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Attired in a t-shirt with the inscription "The Legend Has Retired" Jim Bishop stepped out of the radio business after 40 years last Friday at WCAB, the station where he spent most of his career and owned since 1984.
"It's been a ride, but it's time to see what else is out there," Jim said on a Facebook post his official last day at the station in Rutherfordton.
"I love you folks," he said.
A host of friends dropped by the station to bid Jim good-bye, to thank him and to wish him well.
Jim hopes people will remember him during his radio career as someone who was fair, honest and above board with clients, audience and someone who loves Rutherford County.
Although not a native of Rutherford County, Bishop came here after the Air Force and Rutherford became his forever home.
As the son of a pastor, Jim's family moved often but during his teen years they were in Gaffney, SC. Bishop graduated from high school in Gaffney and went away to college. His parents moved again and Jim never went back to live in Gaffney after his time in the military.
It was while in high school Jim said he became fascinated with radio.
"I would listen to the afternoon request show on the local radio station when I got home from school and thought how much I would enjoy entertaining people," he said.
In college Bishop said he had the privilege of working on the campus radio station and learned more about the business.
"Back then you had to have an FCC license to work on radio so I went from Georgetown College to Cincinnati, Ohio to get my license," he said.
"Then I was hooked," he said.
On Friday, March 31 Jim officially turned over the station to the new owners and left with his legendary shirt.
One of the most popular radio shows for WCAB began in 1966 when the late Charles Melton put WCAB on the air and started the "Call Around News Report."
"The "Call Around" show quickly became the news program to listen to," Jim said. From the Sheriff's department to 911 communications, to community fire departments throughout the county, live calls were made to folks who delivered their news. Listeners got their first glimpse of the early morning's news from the "Call Around Show."
Some local newspaper journalists were assigned to listen to the show in order to know the latest from every corner of the county, just in case reporters hadn't heard.
Often just a news tip from one of the reporters on live radio meant a more concise and in-depth news story in the local newspapers later in the day.
"The reporters became celebrities because of their daily reports from fire calls, wrecks, birthdays and church functions," Jim said.
Jim remembered the late Tommy Tisdale, described as "the prettiest man in Ellenboro" as among the celebrities who shared news each day from the community. Bob Hodge served more than 50 years in Hudlow and retired last year.
"Most of the reporters served and are still serving faithfully for years and years," he said.
Major changes found a place in the way radio businesses operated in later years, Jim said. Most of the changes were technology.
"For many years we all had Associated Press machines in our buildings clicking out the news for us 24 hours a day. We old-timers called it the 'rip and read' days," Jim said.
Technology steered radio away from recording news and commercials on reel-to-reel machines for playback to CD's and then into computers, he explained.
"Commercials now go directly into computers for playback. We played music from 45's and albums. Now we can get the music from CD's or streaming services."
Jim said it's humorous when young people come into the station and ask what the display of 45's are.
"They don't know what it is," he said.
Reporting high school football games also saw major changes.
"We used to have to call the phone company days ahead of a game and they would go out and install a phone connection at the stadium for the station to hook to in order to get the signal over the radio. Today a simple hand held cell phone does the job," he said.
Over the years Jim saw many talented young people with great potential work at WCAB.
For many it was a stepping stone to other careers, but Jim said he wanted to give them a chance to build confidence and believe in the world of broadcasting.
He has hired military veterans that made radio their career and others went into various jobs from Rutherford County.
"I am thinking of a young man who attended Isothermal College, left here, went on and obtained a doctorate and is a professor of Political Science at a University near Chicago," Jim said.
"A couple became fire chiefs, some school teachers, some went into business or industry here in the county, one became a sheriff in another state, one became a funeral director. All who have passed through my doors have a special place in my heart. Everyone brought special talent and character to their job. It has been a pleasure to have had them a part of my life," he said.
Jim was working at radio station WBBO when he covered the biggest news story of his career - the triple murders of law enforcement officers in May 1979 and the subsequent manhunt for James Hutchins. He was later tried, convicted for the murders and received the death sentence in 1981.
"What a tragic time it was for everybody," Jim said.
Challenges for the radio station owner were staying above the downturns of the economy and keeping the business going and staff employed, he said.
Among Jim's best times at WCAB came as he and staff partnered with the community to make Christmas brighter for families across Rutherford County "down on their luck."
For nearly three decades, Christmas was brighter for families.
"We were able to see families pull themselves back together again and start a new life. Very rewarding," he said.
Now at home off US Highway 221A, Bishop said he "wants to see what else is out there."
To begin, however, Jim said he'll catch up his wife Faye's "honey-do" list.
"I will pick back up some hobbies, do some traveling, some volunteer work, get back in shape, catch up on my reading...and not have to get up at 4:30 on the morning."
