Art Bell Quits Dark Matter

[DontFearTheReaper]

I think all of you are forgetting that it *isn't* like Art *is* asking for the moon here.   Like someone else said, 16 hours a week of programming streamed free, which Sirius is already giving away, and he's only asking that it be done for a limited time period.

The streaming issues ARE Sirius' fault, and here's why: 

1)  If their software is not buffering enough data, any break in your internet connection will/could have the effect of cutting out.  For example, let's say they are buffering 1 second of data, and your connection drops for 3 seconds.   It cuts, it sounds like shit.   Not worth $15.

2) They probably have some kind of cut-off.   For people with spotty wifi connections - which is common I have a solid DDWRT b/g/n network with multiple repeaters and even I occasionally experience problems - if you're off for maybe 10-20 seconds, maybe the Sirius software is booting you so that you have to go restart the show.   That could be extremely annoying and again not worth the $15.

Art is right, and you guys are being absolutely harsh on him.   Fuck every last one of you who loved him when he came back, but don't support him when he's trying to give you more.   He didn't quit, he asked for a reasonable solution to a problem.   He went all in, Sirius DIDN'T. 

I can't keep reading this thread, it's taking way too much of my time.   I'm saddened if it's over, but I also understand Art's point of view.   If you subscribed and are unhappy, call the fuck up and shut off your account.  Nothing will bring Art back quicker and better than droves of people cancelling their subscriptions.   There's nothing left to be said.

Art WAS asking for the moon. And the sun. And the stars. After only six weeks, he DEMANDED that a pay-to-listen company stream his SHOW for free. Not as a free trial, mind you, but EVERY NIGHT.

It's almost impossible to comprehend how delusional your spin is on this.

Art is trying to give us MORE by quitting show? Not so much.

I pined for Art's return for a decade. Listened to old shows all the time. Hung on every cryptic hint on ArtBell.com leading to the launch. Listened to every episode of Dark Matter. And in the end, he screwed us. Plain and simple.

[RealCool Daddio]

Art is right, and you guys are being absolutely harsh on him.   Fuck every last one of you who loved him when he came back, but don't support him when he's trying to give you more.   He didn't quit, he asked for a reasonable solution to a problem.   He went all in, Sirius DIDN'T. 

No, he went six weeks in, on a three year deal. He then demanded special treatment.  There is nothing reasonable about demanding a for profit company give away something for free.  If Art were being reasonable, he would have given Sirius enough time to address the tech issues.  And he would have been far less public about it.  Throwing a public hissy fit about your complaints with your employers is about as unreasonable as it gets. 

The only ones being reasonable are Sirius.  Most companies would have fired his ass.

[Jackstar]

I don't think your conclusions are accurate.

[BillW50]

The streaming issues ARE Sirius' fault, and here's why: 

Wait a minute! There are many of us who never had a problem from our laptops, tables, Androids, or cell phones. The ones who had problems could be less than 1% of us for all we know!

Art is right, and you guys are being absolutely harsh on him.   Fuck every last one of you who loved him when he came back, but don't support him when he's trying to give you more.   He didn't quit, he asked for a reasonable solution to a problem.   He went all in, Sirius DIDN'T. 

I disagree! Art wanted a clean slate and a brand new show. He told us that satellite was the future and that terrestrial radio is on the way out. Art singlehandedly sold many subscriptions for Sirius and many satellite radios. Then he says bye-bye suckers! I'm out of here!

[Eddie Coyle]

I can't keep reading this thread, it's taking way too much of my time.  

        The single biggest lie in this history of this forum. Go play with your Casio.

        Upside to Art's leaving? That you'll probably follow. From bad things come good.

[UrbanFool]

Christ. And I thought the schedule listing of "Ping" and "Pong" was a joke.   :

The night before, the schedule listing said "Snap", "Crackle", "Pop". I thought they were just space fillers.

[ItsOver]

...Art is trying to give us MORE by quitting the show? Not so much...

This.  Art's gone because he wants to be gone. 

[SixWeekTenure(tm)]

How long is the non-compete?

Two years.

[area51drone]

SiriusXM is a broken model, see my old post.

Streaming issues CAN be fixed with more buffering and better connection control.  I am a programmer and know this to be true, but it doesn't take a programmer to know this.   Clearly they don't know shit about their streaming stuff, remember the first thing Art did was to get them to change their time-out feature to 4 hours.  Lame that they'd even have such a thing for a paying service!

With all due respect, you're missing a key point.  Art wasn't the boss.  Sirius was.

