Thomas Murphy, Who Built Capital Cities/ABC Empire, Dies at 96

Thomas Murphy, who won the admiration of Warren Buffett and other business titans by helping transform a single UHF television station into one of the largest media companies, Capital Cities/ABC Inc., during a 50-year career, has died. He was 96.

He died on Wednesday at his home in Rye, N.Y., according to the New York Times, which cited Patricia J. Matson, a former senior vice president of communications at Capital Cities and a spokeswoman for Murphy. No cause was given.

Murphy stepped down from the board of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. on Feb. 14 while recovering from what Buffett, ...