Broadcasters are often admired and well-liked. Rarely, however, do you come across a broadcaster who is truly revered. We found one. This man has gained absolute trust throughout the Mobile market and beyond. For over 50 years Dr. Bill Williams has guided his audience to safety through some of the most dangerous of storms. For his life-saving weather reports and his dedication to the University of South Alabama, Dr. Bill is more than deserving to be inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
“I was very surprised to receive the honor,” says Williams. “I normally do my job, whether it is teaching or broadcasting and generally stay out of the spotlight. All of a sudden, I’m receiving high recognition. It will take me a while to get used to this.”
“Concerning his induction, Dr. Bill asked me if this was real or were they just scraping the bottom of the barrel,” laughs Tina Coffman, General Manager at WAVH where Williams currently reports the weather. “I told him, no! That this was the top of the barrel – the cream of the crop. I told him this was such a high honor that he would want his family to come to the induction ceremony. And they did.”
Dr. Williams began his radio career with WKSJ-FM on January 29, 1979, and for 20 years provided daily reports to Gulf Coast residents through heat and cold waves, floods, drought, and memorable events such as Hurricanes Frederic, Elena, and Danny.
From June 1, 1999, through 2001, Dr. Williams served as a severe weather analyst for WKRG-TV in Mobile and a member of the WKRG First Alert Storm Team. This was followed by a return to radio at WNSP-FM. At the time of his induction, Dr. Williams was providing the staff meteorologist at FM Talk 106.5.
Whether in previous television jobs or during radio broadcasts, Williams is known for his calming demeanor.
“He’s got a very warm and a reassuring presence,” says Jo Bonner, president of the University of South Alabama where Williams teaches and where he created the USA Coastal Weather Research Center. “Long before I came to work at the university, I always would find the radio station where Dr. Bill was working because of his calming, reassuring voice. But he also told us when we needed to be weather alert.”
“Staying calm was a big motivating factor for him,” says Dan Brennan who works with Williams at WAVH. “He said he had heard a lot of sensationalism, and he decided a long time ago that he wanted to present the weather facts in a calm way,” continues Brennan. “It’s his character, but I’ve discovered that his manner while presenting the weather is very intentional.”
With all the accomplishments Williams has earned throughout his career, you might be surprised at what he values most.
“To see my students working as full-time meteorologists across the country – that’s what I’m most proud of,” says Williams.
“Dr. Bill is one of our university’s biggest selling features to a lot of young people who are deciding on a school,” says Bonner. “When they come for a visit, they get to go into that weather center and really visit with Dr. Bill – someone who has not only watched history be made, but someone who has been a big part of weather history on the Gulf.”
Williams says he isn’t looking to retire even after such a long career.
“I plan to continue working as long as my health permits,” he says. “I feel I can still contribute to the meteorology program and the Coastal Weather Research Center – both programs I founded more than 20 years ago. In addition, I would like to continue broadcasting and provide a degree of comfort to those who fear the approach of severe weather. I believe that an increase in the knowledge of storms can reduce some of the anxiety that develops with adverse weather.”
“I was excited when he told me that he had no plans to slow down or retire,” smiles Bonner. “He is steeped in knowledge and has been a walking encyclopedia of weather history over the last 50 plus years here along the Gulf Coast. And as our university continues to grow its presence here along the Gulf Coast, Dr. Bill will be a big part of that.”
“Weather is everything down here and he’s made such a deep impression,” says Brennan. “It’s like a guy making a big free throw. It’s like making a clutch play. It’s the most important time of the most important game, and Dr. Bill’s the guy that people have over the years trusted because he is right. And he’s revered for that.”
