Episode 108 - Jerry Bell

Rundown - Jerry Bell - 10:56 Troubadour Dave Gunders - 02:04:15 "Hard of Understanding" by Dave Gunders - 02:12:23 Jerry Bell has been the dominant radio news voice of Colorado since 1986. Before that, he worked in big-time San Francisco radio news as a young phenom. This was the early 1980s in SF and Jerry knew big shots like late Harvey Milk and his assassin, Dan White. As a Bay Area boy, Jerry’s parents worried Jerry and his older brother would be sent to fight in Vietnam, so they moved to Canada. Soon, Jerry’s family returned to Santa Rosa. At San Francisco State, while studying journalism, he learned about radio. He was smitten. Jerry Bell made a great career out of radio news. First, he was paid to witness San Francisco’s most decadent and deadly decade, learning the news-radio ropes, while watching the city become a wild place to live. Jerry brings alive the fun and energy of that transformative time in the City by the Bay. Jerry Bell became a news-fixture at Colorado’s blowtorch AM station, 850 KOA where he’d stay several decades. Along the way, he’s held many titles at Colorado’s 50,000 watt Blowtorch of the Rockies, 850 KOA, and its sibling stations. Jerry describes and defines the golden age at KOA. Jerry Bell was program director for Caplis and Silverman during its afternoon drive-time success. The downfall of talk radio with its partisan right wing rhetoric is reviewed. Jerry explains why he never let his personal politics show, or even come into play. Until this interview. Here, Jerry Bell talks about politics. We talk about big Colorado politicos with a special discussion regarding the presidential prospects of Governor Jared Polis. Jerry is a natural for podcasting as he proves here with amazing stories about his life and heritage. Our Troubadour Dave Gunders comes through again with brilliant discussion of current events and his poignant song titled Hard of Understanding. Hear epic lines about broadcast news, and trying to figure out where the truth lies. It’s all right here on Episode 108.