Art Bell

[Juan]

I heard that Cumulus might be dropping Rush at the end of the year.  That would open a syndicated time slot up...

Cumulus does not syndicate Rush.  Rush is on Premiere.  Cumulus syndicates the Baptist Mullah, Mike Huckabee, from 1PM Eastern.

[bigchucka]

Cumulus does not syndicate Rush.  Rush is on Premiere.  Cumulus syndicates the Baptist Mullah, Mike Huckabee, from 1PM Eastern.

It was a Yahoo story.  It was about Rush losing advertising dollars for calling someone a slut.  Said that could end up costing him a deal that he has with Cumulus.

[Marc.Knight]

It was a Yahoo story.  It was about Rush losing advertising dollars for calling someone a slut.  Said that could end up costing him a deal that he has with Cumulus.

Rush Limbaugh Could Leave Cumulus Radio Network


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/05/rush-limbaugh-cumulus_n_3220699.html

[Juan]

Interesting - but I know of Cumulus stations that do not carry Rush.  The article says Cumulus owns 40 stations - I thought it was more.  40-stations is a drop in the bucket for Rush, especially since he would be snapped up by another station.

Anyway, the Sandra Fluke idiocy was about a year ago.  Rush was able to replace the few sponsors who left him within days.  I don't know why WABC could not do likewise if it is still delivering market share.  However, since 2008 the radio advertising market has been softer than it was for the decade or so before.  I don't think that is Rush's fault. 

Something else that may be involved - talk radio is moving to FM stations all over the country.  FM delivers signals without static and through the walls of office buildings.  It's wider bandwidth is good for music, but I don't think many people are listening to music on FM radio anymore - hence the move of talk to FM.  WABC is an AM station - is the loss of revenue the fault of its frequency?

[ItsOver]

I can fully understand why Art doesn't want a 5 night a week radio show but what about the weekend, even if it was just one night during the weekend, similar to Dreamland?  I guess Art's just not interested in getting back into any kind of a regular radio gig versus maximizing his time with family.

[bateman]

Cumulus does not syndicate Rush.  Rush is on Premiere.  Cumulus syndicates the Baptist Mullah, Mike Huckabee, from 1PM Eastern.

Perhaps not for much longer: http://radioink.com/article.asp?id=2649638

[bateman]

Interesting - but I know of Cumulus stations that do not carry Rush.  The article says Cumulus owns 40 stations - I thought it was more.  40-stations is a drop in the bucket for Rush, especially since he would be snapped up by another station.

Anyway, the Sandra Fluke idiocy was about a year ago.  Rush was able to replace the few sponsors who left him within days.  I don't know why WABC could not do likewise if it is still delivering market share.  However, since 2008 the radio advertising market has been softer than it was for the decade or so before.  I don't think that is Rush's fault. 

Something else that may be involved - talk radio is moving to FM stations all over the country.  FM delivers signals without static and through the walls of office buildings.  It's wider bandwidth is good for music, but I don't think many people are listening to music on FM radio anymore - hence the move of talk to FM.  WABC is an AM station - is the loss of revenue the fault of its frequency?

John Avlon had a good piece about this the other day: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/07/the-high-cost-of-rush-talker-bleeds-millions-from-his-carriers-as-toxic-talk-slumps-cumulus-seems-set-to-part-ways-with-rush-limbaugh.html

[Eddie Coyle]

Perhaps not for much longer: http://radioink.com/article.asp?id=2649638

Good. What an appalling creature that squirrel eating Bob Roberts from hell is. Just as  I point to Al Sharpton as why I'm not a Democrat, Huckabee is often my "why I'm not a Republican" example. I'd rather an Enver Hoxha type become our president than Huckabee. The lowest form of God Squader.

[saab93driver]

I can fully understand why Art doesn't want a 5 night a week radio show but what about the weekend, even if it was just one night during the weekend, similar to Dreamland?  I guess Art's just not interested in getting back into any kind of a regular radio gig versus maximizing his time with family.

He's shifted gears in his life before and not looked back, examples abound.  I think he finally got it into 6th gear and downshifting ain't gonna happen.  It is what it is.

[Scully]

Cumulus does not syndicate Rush.  Rush is on Premiere.  Cumulus syndicates the Baptist Mullah, Mike Huckabee, from 1PM Eastern.

Fill, our political views seldom mesh, but I LOVE your descriptive name for Huckabee. 

[Juan]

It's interesting that Dickey seems to be the only one still complaining about Fluke.  Rush himself quickly found new advertisers - within a couple of days.  Why can't Cumulus?  Perhaps Cumulus has made other poor decisions - for instance, I know of two Cumulus stations in Georgia that had carried University of Georgia football games for about 70-years.  Soon after Cumulus bought the stations, they dropped college football. They also dropped Neal Boortz, who was very popular in the state, and replaced him with Geraldo.

[MV/Liberace!]

How did this topic get moved from the sticky section? I assumed that if a topic gets big enough, it stays there. (Certainly I would think once it gets past 100 pages at least.)

I noticed it move out of the sticky section after Art's first announced potential return earlier this year fell through. You'd have to ask MV, but I suspect at that point--more than 2 years after the thread started, with several false starts and a pretty clear idea that Art wouldn't be back anytime soon--it ceased to be viewed as sticky-worthy. But that's just MY guess. MV?

that would be entirely correct.

I actually think it should be merged with the sticky Art Bell thread.

It seems pointless that every time Art farts that we need to check two threads.

i agree with you, but before i merge the two, i'd like to know what everyone thinks of the idea.  it's a pretty big thread with a lot of history.

[coaster]

Merge 'em. Or wait a week for Art to change his mind about retirement...

