Veteran professional Daniel Burke dies at 82

Daniel Burke, former Capital Metropolitan areas/ABC leader and Boss and also the father of NBCUniversal Boss Steve Burke, died of complications from diabetes at his home in Rye, N.Y., on Wednesday. He was 82. During a period of 30 years, Daniel Burke and the business partner Tom Murphy built Capital Metropolitan areas from the television station in Albany, N.Y., right into a company with Radio and tv procedures in addition to newspapers and magazines. Burke oversaw its surprise 1986 acquisition of ABC, a significantly bigger company, which thrust him and longtime business partner Tom Murphy in to the national spotlight. At that time, the $3.5 billion deal (carried out with Warren Buffett's backing) was the biggest non-oil merger running a business history. Burke upon the market from Capital Metropolitan areas/ABC in 1994, 2 yrs prior to being offered towards the Wally Disney Co. for $19 billion. Disney leader-Boss Robert A. Iger known as Burke "a gifted executive and natural teacher along with a guy having a strong feeling of right and wrong" who "brought by example. He represented integrity and directness running a business, and urged an account balance in work and family existence and participation in a person's community. Serta were built with a significant effect on me and all sorts of individuals he touched, and for your I will be grateful." Burke offered being an infantry lieutenant within the Korean War in 1951-52 after graduation in the U. of Vermont having a B.A. in 1950. He gained his Master of business administration at Harvard in 1955. He became a member of Capital Metropolitan areas in 1961 as gm of WTEN-TV in Albany. He is made a Vice president in 1962 and was hired gm of WJR-AM/FM in Detroit in 1964. Burke grew to become professional Vice president and director of Cap Metropolitan areas in 1967 and was leader from the posting division from 1969-72. He was leader and chief operating officer of the organization from 1972 to 1990, when he ascended to prexy-Boss. Very good received Burke for his business leadership incorporated his appointment by Leader George H.W. Rose bush towards the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund, which handled U.S. help to Hungary's private sector. Outdoors the corporate world, he offered as director from the Partnership for any Drug-Free America and chairman emeritus of NY Presbyterian Hospital. Younger crowd produced a small league baseball franchise in Maine -- the Ocean Dogs. Additionally to Steve Burke, an old leader of ABC who's the Boss of Comcast Corp.'s NBCUniversal, Daniel Burke is made it by his wife of 54 years, Harriet "Bunny" Burke sons Frank and Bill daughter Sally and 14 grandchildren. A visitation rights service is going to be held at Graham Funeral Home, 1036 Publish Road in Rye on Sunday, March. 30, from three-7 p.m. The funeral will occur at St. Martha Chapel, 30 Tigard Road in Kennebunk, Maine. Donations might be designed to Maine Clinic, the Partnership for any Drug-Free America or even the Naomie Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia U. Clinic (Connected Press led for this report.) Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com