by lyle e davis It was four years ago this month that Bill Ballance died. Those of
us who knew and worked with him readily acknowledge that he was a radio legend. He was a living legend until Thursday, September 23rd, 2008, when he died at age 85.
In this retrospective of Bill Ballance, perphaps you, too, will get an idea of what it was like to work with him. •••••
Readers of The Paper are generally of an age where it is likely they were listening to the radio during the magical years of Bill Ballance's career. Those who
didn't listen to him probably at least have heard of him. Bill Ballance started the radio version of the women's sexual revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Racy and confessional, the show drew many listeners, both male and female, with topics such as "Where did his love go and how did you know it was gone?" and "Are you a red-hot mama?" Bill had been a top-40 radio personality when he discovered his audience was largely that of women. It was then he created his "Feminine Forum" program and he literally skyrocketed to fame. His most lasting claim in Southern California radio was that he was the first to openly
address sexuality, issues of sexual intercourse and sexual preference. By 1972 his "Feminine Forum" was syndicated in a number of major cities, and simulcast in San Diego. Bill gave the phone lines over to the ladies and listened. He wouldn't even call them housewives. They were women in Bill's mind educated and intelligent - and he treated them that way. Between calls, he played the hits. Bill was profiled in every major publication in the country, as well as the London Times and a Cosmopolitan cover story. Time magazine said, "Bill has many imitators, but no rivals." For all the attention his show attracted, Bill did it with taste.