Art Bell Quits Dark Matter

[steelbot]

so yea, I emailed em.

Subject: After Dark Matter and beyond...

Well,

So you guys can imagine the web is abuzz with worry and doubt.  Everyone seems to be deep down wishing you folks well, I think some angst has come out a bit, but to be expected.
I would really like to wish ya the best Art in whatever place this current situation takes you, as well as you Keith and Paul.
I would like to offer some technical support for a couple of ideas if they could be of use.
ICECAST is very easy to do for video and 64kbs that sirius streamed sounds GREAT...

A video podcast is quite easy too...I generally listen along, or if the recently started GabCast podcast with video/audio streaming.  I don't know MV (bellgab owner), stats his own projects, but still.  This seems to me this is quite easy, and using Justin.tv as a authorized broadcaster, or Youtube live casts such as Joe Rogan Experience podcast.  You could get all the ad-revenue, keep C-Crane as an advertiser.  I mean, there are real solutions to totally own your own show!

.  Doesn't have to be a live "Art" cam, more of the things being discussed.  I do this all the time, just have someone off pulling a screen capture of a desktop pumping in the feeds from the webpage or the topics being discussed...it goes out over the air, and the web.  Peeps can see this and get the show however they wish and want!.

My take Art...you got the bug again...and the ride has been fun so far...I'm hoping enough so (and the spiderbite scars to prove it) that you want to do this, but seem to accept that only if you have total control over it! and with using these ways you could! 

I know the language is harsh, but check out a Joe Rogan podcast some time and see how he conducts a show...Yes again, the language is harsh..but they ARE GOOD.  He interviewed Steven Greer and it was a good show.  He's had everyone one..


-Cheers and good luck guys!

Scott

And a fine reply...

[NefariousBanana]

Now I'm just fantasizing about him making a PODCAST with a monthly perscription of past episodes with a free live stream... I'd pay Art Bell directly!!

And get ripped off by him again?

[DanTSX]

I don't understand what Art's problem with his show was.  I thought things were going well, more or less.

He appeared to be having a blast.  Enjoying the show prep, production, back-office work, and obviously the actual airtime.

[EarthAlien007]

It was also foolish to believe that Sirius/XM, a paid premium service, would stream valued content for free. Either it was a copout to leave or he has a drastically over-inflated sense of self importance.

Maybe that would be a waste of time for them, since it's already been streamed for free without their effort.

[vegasexcitement]

For us to say that Art "quits" is to give the incorrect perception that he is not coming back from his site.  I was the Director of the Art Bell Listeners Group in Vegas, and Arts neighbor...way...down the road.  People out here live miles apart and we still have horses in the front yard!  ...and packing  a pistol is normal.   He is a genuinely good man and will do what is best for his listeners.  I recognize him if I see him, but he would not know me from the man in the moon.

His show is of interest world wide!  In the past there were listeners groups in Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, Vegas, world wide... and ...well, you get the point.  It will grow to that level again, quickly!  I personally skyped his show to a Moscow  friend a few days before he was supposed to quit.  I genuinely enjoy Arts show.  It is a little, from time to time, way out there for me, but I sincerely enjoy his programs.  I worked late some evenings and he made the time pass quickly with his alien related shows.  I am personally grateful for that.

I want to be able to listen to him, and I want to see it grow to its monolithic popularity as before.  There is no doubt it will.  Go get them Art!

Vegasexcitement / Don

[guildnavigator]

To everyone speculating on Art doing an internet-based show from his website: WHY would he ever do this? Does not seem likely at all. "Let me start from scratch and run an internet radio show for free!" At this point in his life, what the fuck for?

I think that he came back out of unresolved hatred and frustration for his former employers. Now that he's addressed that, fucked with Noory and saw that he still had it in him, how much could he really care about "going to work" every day suddenly at 68, let alone starting from scratch for free.

[Scruff]

The GIS show killed 50% of the show for me, the lame "Spooky Matter" show killed the rest.  Sorry that the show, Arts rep, and this forum will now die in the aftermath.  This is depressing shit.  Goodnight folks.

[steelbot]

Damn right man this is bullshit!!  Art really said fukyou to many loyal listeners today.
I apologize guys but I just can't help but respond to posts I agree so strongly with tonight.
Art's a damn coward.

Actually, if his response is anything to go off to my email...it would seem his position was for the fans! - his ideas to sirius were of a nature that their investment to him would go basically redshirt his show for 1 year and the remaining 2 years would be fixed perfect stuff and get their money once problems were fixed.  I think it would have been great if they'd seen his position and the chance at really making some money on that type of attempted to give them time to fix the backend of the shows losing folks at home. 

