Beloved KDKA News Anchor Jon Burnett, 71, Dies of Complications of CTE, Doctor Says

Mar. 15, 2025

Jon Burnett.Photo:Richie Walsh/Instagram

Richie Walsh/Instagram

The late journalist retired in 2019 and later suffered from neurological disorders, including memory loss and a diagnosis of suspected CTE.

Before his broadcasting career, Burnett played defensive end on the University of Tennessee football team, from which he graduated in 1976.

“If I can help anybody on this road, who is on this road or will be on this road in the years ahead, I feel better about being able to do that,” Burnett said during his interview. He also recalled he had hundreds of collisions over the years, and he typically hit other players around 30-40 times each game.

After his football career, he moved to Pittsburgh in 1982 and hosted KDKA’sEvening Magazinewith Liz Miles and later with Mary Robb Jackson. The latter told KDKA, “There’s something that comes through that screen and you really can’t fool it, and I think Jon was just a natural.”

“He was my partner, one of the most significant people in my life,” Miller said, per KDKA.

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source: people.com