I was watching tv the other day and I saw a "stunt" gone wrong by Indianapolis Radio Owner Bill Shirk. He was buried alive and the casket caved in on him. The video appeared to be about 15 years old. Just wondering what became of him and where he is now?
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Who Is Bill Shirk?
- Thread starter radiowannab
- Start date
1976 - Space Station Shirk WXLW. One of the greatest stations in Indiana considering Programming, Talent, execution.
WXLW has balls. Bob and Tom later copied the promotion. Only 25 years later.
Shirk has always done stunts to raise money for non profit groups in Indiana. The glass coffin burial killed a guy a few weeks before. The stunt went wrong. He was underground too long. He lived.
Several stunts followed including fastest escape from a strait jacket (breaking his own previous record). Upside down burning rope escape, etc.
He continued on running WXLW then WHHH. Later added WBKS (now WTLC) and WYJZ (now radio now). Sold in 2000.
He runs WIRE in Lebanon. (Radio Mom) Run like his top 40 stations of years before. Ranks higher than most Indy stations, tied with WFBQ for listeners in Boone County. Also has other station interests outside Indiana.
WIRE was the replacement for 100.9 to keep local radio in Boone County. How many others did this on the many move-ins to indy?
Still lives in the Indy area and participates in helping various groups throughout the Indy area.
WXLW has balls. Bob and Tom later copied the promotion. Only 25 years later.
Shirk has always done stunts to raise money for non profit groups in Indiana. The glass coffin burial killed a guy a few weeks before. The stunt went wrong. He was underground too long. He lived.
Several stunts followed including fastest escape from a strait jacket (breaking his own previous record). Upside down burning rope escape, etc.
He continued on running WXLW then WHHH. Later added WBKS (now WTLC) and WYJZ (now radio now). Sold in 2000.
He runs WIRE in Lebanon. (Radio Mom) Run like his top 40 stations of years before. Ranks higher than most Indy stations, tied with WFBQ for listeners in Boone County. Also has other station interests outside Indiana.
WIRE was the replacement for 100.9 to keep local radio in Boone County. How many others did this on the many move-ins to indy?
Still lives in the Indy area and participates in helping various groups throughout the Indy area.
I'll confess to working for Shirk back in the day - (but won't confess to which station it was) - what a freak that guy was.
I often wonder, what happened to the white persian cat he use to stroke during the WXLW television commercials?
Most hypocritical/hysterical commercial I have ever seen, with Bill signing off with a "God Bless!"
Great guy though. One of the most colorful in the business.
I often wonder, what happened to the white persian cat he use to stroke during the WXLW television commercials?
Most hypocritical/hysterical commercial I have ever seen, with Bill signing off with a "God Bless!"
Great guy though. One of the most colorful in the business.
radioho said:
“Colorful” was complexion-only as it related to “Mr. P”... Beneath that complexion is a smart yet heart-driven man! Let’s just say he had an appreciation for execution and results – not to mention—a healthy sense-of-humor! Oddly-enough, he was a less-self-absorbed version of Jacor’s Randy M [antics aside]. WXLW was a gem in an era that allowed those stones to be polished... Sadly, those days have passed; and the closest ‘XL will come to modern-day “reality” is the fond remembrance of its delightful history.
You can read about all his stunts and broadcasting accomplishments at www.billshirk.com
A good friend of mine worked with him at WERK back in the 60's and has some great stories about the things he pulled. Quite a character, and for a daytimer, WXLW was great sounding station with lots of promotions and those great Gary Gears liners.
A good friend of mine worked with him at WERK back in the 60's and has some great stories about the things he pulled. Quite a character, and for a daytimer, WXLW was great sounding station with lots of promotions and those great Gary Gears liners.
K
Kobayashi_Maru
Guest
"Capitol City Weather, then the Music Machine remembers Stevie Wonder from 1971, partly cloudy overnight with a low near 60 then sunshine Tuesday with a high of 86. Currently it's 77 degrees at Super XL, excelling for you, David Greer (or) Randy Robbins Radio Nine News"
Segue into that great Pams (WKNR) Jingle that starts off with the first 4 notes of Beethoven's Fifth... back into music with a Gary Gears liner that talks up the entire intro to Stevie Wonder's hit from 1971.
Indelibly burned into my brain after over 30 years.
Segue into that great Pams (WKNR) Jingle that starts off with the first 4 notes of Beethoven's Fifth... back into music with a Gary Gears liner that talks up the entire intro to Stevie Wonder's hit from 1971.
Indelibly burned into my brain after over 30 years.
K
kirkiefan
Guest
I have always admired Bill Shirk's voice since my late teens. I grew up in Ohio when he was doing ID's and liners using the Drake Boom Tympani and other production elements. I still remember the ones he did for his freind Ted Jones who then managed WMVR in Sidney, OH and later for WDOH in Delphos near Lima, OH.
