Art Bell Leaves SiriusXM but promises to come back to the airwaves!
Written by Laura Croft, November 6, 2013, 23 Comments
Legend of the Paranormal Airwaves, ART BELL
Art Bell, master of the paranormal leaves XM Radio, but don’t worry folks, he will back in a newer format!
Art Bell, the radio icon that joined the SiriusXM line-up on September 16th is leaving the air after just a month and a half. While passionate satellite radio fans may not want to hear it, his reasons for leaving boiled down to three main things:
– SiriusXM’s web player is notoriously unreliable, causing a loss of subscribers and a degraded listening experience for those who remain listening online.
– For a “caller driven” show, the caller pool for art’s show is just too small.
– International listeners have no legitimate way to hear the show.
The legendary Art Bell
Since Bell’s new program arrived to the airwaves on Sept. 16 premiere, there have been, according to Bell on his website, many problems with streaming his show.
“Many thousands of my listeners came on board when it began but they have fallen off because of that reason,” Bell said. “It’s a systemic problem. For a caller-driven show like this one, speaking only to people on cell phones in moving vehicles is somewhat difficult.“The show also is being pirated, oh you have no idea. We are all over the Net right now, from YouTube to a server in England, for example, that’s streaming the show live. And because of all this, I have asked SiriusXM to alter their normal method of doing business and allow free streaming for everybody from artbell.com.
“If we get the opportunity to do this streaming, we will kick some serious butt…If not, we may not have a viable situation going forward.” ~ Art Bell
This is not the first time that we have heard issues relating to the Internet platform offered up by SiriusXM. There have been a host of issues from the functionality to being booted off, to having longer shows reset from the beginning after an hour and a half, making it almost impossible to listen to a 2 hour show on demand.
When signed by SiriusXM, Bell had only glowing things to say:
“SiriusXM is the perfect fit for me and my new show Art Bell’s Dark Matter,” said Art Bell. “Though invisible, dark matter accounts for gravitational forces observed in the universe—expect these forces to be at work in the uncensored, unrestricted creative arena of satellite radio, a medium with truly extraterrestrial reach.”
It would appear that after just a short period of time, second thoughts emerged.
It appears that SiriusXM had decided not to work things out for Bell, as his website now indicates he posted the following on his Facebook page:
“Sometimes when you are ‘all in’ you win, sometimes lose. By mutual agreement, Dark Matter will no longer air as of tonight.”
The departure of Bell, as unfortunate as it is, should be a signal to SiriusXM. The company has a compelling product, great content, and great potential, but in some ways has lost the edge that it once had. The frustrations of Bell can be heard on other channels as well. Opie & Anthony, Howard Stern, Jay Thomas, and others have all at times expressed a great deal of frustration. In some ways, the complaints of on air personalities ring back to the old FM days of terrestrial radio, a path that many consumers and on air personalities could not wait to get away from.
an unnamed source scheduled for an appearance on Bell’s show received an email from someone in Bell’s camp, which stated: “I regret to inform you (and all upcoming guests) that “Art Bell’s Dark Matter” program will no longer be airing live shows effective immediately. I’m really thankful for your efforts with regards to being on the program and I truly apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
“Should events change in the future, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
The show had only been on the air since Sept. 16, and tonight’s program is a scheduled repeat, after only being on SiriusXM for just six weeks.
And once again, Art Bell’s voice has gone silent. But not for long.
Art states :
TO ALL OUR FANS, LISTENERS AND WEB VISITORS
“We are sorry that Dark Matter on SiriusXM has come to an abrupt end. We’ll examine our options and may be able to return in a different format and medium.
We have already identified many ways to bring a LIVE stream to you, it’s now just a contractual issue. Stay tuned…
In the mean time, ArtBell.com will still operate as long as financially possible, hoping for a workable solution to bring Art back to you, soon. Keep checking back here often. “http://artbell.com/
We will keep you posted!!!
UPDATE FOR November 15, 2013 from Mr. Art Bell
You all will never know how much I feel for you for what you are doing in trying to support me
but I am going to ask you to stop. This will only make matters worse.
Here is the bottom line, this is a job I took only because of my love of Radio, not for the money,
heck 75K is not ever going to make me rich and if Sirius does not want me they sure will not take
me because their Web Site is messed up, it will most likely just piss them off. That does not change
the love I fell for all of you for trying.
I still feel I was right in my decision to halt what I felt had no real way forward and would make the
same decision again today, I only took that decision after receiving a no to any further remedy.
Truly I do not understand why they would say no to me wanting a way to stream, then turn around and
replace me with Coast which is doing exactly what I wanted to do, maybe they we just pissed. Either way
thank you for what you are trying to to, I love you all, but please stop.
Art
~The Truth Denied
Thats ok, xm radio service sucks for reception in canada anyway. Can’t wait for you Art to get back on regular airways.
Very disappointed in Art. Yes, you Mr Bell. Only 6 weeks, and as a fan who was thrilled I feel deeply betrayed. Production problems or not, you should have given your fans more.
Should have known it would be a disaster, look at his opening show featuring Hoagland. That show will live in the annals of some of the worst crap radio EVER. That whole show was Hoagland bloviating vaingloriously.
I really miss your show Art. It’s too bad you happen to be a FLAKE.
Dear Mr. Bell, have any I am moving to Manila first of the year and have interest in working in radio. I do not have a deep back ground in this medium but have done some volunteer work reading the Christian Science Monitor over KPBS for 6 months. I you advice please let me know.
