Art Bell

[paladin1991]

I agree with you. I just want a show. I guess I want everyone to be treated fairly (yeah, I am alone on that ). But the drama for a podcast/internet show does feel a bit bothersome.

I agree with you.  It pisses me off that shit like this goes down because of whatever reason.  But if Rowland is an asshole, and he has shown us his ass previously, then I'm not sure I really care that this Leo is an unstable schoolgirl. It seems like Rowland doesn't give two shits, since he and ART go way back.

I want my ART FUCKING BELL. 

And if Rowland is the accelerant to the fires that occur with my show, I'd rather he was gone, too.

[paladin1991]

The truth is Leo made lots of money. The real deal was he got paid by the commercial's that ran in his newscast and it was a lot. On top of that he got 1% of total ad revenue which was about to be raised to 2 % but he quit because he said he could not get along with Keith. After I told the exact truth at the start of the show last night he now hates me I see. The guy is in total meltdown mode. I feel sorry for him. As for the offer he said he got from Coast, that was told first to Amy because he wanted to take her along with him but she refused. He also told Heather about it both on the phone and In print (which she has) and finally he told me as well. I am still not sure if it was real or he just made it up as a bluff, either way it's bad. I was not going to say a word on the Friday show even as stressed out as I was about the situation but he started posting crazy stuff on his FB site asking people to email me or call in on open lines so I felt I had no choice as the messages started to roll in.

Art

Alright ART.  I'll take you at your word.  Fuck him.

[paladin1991]

Thanks for the insight, Art.  I subscribe to listen to you.  Period.  Press ahead and best wishes.

Ditto.

[Art Bell]

Trust me when I say all I want is to do the show, I hate this crap but this time it is not Keith that was the problem it was Leo, he is in full meltdown. He sent me a email saying it's either Keith or me, well it's Keith. Yes Keith can be abrupt with people but that was not the case here. Leo said Keith does nothing but have software for the subs and not much else and I should dump him in favor of some guy I have known a few Month's? Keith does A LOT.

I don't know what has happened to Leo but after looking at his posts I am worried for him.

Art

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Stay tuned for the next episode of "As the Desert Turns."

In Season 2 of "As the Desert Turns", Leo Ashcraft returns as the news reader.

[EarthAlien007]

Trust me when I say all I want is to do the show, I hate this crap but this time it is not Keith that was the problem it was Leo, he is in full meltdown. He sent me a email saying it's either Keith or me, well it's Keith. Yes Keith can be abrupt with people but that was not the case here. Leo said Keith does nothing but have software for the subs and not much else and I should dump him in favor of some guy I have known a few Month's? Keith does A LOT.

I don't know what has happened to Leo but after looking at his posts I am worried for him.

Art

The dude is a mess. You don't need anyone to read the news. No one does it better than you Art.

Leo has issues...

Posted 08.01.2014
"Company President/CEO Leo Ashcraft confirmed the closing to Radio World, citing both his declining health and economics. “I can no longer operate the company effectively and have been unable to support a staff under the current economic climate in the broadcast industry,” he tells RW.

http://www.radioworld.com/article/lpfm-gear-supplier-nexus-broadcast-closed/271639

[coaster]

He just sounds unstable. Who needs to deal with that?

[b_dubb]

I hope the guy recovers and gets his life back in order

[SciFiAuthor]

Trust me when I say all I want is to do the show, I hate this crap but this time it is not Keith that was the problem it was Leo, he is in full meltdown. He sent me a email saying it's either Keith or me, well it's Keith. Yes Keith can be abrupt with people but that was not the case here. Leo said Keith does nothing but have software for the subs and not much else and I should dump him in favor of some guy I have known a few Month's? Keith does A LOT.

I don't know what has happened to Leo but after looking at his posts I am worried for him.

Art

I've long suspected that Keith Rowland is an android. Since the 90's actually. He seems to be ever present on that network running things behind the scenes and, well, it does run 24 hours a day after all. Seriously though, DMDN is a beautiful piece of work and Keith deserves credit for having done it. As far as Leo, the meltdown was in bad taste and highly unprofessional.

[area51drone]

Seriously though, DMDN is a beautiful piece of work and Keith deserves credit for having done it.