Wished I could have been a jock at "990 WERK" ...Dynamite station with powerful talent..now a ghost of its former self after the towers were torn down.
SUPER SHIRK....YOU'RE 'DA MAN....YOU ROCK!!!!
Wished I could have been a jock at "990 WERK" ...Dynamite station with powerful talent..now a ghost of its former self after the towers were torn down.
SUPER SHIRK....YOU'RE 'DA MAN....YOU ROCK!!!!
I was a kid in jr high when Bill was on WERK in Muncie. Super Shirk was great! A fun guy!
Having lived in Cincy during WERK's heyday, I can only judge via an early 1972 aircheck. Gerald Wayne Anderson playing the hits, Gary Dimmery Radio 9 News. No idea what the news actually was...I was too focused on the amazing presentation. Talk about an AMAZING use of 250 watts!Flying-Dutchman said:
WERK was the first station I remember NOT to use the National Anthem and a list of the ownership, the power, etc during their sign-off. One time I heard the middle of a song playing at sign off. They turned off the turntable on the air, the song slowed, stopped. then the jock said, "WERK, Muncie." carrier off.
I can still remember their win a date with Bill Shirk promotion. What a HOT station in the late 60s and early to mid 70s.
I can still remember their win a date with Bill Shirk promotion. What a HOT station in the late 60s and early to mid 70s.
K
Kobayashi_Maru
Guest
Competition always breeds better radio.
Some of the best radio in America was the result of competitive battles.
WLS and WCFL comes to mind. In 1972 or 1973, WCFL accomplished the
Miracle at Marnia City.... They actually beat WLS for one book (or possibly two).
I know John Rook was at the helm of Super CFL, and during this battle,
Chicago had what I still believe is the best Top 40 in the history of the
format as WLS and WCFL programmed and counterprogrammed. WIFE dominated for
ARB's for years but then along came Bill Shirk and he took a 5,000 watt
directional daytimer, made it sound bigger than life using a few of WABC's
formatic elements, along with relentless (but sometimes cheesy) contesting
(a personal favorite was "The Uncontested") and a somewhat funkier sound
than WIFE.
Add in WNAP's Progressive Top 40 and WNDE's hyper-jocks executing a near
perfect clone of Bartell's "Q Format".
From 1974 through 1976 (during the heat of the battle), Indianapolis was the
best sounding Top 40 market in America.
All spawned by competition.
Competition resulted in great battles in Tucson (KTKT vs KTUC, Charleston's
battle between WTMA and (calls escape me at this moment), Louisville's
Battle between WAKY and WKLO, Memphis's battle between WHBQ and WMPS and the
battles that happened well into the 80's and 90's with the classic Power Pig
vs Legendary Q105, with Randy Michaels Power Pig dethroning a 25 year
heritage top rated Top 40 station.
They made great radio stories for us, but they made great radio at the time
it was going on for the listeners.
Great radio to listen to, whether you're a listener, radio junkie,
programmer or committed groupie.
Some of the best radio in America was the result of competitive battles.
WLS and WCFL comes to mind. In 1972 or 1973, WCFL accomplished the
Miracle at Marnia City.... They actually beat WLS for one book (or possibly two).
I know John Rook was at the helm of Super CFL, and during this battle,
Chicago had what I still believe is the best Top 40 in the history of the
format as WLS and WCFL programmed and counterprogrammed. WIFE dominated for
ARB's for years but then along came Bill Shirk and he took a 5,000 watt
directional daytimer, made it sound bigger than life using a few of WABC's
formatic elements, along with relentless (but sometimes cheesy) contesting
(a personal favorite was "The Uncontested") and a somewhat funkier sound
than WIFE.
Add in WNAP's Progressive Top 40 and WNDE's hyper-jocks executing a near
perfect clone of Bartell's "Q Format".
From 1974 through 1976 (during the heat of the battle), Indianapolis was the
best sounding Top 40 market in America.
All spawned by competition.
Competition resulted in great battles in Tucson (KTKT vs KTUC, Charleston's
battle between WTMA and (calls escape me at this moment), Louisville's
Battle between WAKY and WKLO, Memphis's battle between WHBQ and WMPS and the
battles that happened well into the 80's and 90's with the classic Power Pig
vs Legendary Q105, with Randy Michaels Power Pig dethroning a 25 year
heritage top rated Top 40 station.
They made great radio stories for us, but they made great radio at the time
it was going on for the listeners.
Great radio to listen to, whether you're a listener, radio junkie,
programmer or committed groupie.
Kobayashi_Maru said:
The prior post is a perfect example of how valuable—perspective from an older and accomplished “pro” IS on this board. Aspiring “yutes” will certainly-benefit from his recitation of history and commentary on it! Mr K-M’s post was very memorable to me – and a full 100% in the “significant and accurate” department.
