Jim Philips retiring from Orlando radio in January

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Central Florida radio icon and legend Jim Philips announced his retirement from Orlando radio, effective January 2018, following decades on the air.  He informed listeners of “The Philips Phile” on Real Radio 104.1 of his plan on Tuesday. 

Philips, who has been on Orlando radio airwaves since 1972 and turns 70 this year, said he has been thinking about retirement for some time.

"It got to the point where I just kind of got tired and wanted to do some things and kind of reinvent myself," he told FOX 35.

“The Philips Phile” has been a forum for listeners to share their views on a range of topics.  In addition to being a force on Orlando radio, Philips has contributed to local television segments and newspaper columns. 

"I was honest, as honest as I could be with any topic that came up for conversation and being fairly blunt and not dancing around the issues or my opinions," he said of the success of his radio show, "plus I'm surrounded by great people in the business that have helped me along the way."

Philips has discussed almost every topic imaginable. He said that, while he is retiring from the business, he is not retiring from life.

"I tell people that what I plan to do on my last day is take one of the microphones and then just travel outside of the United States primarily, and when I reach that point where somebody looks at that microphone that I'm carrying and they say, 'What's that?' That's where I plant my roots. That's where I start reinventing myself."

It's not too late to catch Philips and his crew on Orlando radio.  "The Philips File" airs on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 104.1 FM.