{{Short description|American talk radio host (1943–2018)}} {{Infobox person | name = Robert Austin Durgin | image = Bob Durgin.jpg | caption = Durgin speaking at a PACleanSweep protest against the General Assembly payraise | birth_date = {{birth date|1943|1|20}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|12|24|1943|1|20}} | death_place = Marysville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | known_for = | years_active = 1964–2013 | occupation = Radio host }} '''Robert Austin Durgin''' (January 20, 1943 – December 24, 2018) was an American radio personality, prominent in Pennsylvania.
==Early life and career== Durbin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He joined the United States Air Force in 1962 and was stationed in Germany and Turkey. He became an Airman Second Class. He began his radio career in Europe in 1964.<ref name=whp>{{cite web| title = Bob Durgin| work = Welcome to WHP580.com| publisher = WHP (AM)| url = http://www.whp580.com/pages/bdurgin.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090906000400/http://www.whp580.com/pages/bdurgin.html| archive-date = 2009-09-06}}</ref> Upon his return, he worked as news director for KTOK in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.<ref name=whp /> In 1989, he began working at WHP (AM) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.<ref name=whp /> There, his radio show became "consistently popular" and was credited for increasing WHP to second place in its market.<ref>{{cite news | last = Fox| first = Barry| title = WINK-FM, Harrisburg, PA., Back on Top of Area Market| newspaper = The Patriot-News| publisher = Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News| date = February 18, 1997}}</ref> He was named the "Reader's Choice" best local talk show host in the Harrisburg area by Harrisburg Magazine.<ref>{{cite news| title = Simply the Best| newspaper = Harrisburg Magazine| location = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania| year = 2009| url = http://www.harrisburgmagazine.com/winners.php| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091018000133/http://www.harrisburgmagazine.com/winners.php| archive-date = 2009-10-18}}</ref>
==The Bob Durgin Show== Durgin was known for wearing a Stetson hat and cowboy boots<ref name=repeal1995 /> and for his catchphrases "Shut Up and Pay Your Taxes" and “Give Me a Physical Break!”<ref name=whp /> His personality was described as "rowdy"<ref>{{cite news | last = Baer | first = John | author-link = John Baer (journalist)| title = Protesters pick pig to poke pols | newspaper = Philadelphia Daily News | publisher = Philadelphia Daily News |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania| date = September 19, 2005}}</ref> and his political leanings were "conservative."<ref name=hundreds />
Durgin's radio show was the center of several political events and controversies. During the 1996 election for Pennsylvania Treasurer, Republican Barbara Hafer called Durgin's show to respond to comments by incumbent Democratic Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll saying that Hafer had misused public funds.<ref name=insult /> Hafer told Durgin on air that Knoll and her daughter, Mina Baker Knoll who was running for the Democratic nomination to succeed her mother, were "lying through their teeth. They are lying scumbags. I'm telling you, they are lying. They are outrageous."<ref name=insult /> Pressed by Durgin, Hafer added "Scumbags, that is exactly what they were. And I'll tell you, if we were in Western Pennsylvania I'd do a South Side salute, and Cathy knows exactly what that is."<ref name=insult>{{cite news | last = Zausner| first = Robert| title = Hafer Insults Knoll On Radio Show\She Called Her And Her Staff "Lying Scumbags." Knoll Had Charged She Misused Public Funds.| newspaper = The Philadelphia Inquirer | location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania| publisher = Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.| date = February 28, 1996}}</ref> In a later interview, Hafer did not retract her comments but noted that she might have "second thoughts" about her language.<ref name=insult />
In 2004, State Representative Tom Creighton introduced legislation that would delay sheriff sales after hearing a segment on Durgin's show about an elderly woman whose home was sold for $15,000 because she hadn't paid $300 in property taxes.<ref>{{cite news| last = Quinn| first =Justin| title = Creighton bill targets sheriff sales; Would give owners more time to pay off debts | newspaper = Intelligencer Journal | location =Lancaster, Pennsylvania| date = January 20, 2004}}</ref>
On July 8, 2013, Bob Durgin announced his retirement. "I feel as though, not only am I giving up a career, which is a lot, but I'm giving up a way of life," Bob Durgin, age 70, said on his show. His last show was broadcast on August 2, 2013.
