Art Bell has been under the radar of social media since his brief stint on Sirius XM radio ended abruptly. However, he has been active on Facbook over the past year and also has been posting messages on BELLGAB, a message board dedicated to Art Bell fans and talk about Coast to Coast AM. Last night, Bell went to that message board to deliver a statement to his legions of who congregate there on a daily basis. Bell said,
Hi again,
It’s been a long time since I have posted. First I did not miss any shows for Sirius/XM save for one when the studio in New York went down, none missed for my back or the spider bite.
Second, I do still have the Flu and have had a bad back since I was in my 20s, sometimes it is ok and at other times I can not walk. Only people with bad backs can possibly understand.
Third, IF I decide to take a run a streaming it will be free while live as I have always said, this would be in July after my Non-Compete is over. It would also be at my own expense and require a considerable investment. It will also require a Producer which may be a problem because Paul may not be available, no Producer would mean no show.
Fourth, I have zero regrets about having left Sirius/XM and were I faced today with the same situation now, would make the same decision. The ONLY thing I would have done is to not have signed a contract with them in the first place without understanding their streaming problems, it was represented to me that they had a viable National and International stream in place, that is on me.
Fifth, If anything aside from my Health would hold me back it would be the people who as I have read on this board are already starting to say I will quit again, if I decide to give this a try at my age there is no guarantee my Health will hold out and if it does not it might be wiser to not begin as opposed to facing all the grief I would get if at some point I could not hold up.
These are the things I am considering…
Art Bell
We have covered ART BELL extensively, , including the Sirius XM radio situation when Bell shocked fans by suddenly ending his show after only eight weeks. At that time, he wanted Sirirus to permit free streaming on Artbell.com, something the company refused. A long drawn out and strange affair occurred and finally Bell pulled the plug on DARK MATTER.
More recently, Art Bell had an online battle with Keith Rowland, his webmaster, over DARK MATTER NETWORK host Jimmy Church guest slotting on Coast to Coast AM. After Artbell.com was taken down, Bell and Rowland resumed their working friendly and the site returned. Along with it, promises of Art Bell returning to broadcasting with free streaming on the website in July of 2015.
However, the latest message provided on BELLGAB doesn’t hold as much promise as the website guarantees that he will return. Bell seems to allude to the people of Bellgab–his fans–being a detriment to him returning.
But the criticism, anger, and pain of constantly having to say goodbye again to their favorite radio host is what BELLGAB is known for.. They brutally critique the current Coast to Coast AM on the famed “George Noory sucks” sub board.. Bell had even referred to the people of BELLGAB on his radio program on Sirius. Many of the people who celebrated his return slammed him with nasty memes once he left Sirius.
Reaction to Bell’s newest post on BELLGAB was quick, as expected. One message quoted his “fifth” statement, and said this,
Understood. Just please, give us one more show. We’ll complain no matter what you do.
Another added:
Don’t commit to 5 nights a week. It’s too much. Do 1 or 2, and jump on whenever you feel like during the week to do open lines or something.
And finally, the sentiment of many said this,
Art, come back. C2c sucks.
The saga continues, as it always does with Art Bell. The man of mystery and macabre, making decisions with speed and often times on his own terms.
All eyes on July. Fireworks on the 4th or Art Bell broadcasting about aliens, ghosts, and the strange under the stars? Time will tell.. as will a aging radio star’s health and family life.