Do You REALLY Think Art Will Be Back in 2015?

[dan7800]

I highly doubt he will be back. I think we can all think back to jobs we've had that we really loved. We would have done anything to get our foot in the door and stay there. If you had a job you loved, doing something you love, you put up with all kinds of stuff to stay there.

"Hey kid, if you want to stay on as the lotion boy for the bikini team, you will have to scrub this toilet once a day"

The point is that Art took his ball and went home so fast, over something so small shows a lot about what he wanted to really do. He wanted to spite C2C and expected them to really suffer and be scared at his return. This didn't happen, so he got mad.

Ill stop with the analogies, but it is like getting back at your ex by dating something really good looking who you aren't at all compatible with just so you can get back at them.

Just my rant & 2 cents.

[Wintermute]

1. Art Bell **is** technically an "old fart". There is no denying that, nonetheless he can still do good radio if he so chooses.

2. I don't think Bell was ever a household name. I stumbled upon C2C during late-night programming sessions in college back in 1994-ish. I was probably the only person that ever listened to him the entire time I was in college + I don't know that many people who know about his old show anyway.

3. C2C / Dark Matter were never young people shows. Sirius XM have very few young subscribers. Young people listen to podcasts and Youtube. They like "free" not subscriptions unless it is Netflix.

4. I 100% agree with the comment that Bell came back to air his dirty laundry. I've written many times on here that the perceived technical issues were just that. I never had a streaming issue. Even with an old Android 2.3 device I was able to listen to SiriusXM.

All that said, and with Art saying that radio is in his blood, I would think that he would want to come back and do it right, at least for a year. He enjoys it, and I'd bet after the Dark Matter debacle, he has something to prove to himself. If he doesn't, then he shouldn't come back. Blog and podcast from the high desert.

[Discusstater]

I do say good sir and madams of Bel gab! the great discussstator AB will be back in 2015 I know it to be fact jack,for I am a master mind in the ways of espionage!

[b_dubb]

I know as soon as he comes back there will be a thread here about whether or not he's going to quit again

[wr250]

I know as soon as he comes back there will be a thread here about whether or not he's going to quit again

unless ed dames says he will quit. then we know he will be on till he dies.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

unless ed dames says he will quit. then we know he will be on till he dies.

Don't be silly.  Of all the safe spots in the World that Ed Dames could have chosen, he chose Ukraine.  And he was right!  All the world's military personal are converging on that spot.  What could be safer than being surrounded by so many soldiers?

[paladin1991]

He will be here and gone again.

[ksm32]

He will be here and gone again.

So you're sayin there's a channnnce..?

[coaster]

We all are facing the same unanswerable queshtion. Its times like these when I take comfort in a saying a great and smelly man once said- "What does your gut tell you?" -Snoorge Boorey. Late night talk show host and pizza roll critic for the St. Louis Dispatch.

[paladin1991]

So you're sayin there's a channnnce..?

[laserjock]

Art has about as much political insight as the average Joe Shmoe on the street.
He supported Obama and praised him like the coming of Jesus,
probably likes Clinton too, not sure,
and he still can't admit to himself that the government's 9/11 story is a load of crap full of lies deception and coverups.
So yes, compared to Alex Jones he is totally ignorant and prefers to not question anything to feel more comfortable.

Oh man, are you in dreamland.

You probably also believe that the Newtown massacre is a hoax (I warn you, careful what you say, I knew some who died there).  Deception?  You are self decieved.  This is not a loonatic fringe thread, let's keep the extreme politics to a minimum, unless you want a fight with a liberal like me who might embarass you.  Alex Jones is a huxter, and if you take him seriously, you are a sucker.  Take the Alex Jones junk to a conspiracy forum where it belongs, spare us.

Best thing Art ever did was show he has a reasoning mind on politics.  I don't agree with much of his stands on things, but he's not histrionic and not an activist, he's not a loon.  I like Art because he's bright enough to realize that there's already way too much politics from the right on the radio as it is.  Centrism and moderacy is what the nation needs.

[George Drooly]

You probably also believe that the Newtown massacre is a hoax (I warn you, careful what you say, I knew some who died there)

You warn him... or what? He's not allowed to state an opinion because of your pansy trigger warning sensitivities? So what if you knew someone who died at Newtown. History has proven time and again that proximity to an event has nothing to do with the truth of the event or its consequences.

This is not a loonatic fringe thread, let's keep the extreme politics to a minimum, unless...

I love it when people try to police the internet. Is this your board or MV's?

Best thing Art ever did was show he has a reasoning mind on politics.  I don't agree with much of his stands on things, but he's not histrionic and not an activist, he's not a loon.