I know Art is convinced that Keith does amazing things, but anyone who has the technical knowledge knows that what Keith has done could be accomplished by any talented college computer science student in a week.    Sure, it works, sort of.  But there's a lot more to a professional website than just throwing up a wordpress page, creating a user database, linking to paypal, etc.    The reason Keith has had problems with his system is because it literally is all hacked together, and he knows it.    He is not a computer genius.   He's not an idiot either, and I'm sure he is a hard worker, but that doesn't mean he's capable of creating a world class website for a world class radio talent.    C2C's website blows his out of the water, and even that isn't that fantastic, IMO.    Has much thought gone into the user experience for Art's site and the DMRN site?   Not likely.  Where are the android and IOS apps to accompany them?   A good portion of Art's listeners use their tablets or phones now a days to access the show, I'm sure.   If any of you have tried, you probably know how terrible the experience is.      I don't even want to think about the security aspect of the whole thing, and I can only be grateful that we don't have to give them our credit card numbers in order to pay for access to the archives.   Part of the reason that Keith has to "work so hard" is because he is incapable of creating a turn key system that runs itself.     I am certain he is reading this and he's probably entirely pissed at me for saying so.   Keith, if that's true, and you are reading this, then man up and either admit to Art that he could do better than you, or figure it out.    At a minimum, Keith, get on the phone and get some help from some people who know how to make a website that isn't so clunky.   

BTW,  you should fix your phone number announcements, that number you list isn't working anymore when I call it.  But I know you're too busy doing other things to be bothered with something as minor as giving out correct information.

[SciFiAuthor]

I know Art is convinced that Keith does amazing things, but anyone who has the technical knowledge knows that what Keith has done could be accomplished by any talented college computer science student in a couple of weeks.    Sure, it works, sort of.  But there's a lot more to a professional website than just throwing up a wordpress page, creating a user database, linking to paypal, etc.    The reason Keith has had problems with his system is because it literally is all hacked together, and he knows it.    He is not a computer genius.   He's not an idiot either, and I'm sure he is a hard worker, but that doesn't mean he's capable of creating a world class website for a world class radio talent.    C2C's website blows his out of the water, and even that isn't that fantastic, IMO.    Has much thought gone into the user experience for Art's site and the DMRN site?   Not likely.  Where are the android and IOS apps to accompany them?   A good portion of Art's listeners use their tablets or phones now a days to access the show, I'm sure.   If any of you have tried, you probably know how terrible the experience is.      I don't even want to think about the security aspect of the whole thing, and I can only be grateful that we don't have to give them our credit card numbers in order to pay for access to the archives.   Part of the reason that Keith has to "work so hard" is because he is incapable of creating a turn key system that runs itself.     I am certain he is reading this and he's probably entirely pissed at me for saying this.   Keith, if that's true, and you are reading this, then man up and either admit to Art that he could do better than you, or figure it out.    At a minimum, Keith, get on the phone and get some help from some people who know how to make a website that isn't so clunky.   

BTW,  Keith, you should fix your phone number announcements, that number you list isn't working anymore when I call it.  But I know you're too busy doing other things to be bother with something as minor as giving out correct information.

Yeah, just kick the guy when he's had a bad day and under public attack by Ashcraft. Nice one.

[area51drone]

Yeah, just kick the guy when he's had a bad day and under public attack. Nice one.

I have said this for ages, it's nothing new.  I know Art is reading this, and sadly he's stuck on believing that Keith can manage it all.   I kind of understand why Art feels that way, with all the technical radio knowledge the man has, he's not really what I would call more than a power user, and I would never expect him to be.  I just wish he would see the light.   (No dig on you Art, you are far more computer savvy than most people)

/reminiscing about the days when Art would talk about installing the latest version of Windows on his PC

[SciFiAuthor]

I have said this for ages, it's nothing new.  I know Art is reading this, and sadly he's stuck on believing that Keith can manage it all.   I kind of understand why Art feels that way, with all the technical radio knowledge the man has, he's not really what I would call more than a power user, and I would never expect him to be.  I just wish he would see the light.   (No dig on you Art, you are far more computer savvy than most people)

/reminiscing about the days when Art would talk about installing the latest version of Windows on his PC

So you bring it back up when Rowland's under attack and Art just wrote a post defending him. You truly are a master of timing Sir!

[area51drone]

So you bring it back up when Rowland's under attack and Art just wrote a post defending him. You are a master of timing Sir!

I bring it back up when Art *should* be evaluating who his team is.   In my last post before you went off on how great the DM website is, I didn't even mention Keith by name.   I was responding to you on how great you thought it was.     It doesn't matter what I say anyway, it's pretty obvious Art is enamored in some odd way with Keith.   I would love to know what Keith said to get back in his graces after Art dumped him during the whole Church debacle.

