Martin Burns

It's been almost a week since he died and our little Broadcasting community is still heartsick.

There are few producers that are loved as much as investigative producer, Martin Burns.

Back when I worked in the news department, there was an investigative unit called the Community Information Project or (CIP). It was headed by a man named Dan Leighton. One of the big exposé's that they worked on during my time in the news room, was the McMartin Preschool case. They were doing that for ABC, right down the street and I remember seeing Danny Leighton talking to someone outside the ABC building. You just knew it was regarding that story...but I digress.

Martin came to the station to work on California Stories...and then Life & Times, our News show that lasted decades. He also did a show that broke off from Life & Times and ended up being aired on PBS called "Searching for God In America". He was quite talented and could shift gears easily, competently working whatever project was given to him. We all loved him. HERE is what Hugh Hewitt, the host of Searching For God In America, had to say about Martin.

One day, he decided to leave, to follow Dan Leighton over to Fox. To say the least, we at KCET were not happy, but I am sure the money was much better on that side of the street. It was the late 90's that this happened.

I haven't seen him since...but on Monday there was a post on our news feed and it said that Martin had died. You can read quite an article about it, HERE. I just knew the short story...but knowing what he did for a living, why did I feel in my gut that foul play might be involved. From what I see in the letters, I am not the only one with my "Spidey Sense" going off...but we will most likely never know if it was an accident, or deliberate.

A truly wonderful man, who I will miss.