[CRM 114]

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Can't say I wasn't expecting it. Bell's a genius, but he's an egomaniacal crank. Fuck it. 20 years is enough time to be a fan. Now I just have a dull headache.

Anyways, Mr. Bell..if you ever get another show rolling, I will gladly listen to it if you PAY ME to do so.

Later.

[analog kid]

     Fruit drinks smelling of bitter almonds are the only ones I serve at Casa de Coyle.

I guess Jim Jones style would be better than Heaven's Gates style, with the latter hitting a bit to close too home, so to speak.

Maybe that's too obscure.

[sydtron]

I do NOT have a screengrab, but on Artbell.com FB page. In the discussion about todays events. Keith does confirm that Art has another NON COMPETE to deal with now.

[jblank]

Do you work for PremRat?
Just wondering...
Absolutely I blame this on Sirius.
Let's wait for the details to come out.

No sycophant, I'm just a fan...we'll was a fan, going back over twenty years.

[Wilderness]

There's a reply from ArtBell.com ( on Facebook page ) replying "Now Art is locked into another "No Compete," so it'll be awhile before he will do that."....

The question was:
Alyssa Bubbliez i think art ought to just buy some air waves and run his own show... wouldnt be nice if it Were that simple




Crap.

[midnight]

I just found out. 
Please allow me to have a tantrum.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is not happening!!!
This is not happening!!!
This is not happening!!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[attachimg=1]

It hurts!!!   It hurts!!!   It hurts!!!

It does feel like the most awful of breakups.  It's like I was here for you every night you were on, I loved your truck callers,  I was with you in the wee hours of the morning, even knowing I had to work the next day, I even paid your subscription bill for you.  I didn't mind when you occassionally had to drop me, but now you're saying it's over?  Just like that, through email, and you won't even tell me in person over the radio? 

sniff sniff sniff 

[LAM4:2]

Brutal. He only lasted 1 1/2 months. I doubt we'll ever hear him again outside of some podcast show. Terrible day.

Well he lasted longer than I have in previous jobs that's for sure, I'll give him that. LOL

[warsau]

Art doesn't like cell phones. However, who has a landline and a cell these days?  I haven't had a landline in 5 years. Yes, Skype did sound better tan his studio mic.

[HumanBeing]

contracts go both ways.  surely sirius/xm is contractually obligated to transmit art's show to listeners, and there is probably legal verbiage about reliability and whatnot.  if art can make a case that sirius/xm is in breach of contract in this regard, then he's legally justified in what he's chosen to do.  you can not deny there were considerable problems with the stream infrastructure provided by siriusxm. 

a guess, but when art mentioned the subscribers who dropped off because of it, he was probably referring largely to those who signed up for the free accounts but did not continue with a full subscription.

C'mon man. Wake up!  hehe Snap out of it!
I want to be positive and optimistic as much as anyone but you're grasping at straws here. Plausible explanations but you know its all fairy tales.

[DanTSX]

To everyone speculating on Art doing an internet-based show from his website: WHY would he ever do this? Does not seem likely at all. "Let me start from scratch and run an internet radio show for free!" At this point in his life, what the fuck for?

I think that he came back out of unresolved hatred and frustration for his former employers. Now that he's addressed that, fucked with Noory and saw that he still had it in him, how much could he really care about "going to work" every day suddenly at 68, let alone starting from scratch for free.

yeah, all he would get for callers would be bell gabbers.  no fresh audience ever.

[ajiav]

I think it's odd to not understand the frustration that many people feel.  Regardless of what the circumstances are behind the scenes, all we have to go on is what it looks like.  It looks disrespectful to the audience when there was no clear indication to many of us that Sirius had done a great wrong, so that's all we have to go off of.  Not everyone had problems with service reliability to the point that their listening experience was completely ruined, so it looks like something that could have been fixed with less extreme measures than threatening to quit.  Jackie Martling, a Howard Stern writer, often threatened to quit when negotiation time came around, until finally KROCK called his bluff and he was gone --- and the general consensus was that Jackie was being unnecessarily extreme and dramatic, even if they missed him. 

