Diann Burns (born September 29, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a former
television news anchor and a nine-time Emmy Award-winner. She is best
known for her years as a prime-time weekday anchor for two different
Chicago television stations. She has also appeared in several major
movies (see Film credits) and at least one television dramatic series
(see Television credits). She is the first African-American woman to
anchor the prime-time news in Chicago. She entered the Chicago TV
market as a reporter after a successful career as newspaper
journalist. She earned an advanced degree in journalism at Columbia
University in New York.Burns earned an undergraduate degree in
politics and mass communications from Cleveland State University and a
master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
in New York City.Burns began her career as a print journalist in
Cleveland Ohio for The Plain Dealer in the late 1970s until 1980. At
that time, she moved to New York and completed her master's degree in
journalism at Columbia University in 1981. From 1981 until 1983, she
was at WPIX. In 1983, she joined NBC-affiliated WCMH television as a
general assignment reporter, where she was named news anchor in 1984.
From 1985 until 2003, she was the 5pm and 10pm weekday news anchor at
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) owned and operated WLS-TV Chicago,
where she was Chicago's highest-paid television news professional
before joining WBBM-TV in 2003 as the weekday 5pm, 6pm and 10pm news
anchor, until leaving WBBM in 2008. WBBM is owned and operated by CBS
(CBS Worldwide, Inc.). ABC is a division of The Walt Disney
Company’s Disney-ABC Television Group.Among Burns' many awards are
nine Emmys - one national and eight regional.
television news anchor and a nine-time Emmy Award-winner. She is best
known for her years as a prime-time weekday anchor for two different
Chicago television stations. She has also appeared in several major
movies (see Film credits) and at least one television dramatic series
(see Television credits). She is the first African-American woman to
anchor the prime-time news in Chicago. She entered the Chicago TV
market as a reporter after a successful career as newspaper
journalist. She earned an advanced degree in journalism at Columbia
University in New York.Burns earned an undergraduate degree in
politics and mass communications from Cleveland State University and a
master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
in New York City.Burns began her career as a print journalist in
Cleveland Ohio for The Plain Dealer in the late 1970s until 1980. At
that time, she moved to New York and completed her master's degree in
journalism at Columbia University in 1981. From 1981 until 1983, she
was at WPIX. In 1983, she joined NBC-affiliated WCMH television as a
general assignment reporter, where she was named news anchor in 1984.
From 1985 until 2003, she was the 5pm and 10pm weekday news anchor at
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) owned and operated WLS-TV Chicago,
where she was Chicago's highest-paid television news professional
before joining WBBM-TV in 2003 as the weekday 5pm, 6pm and 10pm news
anchor, until leaving WBBM in 2008. WBBM is owned and operated by CBS
(CBS Worldwide, Inc.). ABC is a division of The Walt Disney
Company’s Disney-ABC Television Group.Among Burns' many awards are
nine Emmys - one national and eight regional.
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