Art's politics are exactly the same as everyone else's: Completely self-serving and hypocritical and based on limited experience. He likes to get high and own a brothel and doesn't like taxes? Magically he's a libertarian. Funny though how he was in favor of "getting the bad guys" after 9/11 -- as long as someone else had to do it, since he's a typical boomer pussy.

[Lt.Uhura]

Clearly Art Bell remains a force to be reckoned with--even off the air!  Otherwise, why on Earth would folks spend so much of their valuable time and energy criticizing him on a forum called  "BellGab.com-THE Art Bell Fan Forum"?? 

On my radio (or computer), a once a month, semi-retired, threatening-to-quit Art Bell is still preferable to an inferior Alex Jones or George Noory any day.

...So is it June, or September 2015?

[Scully]

Oh man, are you in dreamland.

You probably also believe that the Newtown massacre is a hoax (I warn you, careful what you say, I knew some who died there).  Deception?  You are self decieved.  This is not a loonatic fringe thread, let's keep the extreme politics to a minimum, unless you want a fight with a liberal like me who might embarass you.  Alex Jones is a huxter, and if you take him seriously, you are a sucker.  Take the Alex Jones junk to a conspiracy forum where it belongs, spare us.

Best thing Art ever did was show he has a reasoning mind on politics.  I don't agree with much of his stands on things, but he's not histrionic and not an activist, he's not a loon.  I like Art because he's bright enough to realize that there's already way too much politics from the right on the radio as it is.  Centrism and moderacy is what the nation needs.

Laserjock, I've been meaning to tell you that I like you. 

[nooryisawesome]

Clearly Art Bell remains a force to be reckoned with--even off the air!  Otherwise, why on Earth would folks spend so much of their valuable time and energy criticizing him on a forum called  "BellGab.com-THE Art Bell Fan Forum"?? 

On my radio (or computer), a once a month, semi-retired, threatening-to-quit Art Bell is still preferable to an inferior Alex Jones or George Noory any day.

...So is it June, or September 2015?

July 2015 according to artbell.com

[Heather Wade]

Death Angel - Seemingly Endless Time

[herzogxyu]

1. Art Bell **is** technically an "old fart". There is no denying that, nonetheless he can still do good radio if he so chooses.

2. I don't think Bell was ever a household name. I stumbled upon C2C during late-night programming sessions in college back in 1994-ish. I was probably the only person that ever listened to him the entire time I was in college + I don't know that many people who know about his old show anyway.

3. C2C / Dark Matter were never young people shows. Sirius XM have very few young subscribers. Young people listen to podcasts and Youtube. They like "free" not subscriptions unless it is Netflix.

4. I 100% agree with the comment that Bell came back to air his dirty laundry. I've written many times on here that the perceived technical issues were just that. I never had a streaming issue. Even with an old Android 2.3 device I was able to listen to SiriusXM.

All that said, and with Art saying that radio is in his blood, I would think that he would want to come back and do it right, at least for a year. He enjoys it, and I'd bet after the Dark Matter debacle, he has something to prove to himself. If he doesn't, then he shouldn't come back. Blog and podcast from the high desert.

Bell was a household name, sort of, in the 90's. He was parodied on several things, but aside from my friend and I; I'm not sure how many high school kids like us were listening. He had an amazing run until all of the drama circa 2000 and beyond. (Side note, what was the guy's name who took over for awhile? are those shows available for download anywhere?)

I signed up for an account here just to read about his return. Hopefully he does return. A podcast couple times a week that would develop into a subscription based thing. He's got a lot of fans.  I do agree the whole Sirius thing about it being an eff you to C2C. Honestly the show wasn't that good and I think he came up with some nonsense instead of just riding it out. His 'reasons' were kind of bs. And if I were Sirius I'd be pissed. You know that they built him a brand new studio and signed him for at least a significant amount of money and he just said eff it and eff you. Also, there really isn't unlimited broadband internet out in Pahrump (my dad lives there) so that wasn't exactly free either.

But....he could  do a good podcast like everyone and be quite successful at it. You could do 2-3 a week and do open lines announcing it via twitter like every other podcast. But he's always been a rash man. His many exits from Coast for one, like back in whatever year that was, 2010-2011 where he was contractually obliged but never came back.

That said, I guess, old timers may not realize that podcasts are not radio (though they are better) and could be harsh of the early returns. But there are so many many great podcasts out there (sword and scale, true murder, anything ghost, darkness radio, hardcore history etc...) that I feel like him coming out with a podcast and podcast network there is no doubt he'd be in itunes as new and notable and quickly go to #1. That would be awesome for all us fans.

But here's the thing: he's gotta have compelling content. It's not overnight radio from 10pm-3am. You're competing with Rogan, Carolla, Kevin Smith, The Moth, This American Life, etc etc and having a guest like the reverse speech guy is not compelling. You need content. But let's be honest, Art always found something cool.

