Bill Fowler

Photo Courtesy of Indiana Broadcast Pioneers

Bill Fowler was a prominent sports broadcaster in Marion, Indiana from 1948 to 1989. During Fowler’s career, he covered local basketball games at Marion High School for the Marion Giants and was the Vice President and General Manager for WBAT radio.

Fowler grew up in Marion and was an all-star basketball player for the Marion H.S. Giants. He later went to the University of Kentucky and served in the U.S. Navy.

When he returned to Marion, the owner of WBAT radio offered Fowler a sportscasting job, where he would do 15-minute broadcasts Monday through Friday, earning one dollar for each broadcast. He accepted the offer in 1948 and worked as a janitor for the station as well for an additional $10 a week.

Four years later, Fowler worked his way from sportscaster and janitor to Vice President and General Manager of WBAT. He kept that position until he retired in 1989.

His awards for sportscasting include the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, News Media of the Year Award by the Indiana Football Coaches Association, and the Indiana Broadcast Hall of Fame.

Fowler also had several notable awards as a basketball player including another election to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1986, a Distinguished Service Award by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association in 1976 and a Virgil Sweet Award from the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association in 1987.

Fowler was also the president of the Marion School Board and elected president of the Indiana Broadcasters Association.

Fowler left a lasting impact on sports broadcasting in Indiana. His work brought attention to local athletes and coaches, highlighting their achievements. Beyond broadcasting, Fowler played a key part in giving back to his community, even after his retirement, when he became the acting General Chairman for the South Shore Golf Course American Cancer Society Golf Championship in 1990.

Bill Fowler died in 1999.

January 2025

Katherine Maners

Indiana Broadcast Pioneers