WRONG.  They came looking for Art.  He's holding the cards.  He threw his bet in, they didn't.  They refuse to do what it takes to help make Dark Matter a better show.  And he isn't asking for a lot.   This is Sirius being unreasonable.  But that's no surprise - $15 a month is unreasonable for RADIO and a SHITTY web interface anyway.   You can say whatever you want, but their web stuff is SHIT, and that's coming from someone who never had a problem with their stream.

[Eddie Coyle]

He must have some French ancestors.  He talks a good game, but at the slightest hint of adversity - retreat!

        He wears those standard issue brown pants of the Italian military as well.

[Jackstar]

Two years.

Thank you, this is critical information.

[Eddie Coyle]

      We're all truckers today.

[ItsOver]

... He told us that satellite was the future and that terrestrial radio is on the way out. Art singlehandedly sold many subscriptions for Sirius and many satellite radios. Then he says bye-bye suckers! I'm out of here!

That really pisses me off.  All that crap about "extraterrestrial radio," and then it's "beam me out of here, Scotty!"

[swler007]

Anyone recall him at the beginning praising how great satellite radio was?

[indigoo]

SiriusXM is a broken model, see my old post.

Streaming issues CAN be fixed with more buffering and better connection control.  I am a programmer and know this to be true, but it doesn't take a programmer to know this.   Clearly they don't know shit about their streaming stuff, remember the first thing Art did was to get them to change their time-out feature to 4 hours.  Lame that they'd even have such a thing for a paying service!

WRONG.  They came looking for Art.  He's holding the cards.  He threw his bet in, they didn't.  They refuse to do what it takes to help make Dark Matter a better show.  And he isn't asking for a lot.   This is Sirius being unreasonable.  But that's no surprise - $15 a month is unreasonable for RADIO and a SHITTY web interface anyway.   You can say whatever you want, but their web stuff is SHIT, and that's coming from someone who never had a problem with their stream.

So you work on the Sirius streaming software? Like I said, you have no idea what the issue is.

Grease the knob more. I'd say they went all in taking a gamble on Art fucking Bell.

[RealCool Daddio]

        He wears those standard issue brown pants of the Italian military as well.

Italian ancestry would certainly explain the gold chain worn on the outside of a black turtle neck.

[ItsOver]

SiriusXM is a broken model, see my old post.

Streaming issues CAN be fixed with more buffering and better connection control.  I am a programmer and know this to be true, but it doesn't take a programmer to know this.   Clearly they don't know shit about their streaming stuff, remember the first thing Art did was to get them to change their time-out feature to 4 hours.  Lame that they'd even have such a thing for a paying service!

WRONG.  They came looking for Art.  He's holding the cards.  He threw his bet in, they didn't.  They refuse to do what it takes to help make Dark Matter a better show.  And he isn't asking for a lot.   This is Sirius being unreasonable.  But that's no surprise - $15 a month is unreasonable for RADIO and a SHITTY web interface anyway.   You can say whatever you want, but their web stuff is SHIT, and that's coming from someone who never had a problem with their stream.

I hope you have better luck with ultimatums to your boss than Bell did.

[Jackstar]

$15 a month is unreasonable for RADIO and a SHITTY web interface

QFT

Art could start running a podcast and selling his own advertisements and do that for years while a court case of SiriusXM vs. Art Bell played out in the courts for years--and he'd probably win.

I do not suggest that is what is happening here, but it certainly could happen. All this "sky is falling" bullshit really rolls off my back--I remember Art retiring over 32 times in the course of one 3-month period back in the late Nineties. Quit your crying, kids.

This too shall pass, truly.

[Jackstar]

to your boss

Nice save--I was just about to go all GrammerTron on you.

Winston Smith is rolling over in his grave at this point

[ItsOver]

Anyone recall him at the beginning praising how great satellite radio was?

Oh, yes, it was just grand.  :

[indigoo]

QFT

Art could start running a podcast and selling his own advertisements and do that for years while a court case of SiriusXM vs. Art Bell played out in the courts for years--and he'd probably win.

I do not suggest that is what is happening here, but it certainly could happen. All this "sky is falling" bullshit really rolls off my back--I remember Art retiring over 32 times in the course of one 3-month period back in the late Nineties. Quit your crying, kids.

This too shall pass, truly.

He can't though.

[area51drone]

QFT

Art could start running a podcast and selling his own advertisements and do that for years while a court case of SiriusXM vs. Art Bell played out in the courts for years--and he'd probably win.