[Wintermute]

"But here's the thing: he's gotta have compelling content. It's not overnight radio from 10pm-3am. You're competing with Rogan, Carolla, Kevin Smith, The Moth, This American Life, etc etc and having a guest like the reverse speech guy is not compelling. You need content. But let's be honest, Art always found something cool."

Exactly... if anyone thought there was radio competition before, well it's only gotten worse. Podcasting gives anyone with a mic and some audio editing know-how a shot at content distribution. What does Art Bell really have going for him?

1. Some name recognition.
2. Some experience.
3. Some contacts in "old media".

You are 100% right... his guests were not compelling on Dark Matter. This pseudo-sci nonsense is darn close to being played out. It would be very interesting if there were an actual way to track AM listeners to C2C. Ed Dames, Hoagland, Josh Warren, and Judika Illes are all cranks. When Noory invites another media personality (Alex Jones) as a guest, you know things are really bad in the pseudo-sci world. Is Alex going to invite George next? There is no headroom left in the subject matter.

Frankly I don't think Bell can compete with any of the better NPR, Rogan, Corolla, Periera, Nerdist, Smith... yada yada high-end, well received podcasts. And he should not try as it would be silly. He had a niche that is now gone. Time to think different and not go back to the dried up well.

[PB the Deplorable]

... (Side note, what was the guy's name who took over for awhile? are those shows available for download anywhere?)...

Mike Siegel?

[herzogxyu]

my one sort of real gripe with art was not that he had some completely unbelievable guests, or that he just let them go and go and prompted them, ( i always assumed he was doing 'radio') it was that he always let hoagland just go on and on about things that were never founded. badly photoshopped jpgs, unfounded claims, etc. he never called these assholes out on their bullshit. other than that, he often found content i was enthralled with in my teens and 20's. hell, i've scoured the web over and over trying to find a show from early '98 where he had a woman guest on to talk about the titanic.

i guess what i'm saying is: he is an old timer. he doesn't need to be. he needs to do his show but from something new. (i thought, wrong, that dark matter would be as such) and he needs to come from a fresh perspective. he can do ghost shows, ufo shows, 911 conspiracy shows, hell, even tackle some of the same notions that wacko john b wells tackled, but from his centrist pov. perhaps he needs to poach my favorite c2c host george knapp as well as whomever is doing good on the dm radio network.
true crime, compelling stories, this can be done as it is being done already.

what we need is art not to be art.
and suck it up.
seriously.
 

[PB the Deplorable]

... i guess what i'm saying is: he is an old timer. he doesn't need to be. he needs to do his show but from something new...

Ding!

What a bunch of dull retreads he had on DM.  Thankfully he never got around to Ed Dames.

LMH goes out and finds new stories and people to interview, surely Art could have

[blitzer850]

I've always felt AB was the Johnny Carson of late night radio. Even Jay Leno can't stay away from TV.
Art has been in my house via radio for so long he is like a family member.
I like AB that's what a fan does. Do I agree with AB or the things, decisions he has done, no of course not. I've have caught myself several times snapping back at my radio after a remark or AB agreeing with a host on something that I felt was redicioulus, mostly like, "oh Cmon Art!  Really?!"
But that's what AB did & is,  was good at it.
If he doesn't come back, well what can we say..
But, i hope he comes back, even if it's a short while, even if it's a year to finish up & say goodbye in a respectable, honorable way to remember. If that's possible. I've seen many an athlete ect. say goodbye to their fans, a wave of a hat, leaving the field. I guess it's that closure fans want.  Myself, I'm tired of wondering if, when, maybe, then hear it's not happening, then few weeks or days later a glimmer of hope.
What can I say, is it so pathetic to be an AB fan, or pathetic grabbing at what might be hope of him coming back, a farewell goodbye from the kingdom.

Just a pathetic fan.. Dammit Art! Really!?

[aldousburbank]

l'Art pour l'art

[b_dubb]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-r-collins/woxycoms-failure-is-ours_b_511755.html

An article about a favorite online radio station.  And how online radio just doesn't seem viable.  Seemed? Seems?  IDK.  I thought it was an interesting article.  Seems relevant to Art's/our situation.

[ajiav]

He may try.  The Sirius fiasco was pretty much nail in the coffin for me, though.

He had an infrastructure that was supporting him, supplied him with equipment, etc.  His expectations were too high for a guy who had been off the air in a full-time capacity that long.  No matter what he does, it's likely going to be smaller at this point and require some building, and it seems like an over-reaction to draw a line in the sand asking them to change their entire business model instead of working with what you have and watering the seeds, tending the garden (no shortcut to growing, it's time + work).  Sirius was probably as good as its going to get, professionally, for a retired radio host.  He had all the momentum he was going to get in terms of his old fans, many of whom are disappointed.  I don't mind being proven wrong, but I will be very surprised if that happens.