[Eddie Coyle]

 
      I suggest a third,fourth and eighth thread complete with poll questions about Art's breath, sexual habits and or what he would eat if you had dinner with him in a roadside Denny's at 3am.

[MV/Liberace!]

      I suggest a third,fourth and eighth thread complete with poll questions about Art's breath, sexual habits and or what he would eat if you had dinner with him in a roadside Denny's at 3am.

sounds fuckin' brilliant.

[West of the Rockies]

sounds fuckin' brilliant.

Coffee with a Listerine chaser... Mission with the occasional doggy...  Grand Slam -- no brainer!

[NowhereInTime]

that would be entirely correct.



i agree with you, but before i merge the two, i'd like to know what everyone thinks of the idea.  it's a pretty big thread with a lot of history.

I also agree with merging the "Art Bell" & "Art Bell Quits Coast" threads.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

I think keeping them separate is best.

[mulder]

To Art Bell: Let go of the ANGER and come back to us,you could spare an hour or two a week,a month,a year, could you find it in your heart to answer a few questions, did you manage to give up cigarettes?

[West of the Rockies]

Crap... first time I saw that statement by Art.  That's pretty definite, isn't it? 

Okay, so in the words of William Shatner, it's time for us to "get a life"....

So, who would be a solid replacement?  Who has an engaging voice (but, unlike Wells, more than just the voice), the intellect, and the ability to not piss on one side or the other politically?

You know, if he were interested and about 30 years younger, I'd suggest Nimoy.  Intellectual curiosity?  Check...  Great voice?  Check...  Do you know his politics?  (I don't)....

But, at 80, Nimoy is out.  You know, the person does not have to be a household name; Art certainly wasn't when he brought the show to the heights we all admire.

[bateman]

It's interesting that Dickey seems to be the only one still complaining about Fluke.

The fact of the matter is, confrontational right-wing talk isn't selling anymore. You'd be shocked at the billing numbers these days compared to 5-10 years ago. Dickey wants to dump Rush because a) he doesn't come cheap, and b) he wants to tarnish him further before his inevitable departure to crosstown rival WOR, which is a ClearChannel outfit. When Lew took over Citadel he said something to the effect of, "You don't put Pepsi in a Coke machine."  He wants to fill his stations top to bottom with Cumulus-owned shows. ClearChannel wants to do the same.

Rush himself quickly found new advertisers - within a couple of days.

Who, LifeLock? eFoods Direct? Hillsdale College?

a very high ranking Cumulus official sent the following statement to Radio Ink, and asked not to be sourced. "Forty-eight of the top 50 network advertisers have “excluded Rush and Hannity” orders.

Perhaps Cumulus has made other poor decisions

Many.

[MV/Liberace!]

So, who would be a solid replacement?

i don't think anyone is a solid replacement.  that's because i think the magic of art's show in the 1990s was as much the result of the times as it was the man.  if art were 45 years old again today and started over as an unknown just as he did in the early 1990s, i don't think he could become successful.  every home in america didn't have instant access to the sum total of human knowledge in those days.  it made the genre far more interesting than it could ever be now.  there was a cloud of mystery surrounding everything the show discussed, and that magic is now dissolved.  today, there's no mystery in anything.  anywhere.  at all.


the times have changed, and i don't think it matters who you put in the chair.  the genre is toast, which is partially why c2c it's self doesn't even cover those topics any longer.  it's become a program about self improvement, alternative medicine, and touchy feely, new agey horse shit. 

[jazmunda]

i don't think anyone is a solid replacement.  that's because i think the magic of art's show in the 1990s was as much the result of the times as it was the man.  if art were 45 years old again today and started over as an unknown just as he did in the early 1990s, i don't think he could become successful.  every home in america didn't have instant access to the sum total of human knowledge in those days.  it made the genre far more interesting than it could ever be now.  there was a cloud of mystery surrounding everything the show discussed, and that magic is now dissolved.  today, there's no mystery in anything.  anywhere.  at all.


the times have changed, and i don't think it matters who you put in the chair.  the genre is toast, which is partially why c2c it's self doesn't even cover those topics any longer.  it's become a program about self improvement, alternative medicine, and touchy feely, new agey horse shit.

This.

+1.

Like.

And any other internet agreement shortcut.

[Eddie Coyle]

sounds fuckin' brilliant.

I know. I'm thinking of new ways of incorrectly spelling the most basic words in the headers of these threads. A sentence structure suggesting that I've just landed on Ellis Island from a distant mountainous region is also required as well. I'll channel my inner cat lady instincts for the polls.

[morphiaflow]

I tend to agree that as with so many other great things in the 90s...Art's success and quality was equal parts him and his talent and what he brought to the table, and the times themselves...in other words, the Zeitgeist. Look what was popular and successful in the same arena at the same time...the X-Files. And look how...post 9/11...conspiracy theories and the paranormal gave way to paranoia and fear. it's just not the same. It's not...I'm sorry to say...fun like it was. And that's certainly something that's missing from ALL who have come since (Ian's Max Brooks/Zombie interview being one of the few notable exceptions).

[morphiaflow]

Merge them.

And then retitle them "Fort Rock Quits Coastgab".

[Morgus]

How about moving Art Bell threads to a separate Art Bell section, rather than lumping in with the other hosts under the C2CAM Hosts section?

[jazmunda]

How about moving Art Bell threads to a separate Art Bell section, rather than lumping in with the other hosts under the C2CAM Hosts section?

And call it Art's Parts!

[bateman]

And call it Art's Parts!

This made me laugh harder than it should have.

[RealCool Daddio]

Keep em separate, at least until he unquits Coast.