[SciFiAuthor]

I bring it back up when Art should be evaluating who his team is.   In my last post before you went off on how great the DM website is, I didn't even mention Keith by name.   I was responding to you on how great you thought it was.     It doesn't matter what I say anyway, it's pretty obvious Art is enamored in some odd way with Keith.   I would love to know what Keith said to get back in his graces after Art dumped him during the whole Church debacle.

Actually, I said DMDN, the radio network. The website is a non-issue to me, I check it for guest info or whatever is relevant to the show.

[area51drone]

Actually, I said DMDN, the radio network.

OK, fair enough.  I take "network" to mean everything encompassing it.  The stream itself is one of the least special parts of it, and I *highly* doubt that Keith wrote the stream code.  Giving people access to your server so they can post their shows is nothing fancy.   If you're talking about getting the shows themselves, other shows only come to the network because they want to be linked with Art, not because Keith has done such an awesome job.

[SciFiAuthor]

OK, fair enough.  I take "network" to mean everything encompassing it.  The stream itself is one of the least special parts of it, and I *highly* doubt that Keith wrote the stream code.  Giving people access to your server so they can post their shows is nothing fancy.   If you're talking about getting the shows themselves, people only come to the network because they want to be linked with Art, not because Keith has done such an awesome job.

Yeah, but I just spent months hearing Rowland breaking in instantly during Art and Hoagland's shows when there was a technical problem and fixing it.

[area51drone]

Yeah, but I just spent months hearing Rowland breaking in instantly during Art and Hoagland's shows when there was a technical problem and fixing it.

Someone has to do it.  They're called board ops in the radio world from what I understand.  If not that, then how about system administrators.   Where I come from, tech support people with that kind of knowledge are paid about $13 an hour.    If Keith wants to take on that role, good for him, but it doesn't impress me in the least.   

[SciFiAuthor]

Someone has to do it.  They're called board ops in the radio world from what I understand.  If not that, then how about system administrators.   Where I come from, tech support people with that kind of knowledge are paid about $13 an hour.    If Keith wants to take on that role, good for him, but it doesn't impress me in the least.

Well, fine, so you hate Keith Rowland and picked an opportune time for an attack. Mission accomplished.

[area51drone]

Well, fine, so you hate Keith Rowland and picked an opportune time for an attack. Mission accomplished.

Wrong.  I don't hate Keith.  I don't know him.  I don't like his work in particular.  But I don't hate him.  Not everything he does for Art is bad, by the way.   I mean, for what he has done, it's okay.   I just think Art could do better.    I look at it this way - Art is top tier talent and he deserves a top tier support team.   It took Art years and years and years of professional employment as a radio host to get to where he was and is.   

From what I remember, Keith just kind of set up a website for Art back in the day when websites were pretty much just a little HTML and maybe a little bit of graphics text creation with photoshop.    Keith would listen religiously and update the website whenever Art would ask him to.   It went this way for years, and probably everyone was amazed that Keith did what he did without pay (as far as we knew).    At some point, Keith's services were no longer needed, and the website was shut down, and Keith cashed in by creating those collectible cd's that Art promoted heavily and probably everyone and their mother bought.   Good for him, I guess.   But remember that those CD's didn't even work?   He had to send out a regular CD because the one he chose wouldn't function in most (or many) people's drives.    That's the kind of shit I'm talking about.    Things are just thrown together, haphazardly, and the best is hoped for.    It has been like that all along.   And back in the day, it was "good enough" because people didn't expect much more at the time.    Times have changed.    Would you expect the world to embrace PacMan as the next greatest video game?   How about Windows 3.1?   Why not use a flip phone instead of an iPhone or Android?   Unfortunately, through all of these years, Keith never really learned how to be a professional in his trade.    I don't know what he did (maybe still does?) for a day job, but everything I have ever seen him do was Heaven's Gate quality if you get my drift.   It's 2015, get with the times.

[zeebo]

Trust me when I say all I want is to do the show ...

Glad you're enjoying doing the show as much as we're enjoying experiencing it.  I shall not attempt to discern whatever alchemical process is at work behind the scenes, but simply say the core of the show is great and I'm sure it will continue to be.

[Mild Bill]

Well, fine, so you hate Keith Rowland and picked an opportune time for an attack. Mission accomplished.

