What makes someone a hero? Bill Murphy knows. He shares their stories every Monday on “Everyday Heroes.”
Since May 2011, week in and week out, Bill has been introducing Spectrum Bay News 9 viewers to amazing people both young and young at heart working hard to make the world a little bit better across our Tampa Bay communities. His approach to storytelling is simple. Put your heart in it, treat people with great respect and write the story for one person rather than for the many. Bill wants each person who hears it to feel as though he is talking directly to them. Bill will certainly tell you that meeting and writing about the heroes he’s met makes this one of the best assignments he’s had in more than three decades in his broadcast career.
As a journalist, Bill had the opportunity to be the first person to interview Muhammad Ali following his Parkinson’s diagnosis. He even flew with the Blue Angels, but his Everyday Heroes stories still have the greatest impact on him.
Bill came to Tampa Bay in early 1985 to host "Murphy in the Morning" on WTSP. Additionally, he then worked more than 13 years at the FOX affiliate, WTVT, as the first co-host of "Good Day Tampa Bay." Bill is also known for the long running travel series and books "One Tank Trips." After a brief retirement hiatus, Bill came to Bay News 9 to produce “Murphy’s Hot Spots” and “Murphy’s Journal” for On Demand before settling in on his Everyday Heroes assignment.
When he retired from full-time work, the City of Tampa honored him by naming that day as “Bill Murphy Day.” So, it is with great appreciation and pride that Bill calls the Tampa Bay area home. This is where he raised his loving daughter, where he can catch a fun filled Rays game and enjoy a good meal at Bern’s Steakhouse. He is animal lover at heart especially when it comes to his black cat Buddy.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Bill was born and raised in New York City. And, “Aaay” as a fun bit of trivia, Bill was even close friends with former Happy Days star Henry Winkler, “The Fonz” in 7th & 8th grade.