Kobayashi_Maru said:
I believe that “other station” was WCOO—a 1kw daytimer at 730. WTMA is now News/Talk—whose ONLY daytime use of non-local syndicated programming is confined to the middays [and NOT Limbaugh]. Hannity is time-shifted to evenings [where he SHOULD BE!] in favor of the VERY-COLORFUL “Radio Free Rocky D” [formerly of WMAQ—Chicago]. Citadel continues to do an exemplary job with 1250AM—a signal that’s challenged by a fast growing region and its inability to “keep-up” with urban sprawl—especially at night when it throttles-back to 1kw and sends its signal out to sea. 730 AM recently surrendered an upgrade to 4.3kw [for surreptitious reasons best-known to the Malaise Family]; and resides on a ‘puter in the CCU-ChasTowne broom closet running “Adult Standards”.
I enjoyed your post, Kobayashi_Maru! THANKS!
S
ShockValue
Guest
Wow, a guy actually died and he went on to perform it still?? Way to go Bill!!!
hipporadio said:
They don't seem to care about much of anything.
(a little vocabulary humor for a Monday morning)
While we are talking WERK nostalgia...I remember playing heavy metal music after Midnight while "testing" the transmitter plant and air-chain. That brings back memories. It is amazing what 250 watts can do with that much antenna real estate.
Tower 1 also worked exceptionally well on 160 at night. A loopstick antenna worked better for receive however as a half-wave vertical picks up a LOT of noise. One transmission and you have an instant pile up.
Shirk was ahead of his time and had the balls to push the envelope.
Tower 1 also worked exceptionally well on 160 at night. A loopstick antenna worked better for receive however as a half-wave vertical picks up a LOT of noise. One transmission and you have an instant pile up.
Shirk was ahead of his time and had the balls to push the envelope.
gr8oldies said:
You’re correct [sorta] – and only if K_M’s definition of “battle” is limited to AM “Top-40”... WCSC on AM at 1390 was part of a radio/TV combo with WCSC-FM [which became beautiful music-formatted WXTC “Ecstasy 97”] and WCSC-TV CBS-5. The TV was sold just after Hurricane Hugo rolled thru, and the radio properties were spun-off separately. Both ended up in the Citadel cluster as “Heaven 1390” [Black Gospel] and WSUY “Sunny 97” [AC—which just flipped to WIWF “The Wolf”—Country]. Citadel recently elected to sell two of its three AM properties; 910 WTMZ to Kirkman and 1390 [the former WCSC—now WXTC] to Apex – retaining only WTMA—their News/Talk outlet.
Much like 1310 WIFE Indy; 1390 WCSC was an early iconic [but standard-modes’] AM Top-40 there. It faded from the scene well-before many similar-formatted AMs in other markets did. Like the arrival of 1260 WNDE in Indy, 1250 WTMA [Charleston] evolved from a very-casual and downright folksy MOR to a high energy 70s-AM clone of the turbo-charged Bartell FM “Q” format. The challenge [in ratings] to 1390 WCSC began even-before 1250 WTMA hyped itself [and its record-playback speed]. 730 WPAL—later WCOO before its migration to the upgraded 105.5 50kw Kiawah Island signal, was the first black-owned radio station in the South. Despite their daytime-only status on 730, they ranked near-top of the Charleston market in the late 60s-thru mid-70s with a pop-soul format that even the white-boys could like. Think circa early/mid-70s 105.7 WTLC Indy – only on AM.
The format-competitive onslaught from WTMA merely provided the final nudge WCSC needed to exit the pop music game on AM. Coincidentally, 96.9 was returning the Schulke BM reels to the shelf for the very-last time to become “Sunny 97”, and the WXTC calls [and briefly—the easy-listening format] headed over to 1390. Predictably, the “Heaven 1390” moniker and Black Gospel format would soon follow; WTMA graduated to News/Talk; but WPAL—later WCOO [calls known-best for the “Cool R&B” moniker on FM] would survive well-into the New Millennium. Its end on 730 AM would occur upon its purchase by CCU—who “crafted” what amounted to a “clearance outlet” for their Premiere programming on the upgraded 4.3kw frequency; then “offered sacrifice” of the facility to Air America for awhile; finally turning the power back down to 1.1kw and booting-up the broom closet ‘puter with the Music of Your Life format as WLTQ.
It’s interesting, but not-at-all impossible, that the 1390 WCSC signal could be heard at all in the Midwest – let-alone “frequently”! Although it runs 5kw at night, the pattern is VERY HIGHLY-DIRECTIONAL seaward. Its signal in immediate and metro Dorchester County to the northwest is near-totally ABSENT after sunset!
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