennsylvania politics.
It was Bill Burns who broke into KDKA's broadcast of The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
around 1:40 p.m. on November 22, 1963 (KDKA pre-empted CBS' As The World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
during that period) to report the shooting of President Kennedy
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
in Dallas, Texas. He would remain on the air for several hours that day.
Burns was noted for sometimes injecting his personal opinion into a news story, such as when the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
replaced their popular "skating penguin" logo with the "flying penguin" logo. (Burns would call the "flying penguin" logo a pigeon, though the team has since brought back the "skating penguin" logo.) He was also prone to making jokes and off-the-cuff comments; he once introduced the soap opera
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
that followed his newscast as "The Young and the Breastless".
Burns died on September 16, 1997.