Bakersfield Radio: CC’s Jim Bell Set To Retire

Jim Bell has spent 35 years working in the radio business.

But the last day of 2012 will also be the last day of his career in broadcast media.

"I am retiring on the 31st," the vice president and general manager of Clear Channel in Bakersfield confirmed to the Bakersfield Californian Wednesday.

"Clear Channel has known about this since last year sometime," Bell said. "The company has been good to me and I wanted this (transition) to happen properly."

A replacement has not yet been named, he said.

The 66-year-old got his start in radio in 1977 as a sales person at KGBS, the first FM country station in Los Angeles. But Bell was headed for management roles.

Over the past several years he's worked as general manager in Billings, Mont.; Reno, Nev.; and Houston before coming to Bakersfield more than 10 years ago to head Clear Channel and its roster of stations that now includes Classic Rock KDFO 98.5 The Fox, Rock KRAB and KBFP 105.3 FM La Preciosa, the most widely listened to Spanish language station in the area.

Retiring is a little bittersweet, he said, but mostly sweet.

"It's tough in the sense that the people I work with here are phenomenal.

"I'll miss them," he said, then laughing, he added, "I hope they'll miss me, too."

What's not tough, he said, is being able to go when the time is right.

"You realize," Bell said, pausing, "you come to a point when you just know -- it's time."

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