Art may not owe us anything, but that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating.  Whether your investment is financial, emotional, or both, as an audience member you have invested something.  Audience loyalty is predicated on that emotional investment, if nothing else, and advertising power results from said audience loyalty.  He may not be obligated to respect that audience investment, and I am not so invested that I am on the verge of hara kiri / seppuku, but it still means something to come back after all this time and then leave over what appears like a minor issue.  If a significant portion of the audience has similar feelings of betrayal, I am not so quick to disregard it.  In the past, I have been disappointed but understanding of Art's retirements and I never really felt much in the way of disrespect to the audience --- this time I feel differently.

Long-story short, one doesn't have to fall into the polar extremes of complete devotion or rejection, there is a middle ground where it's easy to understand why it looks disrespectful to the audience while giving him the benefit of the doubt (and I am cautiously doing so for the moment).  I would still listen if he came back tomorrow, but I also would understand if people were tired of the inconsistency and drama.  Knowing that this round accompanied a financial investment for many, I feel like it's asking a lot for audience members to sit tight while games are being played.  Many radio hosts with large bases are able to handle negotiations in a less extreme manner and thrive.  Again, this is what it looks like, and that's all I have to go off of.

[McPhallus]

I predict a flood of lightly-used Sirius/XM hardware is about to hit eBay over the next few weeks.

Being stuck with worthless Sirius accessories is the worst part.  It's like an STD, it never leaves.  I still have a shitty plug and play unit and boombox laying around somewhere in my closet taking up space.

I agree with you for the most part.  This is a selfish thing for Art to do, depriving people who paid an entire subscription just to hear his show with the expectation he'd be on for more than A MONTH AND A HALF.  The truck drivers are probably going to be the ones who will be pissed the most, because how are you going to listen to a live internet show on the highway in the middle of fucking nowhere without a data plan or something?  Podcast?  Okay, whatever.

[coaster]

So neither side will compromise, Art has another non-compete. Looks like its curtains for Art.

[DanTSX]

For us to say that Art "quits" is to give the incorrect perception that he is not coming back from his site.  I was the Director of the Art Bell Listeners Group in Vegas, and Arts neighbor...way...down the road.  People out here live miles apart and we still have horses in the front yard!  ...and packing  a pistol is normal.   He is a genuinely good man and will do what is best for his listeners.  I recognize him if I see him, but he would not know me from the man in the moon.

His show is of interest world wide!  In the past there were listeners groups in Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, Vegas, world wide... and ...well, you get the point.  It will grow to that level again, quickly!  I personally skyped his show to a Moscow  friend a few days before he was supposed to quit.  I genuinely enjoy Arts show.  It is a little, from time to time, way out there for me, but I sincerely enjoy his programs.  I worked late some evenings and he made the time pass quickly with his alien related shows.  I am personally grateful for that.

I want to be able to listen to him, and I want to see it grow to its monolithic popularity as before.  There is no doubt it will.  Go get them Art!

Vegasexcitement / Don

So, what does Art's schnlong taste like?

[DanTSX]

I predict a flood of lightly-used Sirius/XM hardware is about to hit eBay over the next few weeks.

We should all mail our sat radios to Pahrump

[bateman]

I do NOT have a screengrab, but on Artbell.com FB page. In the discussion about todays events. Keith does confirm that Art has another NON COMPETE to deal with now.

Oh for fucking fuck's sake.

[ourobouros2k2]

After reading about this here and on facebook, here is one thing that I do not get:

Art Bell apologists.

Why? He committed professional suicide on his fans hard-earned dollar.

Why the hell would anyone in their right mind give him another chance?

[analog kid]

To everyone speculating on Art doing an internet-based show from his website: WHY would he ever do this? Does not seem likely at all. "Let me start from scratch and run an internet radio show for free!" At this point in his life, what the fuck for?

I think that he came back out of unresolved hatred and frustration for his former employers. Now that he's addressed that, fucked with Noory and saw that he still had it in him, how much could he really care about "going to work" every day suddenly at 68, let alone starting from scratch for free.

There would be no money in it. Or if there was, it would be up to Art to find the revenue model, which is a job in itself. There's national radio shows that are struggling to stay afloat, and they're trying subscription based podcasts downloads of their shows to make money, but I can't see that being very lucrative.

[Luna]

And get ripped off by him again?

Yeah... I don't see it happening in the slightest. He loves radio, not podcasts. :<

[onan]

Art just sent me this email:

I got the same email.

I have to say, I can understand his position. But I also have to think he must have had some inkling as to what he was getting into.

Well, I guess, I will wait for more info.

[Scruff]

So his complaint was cell phones?  Wasn't he the asshat who started taking callers on SKYPE? 

[DanTSX]

Speaks for itself...

[attachimg=1]

hey Art, maybe you should take the time to build an audience then?