R.I.P.: Jon Burnett, Former KDKA-TV Pittsburgh Anchor

Jon Burnett (1954-2025)

Jon Burnett, a former KDKA talk show host and weather forecaster, has died at 71 from complications related to suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

In February 2024, Burnett chose to share his condition publicly, saying, “My disease is so apparent now that I couldn’t conceal it any longer. I had to let the world know something was wrong with me—it wasn’t something I could keep broadcasting while hiding.” He also made the decision to donate his brain to the National Sports Brain Bank, which studies CTE using donated brains to advance research on the neurodegenerative disease.

Burnett’s career at Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV began in 1982 when he was brought on as the co-host of Evening Magazine. “We explored the world together,” recalled co-host Liz Miles. “Jon always said we took viewers both around the globe and just around the corner.”

In 1985, Burnett expanded his role, co-hosting Pittsburgh 2Day. “It felt like working with a brother,” said co-host Patrice King Brown. “He was someone you could tease endlessly, and he’d give it right back—to me, the staff, everyone. I’ve never laughed as much as I did during those years with Jon.”

When Pittsburgh 2Day and Evening Magazine concluded in the early 1990s, Burnett returned to his original expertise as a weather forecaster at KDKA. “Seeing Jon on screen, you’d think, ‘That’s a guy I’d love to have in my living room in person,’” said Dennis Bowman, a former KDKA meteorologist. For nearly three decades, Burnett remained a reliable and beloved figure at the station.

Burnett retired in 2019 after facing significant health challenges, including memory loss and neurological issues. Doctors eventually diagnosed him with suspected CTE, likely linked to his football days—first as a young child and later as a collegiate player at the University of Tennessee.

After receiving news of former KDKA-TV talk show host and weather forecaster Jon Burnett's passing, @MartyGriffinKD reflected on his illness and life. Take a look: pic.twitter.com/05Mpfa3Azv

— 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA (@KDKARadio) February 20, 2025

Reflecting on his life, a former KDKA colleague said, “Life is unpredictable, and Jon embraced it fully.” His legacy endures through his contributions to Pittsburgh broadcasting and his final act of donating his brain to science.