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Bill Heine
writer
- April 2, 2019
- 74 years
- leukaemia
About Bill Heine
Bill Heine, 74, British radio broadcaster (BBC Radio Oxford), leukaemia.
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Full Biography
|William Randolph Heine (9 January 1945 – 2 April 2019) was an American-born British radio broadcaster and writer based in Oxford, England.
Heine started working for BBC Radio Oxford in 1983, and was considered by many[who?] to be very opinionated and perhaps somewhat controversial in the field of radio presenting.[citation needed] He was described as unafraid to speak his mind, allowing his listeners to do the same during his former afternoon phone-in show. Heine's last regular broadcast was on 24 April 2016.
Born in Batavia, Illinois, Heine lived in Oxford since studying for a postgraduate degree at Balliol College in the late 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s, he ran both the Penultimate Picture Palace cinema in East Oxford and the Moulin Rouge Cinema (which he later renamed Not The Moulin Rouge) in Headington. Bill and his friend, the sculptor John Buckley, designed a giant pair of hands to adorn the former, and a giant pair of legs for the latter.
Together Heine and Buckley, again, in 1986 came up with the 25-foot (7.6 m) fibreglass sculpture of a shark that appears to be crashing through the roof of the house he lived within, in the Headington area of Oxford, creating a somewhat controversial local landmark.
Heine's book about his radio career, Heinstein of the Airwaves, was published by Chris Andrews Publications on 31 October 2008, and his book about his infamous sculpture, The Hunting of the Shark, was published by Oxfordfolio on 9 August 2011.
In November 2017, Heine revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal acute myeloid leukaemia. He died at home on 2 April 2019.
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Articles & News
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Videos about Bill Heine
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Heine
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 14 questions
Questions drawn from Bill Heine's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Bill Heine born?
- A.Chicago, Illinois
- B.Oxford, England
- C.Batavia, Illinoiscorrect
- D.London, England
Bill Heine was born in Batavia, Illinois, on 9 January 1945.
Source: biographical introduction
2.What year did Bill Heine begin his career at BBC Radio Oxford?
- A.1983correct
- B.1969
- C.1992
- D.1975
Bill Heine started working for BBC Radio Oxford in 1983.
Source: radio career section
3.At which institution did Bill Heine complete a postgraduate degree?
- A.Balliol Collegecorrect
- B.Batavia College
- C.Harvard University
- D.University of Oxford
Bill Heine lived in Oxford since studying for a postgraduate degree at Balliol College in the late 1960s.
Source: early life section
4.Which cinema did Bill Heine manage in Headington?
- A.The Odeon
- B.Moulin Rouge Cinemacorrect
- C.Penultimate Picture Palace
- D.The Oxford Film House
Bill Heine ran the Moulin Rouge Cinema in Headington, which he later renamed Not The Moulin Rouge.
Source: business career section
5.What was the name of the sculpture created by Bill Heine and John Buckley in 1986?
- A.The Oxford Sharkcorrect
- B.The Giant Hands
- C.The Flying Fish
- D.The Headington Legs
Bill Heine and John Buckley created a 25-foot fibreglass sculpture of a shark that appears to be crashing through the roof of a house.
Source: sculpture section
6.On what date was Bill Heine's final regular radio broadcast?
- A.9 August 2011
- B.24 April 2016correct
- C.31 October 2008
- D.2 April 2019
Bill Heine's last regular radio broadcast took place on 24 April 2016.
Source: radio career section
7.What book did Bill Heine write about his radio career?
- A.The Hunting of the Shark
- B.The Broadcaster's Tale
- C.Heinstein of the Airwavescorrect
- D.Oxford Radio Life
Bill Heine's book about his radio career, Heinstein of the Airwaves, was published on 31 October 2008.
Source: publications section
8.Who collaborated with Bill Heine to design the giant sculpture of a shark?
- A.Chris Andrews
- B.His radio producers
- C.Oxfordfolio staff
- D.John Buckleycorrect
Bill Heine and his friend, the sculptor John Buckley, designed the giant sculpture of a shark in 1986.
Source: sculpture section
9.Which publisher released Bill Heine's book The Hunting of the Shark?
- A.Chris Andrews Publications
- B.Oxford University Press
- C.Oxfordfoliocorrect
- D.BBC Books
Bill Heine's book about his sculpture, The Hunting of the Shark, was published by Oxfordfolio in 2011.
Source: publications section
10.In the 1970s and 1980s, which venue did Bill Heine run in East Oxford?
- A.Not The Moulin Rouge
- B.The Oxford Broadcasting House
- C.The Headington Cinema
- D.Penultimate Picture Palacecorrect
Bill Heine ran the Penultimate Picture Palace cinema in East Oxford during the 1970s and 1980s.
Source: business career section
11.What medical condition was Bill Heine diagnosed with in November 2017?
- A.Lung cancer
- B.Chronic fatigue syndrome
- C.Acute myeloid leukaemiacorrect
- D.A rare heart condition
In November 2017, Bill Heine revealed that he had been diagnosed with terminal acute myeloid leukaemia.
Source: final years section
12.What structure did Bill Heine and John Buckley design for the Moulin Rouge Cinema?
- A.A giant radio antenna
- B.A giant pair of legscorrect
- C.A giant pair of hands
- D.A giant shark tail
Bill Heine and John Buckley designed a giant pair of legs to adorn the Moulin Rouge Cinema.
Source: business career section
13.What was the date of Bill Heine's death?
- A.2 April 2019correct
- B.9 August 2011
- C.31 October 2008
- D.24 April 2016
Bill Heine died at his home on 2 April 2019.
Source: final years section
14.What format was Bill Heine's former afternoon radio show known for?
- A.Phone-incorrect
- B.News reading only
- C.Recorded interviews
- D.Musical countdowns
Bill Heine allowed listeners to speak their minds during his former afternoon phone-in show.
Source: radio career section
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