I do not suggest that is what is happening here, but it certainly could happen. All this "sky is falling" bullshit really rolls off my back--I remember Art retiring over 32 times in the course of one 3-month period back in the late Nineties. Quit your crying, kids.

This too shall pass, truly.

Well said.   

@others

And no, I don't work on their software, but I have worked on streaming internet radio software in the past.  I am now my own boss, so my ultimatums work pretty damned well now.  LOL

[Jackstar]

I really suspect that you do not know the definition of the words "can not."

[Eddie Coyle]

Italian ancestry would certainly explain the gold chain worn on the outside of a black turtle neck.

      Art may be Latin with that pre-adolescent Puerto Rican's moustache he's been known to sport.

[Jackstar]

You guys are fuckin' mean

[bateman]

No, he went six weeks in, on a three year deal.

If Art were being reasonable, he would have given Sirius enough time to address the tech issues.

Again, this is what kills me. We waited years for him to come back, and he throws in the towel after 6 weeks. I think this beats even the most pessimistic of predictions.

[SixWeekTenure(tm)]

If that was "bending over backwards" then their technology was shit in the first place.

I don't disagree that the internet stream needed work but Art didn't have to close up shop because of it. SiriusXM needs to make it easier for international listeners, who either have to fudge an address in the United States or pirate/YouTube the show the next day. Personally I hardly had an issue with the stream (though I have a car and home radio too) except for the slight delay, so who knows how many of the problems were poor connections for users? I still contend that this was seen as an "out" for Art Bell and he'll ride the excuse for as long as needed. 

[HumanBeing]

I think all of you are forgetting that it *isn't* like Art *is* asking for the moon here.   Like someone else said, 16 hours a week of programming streamed free, which Sirius is already giving away, and he's only asking that it be done for a limited time period.

The streaming issues ARE Sirius' fault, and here's why: 

1)  If their software is not buffering enough data, any break in your internet connection will/could have the effect of cutting out.  For example, let's say they are buffering 1 second of data, and your connection drops for 3 seconds.   It cuts, it sounds like shit.   Not worth $15.

2) They probably have some kind of cut-off.   For people with spotty wifi connections - which is common I have a solid DDWRT b/g/n network with multiple repeaters and even I occasionally experience problems - if you're off for maybe 10-20 seconds, maybe the Sirius software is booting you so that you have to go restart the show.   That could be extremely annoying and again not worth the $15.

Art is right, and you guys are being absolutely harsh on him.   Fuck every last one of you who loved him when he came back, but don't support him when he's trying to give you more.   He didn't quit, he asked for a reasonable solution to a problem.   He went all in, Sirius DIDN'T. 

I can't keep reading this thread, it's taking way too much of my time.   I'm saddened if it's over, but I also understand Art's point of view.   If you subscribed and are unhappy, call the fuck up and shut off your account.  Nothing will bring Art back quicker and better than droves of people cancelling their subscriptions.   There's nothing left to be said.

Art's a damn coward. He was not beating up Coast To Coast.
Instead George, Tommy, other Premiere Executives and even the pompous self righteous John Hogue to some degree, held Art up against the cage and elbowed him into a verbal tap out. Art had enough. Pussy.

Art was impatient and had a skewed sense of foresight. He wanted something from SiriusXM that would go against the core of what SiriusXM is as a service to subscribers. So Art said fuck you to his loyal listeners and soon after deactivated facebook to hide from the criticism. Art expects us to accept that SiriusXM does not know how to stream to potential millions of listeners. What a lame reason to try and build a case around. I have seen no proof of any major streaming issues. I had zero issues. I few hundred people, even a thousand, with issues could be the result of anything and not the fault of SiriusXM at all. All we got is Art's word. That's kind of worthless at the moment. I know people said they had issues and I don't deny that. But did the percentage of people who had streaming connectivity issues be a number that was so drastically different from the average that would have had problems anyways. Some folks probably couldn't find the channel 104.

Art Bell wears the crown of "Serial Retiree" very well.  He also lacks integrity regarding this matter.
SiriusXM has shown to be very cooperative by allowing Art out of the duties and commitments he signed on to do.
I'm sure SiriusXM could have made Art's exit quite the messy, costly, and time consuming one.

As for the alleged 2 year non-compete clause... I would not blame Sirius for sticking to their guns about that. Art fucked them over. He had an agreement.
So If Sirius wants him to not be on the mic again for 2 years then so be it. Eat it Art!

[ItsOver]

      We're all truckers today.

I am a trucker.

[nomobjustice]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/art-bell-resigns-from-sirius-xm-radio_n_4215776.html