# Bills radio voice loses credential after Brady criticism

> John Murphy's press-box access was denied days after he wrote a critical column about the Bills' new coach.
- Title: Bills radio voice loses credential after Brady criticism
- Summary: John Murphy's press-box access was denied days after he wrote a critical column about the Bills' new coach. Sports organizations may be using credential…
- Keywords: buffalo bills, john murphy, joe brady, press credential, media retaliation, sports journalism, wivb-tv, sean mcdermott, brandon beane, nfl, sports, Bills
- Source: NBC Sports — https://nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/long-time-bills-radio-voice-john-murphy-believes-he-lost-credential-over-criticism-of-joe-brady
- Published: 2026-09-22T01:51:28.471+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: buffalo bills, john murphy, joe brady, press credential, media retaliation, sports journalism, wivb-tv, sean mcdermott, brandon beane, nfl, sports
## Radio voice loses press access
John Murphy, who spent 34 years with the Bills, lost his press-box credential two days after writing a critical column about new coach Joe Brady for WIVB-TV.

> I think so, but I don't know.
## Official reason cites part-time status
The Bills attributed the denial to a policy against part-time workers getting credentials, though Murphy claims he was previously promised a seat.
## VP promised credential beforehand
Bills VP of marketing Chris Jenkins told Murphy he would receive a credential and even showed him the seat he'd be using in the new stadium.
## Second column blocked by station
Murphy's follow-up column predicting a 10-win season for the Bills wasn't published by WIVB, which said the station faced pressure from the team.
## Murphy questions station's support
Murphy told the Buffalo News he felt the station didn't fight for him. He said his critical column "wasn't that bad."

> [WIVB] didn't fight for me. [The column] wasn't that bad.
## Retaliation hard to prove
It's unclear whether the Bills deliberately retaliated, as organizations rarely admit to such actions. The team declined to comment on the situation.
## Pressure over coaching changes
The incident may reflect pressure the Bills feel after firing coach Sean McDermott and promoting Joe Brady, with GM Brandon Beane also under scrutiny.
## Key takeaway

Sports organizations may be using credential denial to silence critical coverage from their own media partners.