Remembering Bill Vancil
• Bill Vancil, former longtime executive with Mid-West Family Broadcasting in Madison, WI and a 2013 inductee into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame, died Jan. 3, 2024, following a long illness. He was 82.
Vancil grew up in Kewanee, IL and in the early ’60s made his radio debut on at KSTT/Davenport, IA while attending Wesleyan University. A few years later, when KSTT PD Ken Draper left to program WCFL/Chicago, Vancil was named PD, and among his hires was rising radio star Bobby Rich. (More on Bobby shortly).
In 1969, Vancil joined Mid-West Family in Madison as PD of WISM-FM, which was then an automated Easy Listening station. He soon created an innovative AC format, “Movin’ Easy 98FM,” and later added PD stripes for Top 40 sister WISM-AM 1480, which had been a market leader since its flip to Top 40 in 1960. A busy voice-over talent as well as a skilled artist and designer, Vancil created a fresh new station logo, and each year designed a custom WISM t-shirt.
In 1981 Vancil guided the transition of WISM-AM 1480 from Top 40 to News-Talk as WTDY. Two years later, Bill, along with Audience Development Group consultant Tim Moore, and PD/morning host Pat O’Neill, created a spirited, community-involved AC station Magic 98 to replace WISM-FM. It was an instant success, scoring #1 25-54 Women in its first book and became a model for successful AC radio in the US.
In the ’90s Vancil co-founded and served as President of the Madison Area Radio Association. He retired from Mid-West as Executive VP and Madison GM in 2002.
Jonathan Little, a close friend and ’70s WISM personality, described Vancil as “a renaissance man, who is really talented in so many areas.”
Upon his retirement, Bill focused on writing, painting, and photography. His first book, Don’t Fear the Big Dogs(2005) told the story of the amazing journey he made to find a cure for his prostate cancer. Following his cure, he served on the Advisory Council of Loma Linda University Proton Treatment Center. After two liver transplants, which involved three months in the hospital, he developed an opiate dependency. Bill described his journey from dependency to withdrawal in his second book Almost An Addict. In support of his books, Vancil did countless radio and TV interviews and he counselled hundreds of people diagnosed with cancer and oxycodone dependency. Friends and the people who benefited from his counselling say, “He saved many lives.”
Vancil also had unique talent as a graphic designer, creating logos for nearly all Mid-West Family stations over his years there. He also created logos for The Train, The Fast Train, and Cowboy Singers and Poets, three formats Little programs for AccuRadio. After his move to Tucson, Bill reunited with Bobby Rich and became the graphic designer for KDRI (The Drive).
Vancil is survived by his partner of 25 years Andrea “Andy” Byk, his best friend Lee Fischl, and his son, Lou, who will host a celebration of his father’s life this spring in Madison. [Special thanks to Jonathan Little]