There is nothing in area51drone's posts that indicate a "hatred" of Keith Rowland, so back off from your invective nonsense.

area51drone's evaluation of Rowland's technical abilities supersede your own by far. He deals with facts, not fiction.

He makes technical sense and you do not.

[SciFiAuthor]

Wrong.  I don't hate Keith.  I don't know him.  I don't like his work in particular.  But I don't hate him.  Not everything he does for Art is bad, by the way.   I mean, for what he has done, it's okay.   I just think Art could do better.    I look at it this way - Art is top tier talent and he deserves a top tier support team.   It took Art years and years and years of professional employment as a radio host to get to where he was and is.   

From what I remember, Keith just kind of set up a website for Art back in the day when websites were pretty much just a little HTML and maybe a little bit of graphics text creation with photoshop.    Keith would listen religiously and update the website whenever Art would ask him to.   It went this way for years, and probably everyone was amazed that Keith did what he did without pay (as far as we knew).    At some point, Keith's services were no longer needed, and the website was shut down, and Keith cashed in by creating those collectible cd's that Art promoted heavily and probably everyone and their mother bought.   Good for him, I guess.   But remember that those CD's didn't even work?   He had to send out a regular CD because the one he chose wouldn't function in most (or many) people's drives.    That's the kind of shit I'm talking about.    Things are just thrown together, haphazardly, and the best is hoped for.    It has been like that all along.   And back in the day, it was "good enough" because people didn't expect much more at the time.    Times have changed.    Would you expect the world to embrace PacMan as the next greatest video game?   How about Windows 3.1?   Why not use a flip phone instead of an iPhone or Android?   Unfortunately, through all of these years, Keith never really learned how to be a professional in his trade.    I don't know what he did (maybe still does?) for a day job, but everything I have ever seen him do was Heaven's Gate quality if you get my drift.   It's 2015, get with the times.

At least his website works. I mean, you have no idea how many news articles I read each day and about half of them are a bitch to load for various reasons. Switching browsers etc. to find the one that works the best, I even have issues on my Mac. But I get it, Rowland is your white whale.

[TigerLily]

Glad you're enjoying doing the show as much as we're enjoying experiencing it.  I shall not attempt to discern whatever alchemical process is at work behind the scenes, but simply say the core of the show is great and I'm sure it will continue to be.

Zeebo. Always the voice of reason with a dash of panache. Thank you 

[SciFiAuthor]

There is nothing in area51drone's posts that indicate a "hatred" of Keith Rowland, so back off from your invective nonsense.

area51drone's evaluation of Rowland's technical abilities supersede your own by far. He deals with facts, not fiction.

He makes technical sense and you do not.

He's being an asshole after Art just defended Rowland. Wrong night for this. Any other night, I wouldn't have said a word.

[area51drone]

At least his website works. I mean, you have no idea how many news articles I read each day and about half of them are a bitch to load for various reasons. Switching browsers etc. to find the one that works the best, I even have issues on my Mac. But I get it, Rowland is your white whale.

Funny you mention that.. I just watched that x-files episode where Scully's dog Queequeg was eaten by an alligator.   I'm not Ahab.  Art can do what he wants.  I just want him to succeed in his MITD venture beyond all comprehension.  If there were anything that was my white whale, it would be C2C as it is today.   I would love to hear Knapp do MITD on the weekends.

[area51drone]

He's being an asshole after Art just defended Rowland. Wrong night for this. Any other night, I wouldn't have said a word.

This was all discussed in the piracy thread a long time ago.  This was the perfect night to bring it back up, IMO.

[SciFiAuthor]

Funny you mention that.. I just watched that x-files episode where Scully's dog Queequeg was eaten by an alligator.   I'm not Ahab.  Art can do what he wants.  I just want him to succeed in his MITD venture beyond all comprehension.  If there were anything that was my white whale, it would be C2C as it is today.   I would love to hear Knapp do MITD on the weekends.

And on that, we agree! Let's get back in the boat and harpoon Dave's show.

[SciFiAuthor]

This was all discussed in the piracy thread a long time ago.  This was the perfect night to bring it back up, IMO.

I don't think it was after the gabcast/chat and Leo starting the whole thing with a dig into Rowland that doesn't appear to have been valid.

[Mild Bill]

I look at it this way - Art is top tier talent and he deserves a top tier support team. It's 2015, get with the times.

Art deserves far, far better. As you put it...a top tier support team.

This Leo Ashcraft tempest in a teacup seems to have put the spotlight on the behind-the-technical-times man in charge of Art's support team.