==Political activism== Durgin led protests against the 1995 Pennsylvania General Assembly pay raise, both on his radio program and as a leader of large-scale protests like "The Rotunda Roundup" rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol.<ref name=repeal1995>{{cite news | last = Baer| first = Baer| author-link = John Baer (journalist)| title = 'Repeal the Steal,' Protesters Say Harrisburg Rally Aimed at Raises| newspaper = Philadelphia Daily News|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | publisher = Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. | date = October 26, 1995}}</ref><ref name=hundreds>{{cite news | last = Eshleman, Jr.| first = Russell E. | title = Hundreds Gather In Harrisburg To Protest State Officials' Pay Raise| newspaper = The Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia | publisher = Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.| date = October 26, 1995}}</ref>
Following the 2005 legislative pay raise, Durgin's show became "ground zero in Central Pennsylvania for public outrage over the raise."<ref name=pigs>{{cite news | last =Micek| first = John| author-link= John Micek| title = Huge pigs? Cows? Pay raise activists milk Perzel remarks; House speaker's farm comments fodder for upcoming protest rally. | newspaper = The Morning Call | publisher = The Morning Call, Inc.| location=Allentown, Pennsylvania|date = September 20, 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Adams | first = Helen Colwell | title = Waking up Harrisburg | newspaper = Intelligencer Journal | location =Lancaster, Pennsylvania| date = May 21, 2006| url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9288428.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121102070411/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9288428.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = November 2, 2012}}</ref> Legislators, including Roy Baldwin, noticed increases in the volume of critical emails and phone calls about the pay raise when Durgin did shows about the pay raise.<ref>{{cite news | last = Hawkes| first = Jeff| title = Exercise, not pay raise, gets seniors bent out of shape | newspaper = Intelligencer Journal | location =Lancaster, Pennsylvania| date = August 5, 2005}}</ref> Journalist Tom Barnes noted that Durgin "complains about the raise nearly every day on his show."<ref>{{cite news | last = Barnes| first = Tom| author-link = Tom Barnes (American journalist)| title = Lawmakers Facing Big, Fat Protest Rally Against Pay Raise to Feature Inflatable Pig| newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| date = September 20, 2005| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PG&p_theme=pg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_field_label-0=Author&p_field_label-1=title&p_bool_label-1=AND&p_text_label-1=Lawmakers%20Facing%20Big,%20Fat%20Protest%20Rally%20Against%20Pay%20Raise%20to%20Feature%20Inflatable%20Pig&s_dispstring=headline%28Lawmakers%20Facing%20Big,%20Fat%20Protest%20Rally%20Against%20Pay%20Raise%20to%20Feature%20Inflatable%20Pig%29%20AND%20date%28all%29&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no}}</ref> During the summer legislative recess, Durgin collected over 129,000 signatures that he presented to legislators during a "Rock the Capitol" event upon their return to the Pennsylvania State Capitol.<ref name=rrr /><ref name=return>{{cite news | last = Murse| first =Tom| title =Rally against pay hikes when lawmakers return | newspaper = Intelligencer Journal | location =Lancaster, Pennsylvania| date = September 2, 2005}}</ref> He unveiled the petitions by carpeting the steps of the State Capitol, before leading 100 supporters through the halls looking to lobby their legislators to repeal the pay raise.<ref name=rrr /> To avoid a confrontation with the protesters, the Pennsylvania Senate recessed for private caucus meetings<ref name=rrr>{{cite news | title = Repeal, repay or resign!'; 1,500 rally at state Capitol against hike in lawmakers' salaries.| newspaper =The Morning Call| publisher = The Morning Call, Inc.| date = September 27, 2005}}</ref> Aides to John Perzel denied access to his office because of size concerns.<ref>{{cite news| last = Bumsted| first = Brad| author-link = Brad Bumsted| title = Message delivered| newspaper = Pittsburgh Tribune Review| publisher = Tribune-Review Publishing Co.| date = September 27, 2005| url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/capitalcash/s_378194.html| access-date = 2009-10-08| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120914094526/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/specialreports/capitalcash/s_378194.html| archive-date = 2012-09-14| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last = Baer| first = John| author-link = John Baer (journalist)| title = Protesters 'oink' lawmakers| newspaper = Philadelphia Daily News | publisher = Philadelphia Daily News| date = September 27, 2005}}</ref>
In 2007, he was presented with an honor from a reform group protesting the Pennsylvania Society by holding a potluck dinner in the state capitol.<ref>{{cite news | last = Murse| first = Tom| title = Pack your casserole and head on over to the Capitol | newspaper = Lancaster New Era| date =November 30, 2007| url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11360730.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121102070417/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11360730.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =November 2, 2012}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Bob Durgin}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durgin, Bob}} Category:1943 births Category:2018 deaths Category:American talk radio hosts Category:Radio personalities from Boston Category:People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Category:United States Air Force airmen Category:Activists from Pennsylvania