I would like to help in the some way the Typhoon victims.
Regards,
Sean
Art Bell is THE man! I’m in New ZEland and would love to listen. Please, Please Art do whateva ya gotta do and get back in the game bro…noone else comes close.
I have listened Art Bell since the 70’s. when he left Coast to Coast I lasted about 6 radio shows. I started again when he returned to XM radio, and i can wait for his return again. I’m about the same age as Art and appreciate his hosting through the years, from ultridge dissapearing ship, to Mel’s hole. Some guests have been the great and others good for laugh. In his kind of bussiness it is what it is, and hopefully other will agree Art has always tryied to do his best because hosting his type of show is something he loves. the person above calling you the flake……..
i invite him to listen to Coast to @#$%& with you know who? and may he live long and prosper.
i subscribed 2 sirius when art bell joined and havent been able 2 cancel my subscription in the past 3 months. stll paying 4 a service im not going 2 use. Id rather eat shit than listen 2 that scrub george snoory. Death 2 c2cam, Long live Art bell!
Yes, I have turned off c2c because it is garbage at this point. Had a sub with Sirius as well, called them and cancelled it. If you need the number, let me know. Save your money.
DAMMIT ! I REALLY ENJOY ART BELL, BUT I’M AN AUTHORITY AT RECIEVING WORSE THAN POOR SERVICE FROM XM, AND I MEAN BIG TIME POOR SERVICE . . .BUT C’MON BACK TO THE AIR,ART ! THERE MUST BE A DOZEN BROADCASTING COMPANIES THAT WOULD SYNDICATE YOU
Yeah I had problems with Sirius/ XM as well. On my home stereo which is new & internet ready & hardwired to the net, Sirius would drop out all the time…couldn’t even listen to the Pink Floyd channel all night without the stream dropping out. Have Sirius/ XM in my vehicle which is terrible. Had to call to cancel Sirius and took half an hour and they tried giving me 3 free months to stay! Sirius sucks as all customer service is off shore..so much for a USA company!!
We really miss Art. We were so very happy when he returned to radio. We bought a radio to use in our home, subscribed to Sirius for a year and were thrilled 4 nites a week to hear him. Just too short. We dropped Sirius as soon as Art dropped Sirius. Wish he could/would come back to radio because he is just THE BEST HOST. Art, We wish you and yours the very best and hope to hear you again.
We miss Art too, it’s been WAY too long!
Art >>>> why not start up another weekly version of dreamland ? ? ? …….
ya right?
Art and his chosen guests created an ambiance that can never be duplicated.
I’ve been a long time listener and even though he’s been off the air for years, (aside from the short XM stent) I still have hope that he will return. Late nights when everyone else was asleep, I would feel a magical, wonderous feeling that would somehow transpose the mundane world. Hope he returns.. before its to late.
We also hope he returns, and the way you stated your observation is spot on, thanks for the comment!
Is it a reasonable request to ask for you and John B. Wells to have a meeting of the minds and share a late night show. Like the one you, Art, started and John Wells was fired over, for being too much like you. I still can not imagine how you did so many shows for so many hours, each week, in the 1990’s. So, if John can do just four or five shows and you do one or two and have guest hosts the other days, it would be hog heaven. I am 64 years old and just diagnosed with a fatal illness, that will last two to three more years. At the top of my bucket list is that you two think about my request. Give this old guy a couple more years of enjoyable late nights. Without you and John, C2C sucks.
Sincerely, Rod Bahem
Makes no sense at all why Bell couldn’t stream. Sirius carries numerous political shows like Thom Hartmann..Ed Schultz…stephine miller…hannity but wouldn’t let bell? They were banking on his audience to sign up like that jack ass howard stern…only difference bell wasn’t getting 9 million dollars and should have never been expected to draw many new paying subscribers especially given his history since 2000 of coming going going coming etc. I agree he is addicting to listen to and something overnight America needs.. Hell he probably got the premise from herb jepko of KSL radio in salt lake…which would be nice to have again in over night north America. Regardless bell needs to get it done time is wasting if he truly wants back on air the clock is ticking before long he won’t be able to do it at all. Hope he realizes this and does it soon and does it right.
Many of us have the same questions that you do aolis14umbra. We are attempting some answers, and when we get them from Mr. Bell, we will be happy to publish them, at this time we are getting only silence. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Maybe we will get lucky and geoorge norey will quit then art bell will get rehired I am running out of art bell somewhere in time then its listening to norey who is not a interesting talk show host I am forced to listen to him when he has good guests however like always show gets boreing ps ian punnet somewhere in time is my backup
Dear Art, here is a little bit of truth for you. Wanna know why SiriusXM wouldnt let you stream properly and then they turned around and replaced you with Noory? siriusXM is a Jew run Organization,
George Noory is “Pro Jew” do the math. maybe i shouldnt say it, but it’s the truth!
Hello Paula,
Why does that effect Serius XM in anyway?
Hey, Art,
Greetings from a fan and listener. I’ve a question and it bugs me. They say that at the point when the big bang happened, the entire universe was compacted into a singularity. Well, don’t black holes also comprise of a singularity?
what is the difference between the two singularities? Why couldn’t the singularity at a black hole’s center begin to expandinto another universe?
Hello,
Thank you for all the great shows over the years. I Still have all the products you promoted like my crank radio,my wife’s gold rose and the best Yuri book which is signed!!
Thank you!!
Harry Ford