Art Bell
Encyclopedia
Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III (born June 17, 1945) is an American
broadcaster
and author
, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal
-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM
. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland. Semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM since 2003, he hosted the show many weekends for the following four years. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting on July 1, 2007 but occasionally serves as a guest host
. He attributed the reason for this latest retirement to a desire to spend time with his new wife and daughter, born May 30, 2007. He added that unlike his previous "retirements," this one will stand, while leaving open the option to return. Classic Bell-hosted episodes of Coast to Coast AM can be heard in some markets on Saturday nights under the name Somewhere in Time.
Bell founded and was the original owner of Pahrump, Nevada
-based radio station, KNYE
95.1 FM. His broadcast studio and transmitter
were located near his home in Pahrump while he hosted Coast to Coast AM except from June to December 2006, when he lived in the Philippines
. He returned to the Philippines March 10, 2009 with his family after having significant difficulties obtaining a U.S. visa for his wife Airyn.
to Arthur Bell, Jr., a United States Marine Corps
Captain, and Jane Gumaer Bell, a Marine drill instructor. Arthur Bell, Jr. died in 2000 and Jane Bell died December 23, 2008.
Art Bell III was always interested in radio
and at the age of 13 became a licensed amateur radio operator
. Bell now holds an Extra Class
license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission
license class. His call sign is W6OBB.
Bell served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic
during the Vietnam War
and in his free time operated a pirate radio
station at Amarillo Air Force Base
. He would go out of his way to play anti-war
music (like "Eve of Destruction" and "Fortunate Son
") that was not aired on the American Forces Network
.
After leaving military service he stayed in Asia
, living on the Japan
ese island of Okinawa where he worked as a disc jockey
for KSBK, the only non-military English-language station in Japan. While there, he set a Guinness record
by staying on the air for 116 hours and 15 minutes. The money raised there allowed Bell to charter a DC-8, fly to Vietnam
, and rescue 130 Vietnamese orphans stranded in Saigon at the war's end. They were eventually brought to the United States and adopted
by American families.
Bell returned to the United States and studied engineering
at the University of Maryland, College Park
. He dropped out and returned to radio as a board operator and chief engineer, and had opportunity to be on the air a few times. For several years he worked behind and in front of the microphone. After a period of working in cable television
, in 1989 the 50,000-watt
KDWN
in Las Vegas, Nevada
offered Bell a five-hour time slot in the middle of the night. Syndication of his program to other radio stations began in 1993.
630 AM in Monterey California during the early 70s. He also owned a dating service and worked for KMST
channel 46.
First a rock music jockey before moving into talk radio
, Bell's original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on KDWN
was a political call-in show under the name West Coast AM. In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show Coast to Coast AM and moved its broadcast from the Plaza Hotel
in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump.
Bell abandoned conventional political talk in favor of topics such as gun control
and conspiracy theories, leading to a significant bump in his overnight ratings. The show's focus again shifted significantly after the Oklahoma City bombing
in 1995. Many in the media did not want to be blamed for inciting anti-government or militia actions like the bombing. Subsequently, Bell discussed off-beat topics like the paranormal
, the occult
, UFOs
, protoscience
and pseudo-science. During his tenure at KDWN Bell met and married his second wife, Ramona, who later handled production and management duties for the program.
According to The Washington Post
in its February 23, 1997 edition: Art Bell was at the time America's highest-rated late-night radio talk show host, broadcast on 328 stations. According to The Oregonian
in its June 22, 1997 edition, Coast To Coast AM with Art Bell was on 460 stations. At its initial peak in popularity, Coast To Coast AM
was syndicated on more than 500 radio stations and claimed 15 million listeners nightly. Bell's studios were located in his home in the town of Pahrump, located in Nye County, Nevada
; hence the voiceover catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye."
His calm attitude, patient questions, and ability to tease substance from nebulous statements of callers and guests gave his show a relaxed yet serious atmosphere. This earned him praise from those who declare the paranormal deserves a mature outlet of discussion in the media
as well as the approval of those simply amused by the nightly parade of bizarre, typically fringe topics. Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland
, Terence McKenna
, Dannion Brinkley
, David John Oates, and Robert Bigelow
have all been regular guests. Some of Bell’s regular guests, particularly Hoagland, continue to be regular guests on Coast to Coast AM now hosted by George Noory
.
Bell's own interests, however, extend beyond the paranormal
. He has interviewed singers Crystal Gayle
, Willie Nelson
, Merle Haggard
, Eric Burdon
and Gordon Lightfoot
, comedian George Carlin
, writer Dean Koontz
, hard science fiction
writer Greg Bear
, X-Files Writer/Creator Chris Carter
, TV talk host Regis Philbin
, Star Trek
actor Leonard Nimoy
, actor Dan Aykroyd
, former Luftwaffe
pilot Bruno Stolle
, actress Jane Seymour
, actress Ellen Muth
, actor and TV host Robert Stack
, human rights lawyer John Loftus
, legendary disc jockey Casey Kasem
and frequent guests physicist
Michio Kaku
and SETI
astronomer
s Seth Shostak
and H. Paul Shuch
.
Beginning in late 1996, Bell was criticized for reporting rumors that Hale-Bopp comet
was being trailed by a UFO. It was speculated that members of the Heaven's Gate group committed mass suicide
based on rumors Bell aired, but others dismissed the idea, noting that the Heaven's Gate website
stated: "Whether Hale-Bopp has a "companion" or not is irrelevant from our perspective." Susan Wright notes, however, that Bell was also "one of the first to publicize expert opinions refuting the 'alien companion'" said to have been shadowing Hale-Bopp.
though occasionally he has brought them up. He has expressed support for the right to bear arms and same-sex marriage
. He also used to be, in his own words, a "staunch" supporter of the death penalty, though has changed his mind at least to some extent, due to innocent people being put to death.
Bell has completely dismissed the 9/11 conspiracy theories
, having uploaded an image stating "God Bless George W. Bush and the U.S.A." to his website following the September 11 attacks.
Bell is a member of the U.S. Libertarian Party. Originally, Coast to Coast AM was a conservative political talk show, but in recent years Bell has expressed both conservative and liberal views on the air. On air, Bell has shown support for immigration reform and decriminalizing marijuana. He has also criticized humankind's role in facilitating the onset of global warming
. Bell has also stated that he opposes abortion, believes the U.S. should finish the job in the war in Iraq and supports a free market
economy.
at the age of 13. His first call sign
was KN3JOX, first listed in the Winter 1959 edition of the Radio Amateur
Callbook
. He soon upgraded
to K3JOX, and he later held W2CKS, first listed in the Spring 1967 Callbook
. Bell holds an Amateur Extra Class
license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission
license class. His call sign is W6OBB.
Bell is well known in the world of amateur radio
. He and many of his ham friends could be heard nightly on the 80 meter
amateur radio band at a frequency
of 3840 kHz (before he moved to the Philippines). While there he could occasionally be heard on 3678 kHz via EchoLink
. When Bell resides in the USA, he can be heard on 3830 kHz. Bell has also run a nightly online amateur radio stream at Smeter.Net from 7:00 PM Pacific time until 3:00 am.
According to QRZ.Com, Bell took and passed the Philippines amateur radio exams and became a Philippine Class A amateur radio operator with the call sign of 4F1AB. While in the Philippines, Bell is active on 40-10 Meters, as well as 144.600 MHz simplex in Manila.
In 2005, the City of Las Vegas renamed a portion of 11th Street in the downtown area "Art Bell Drive."
On March 10, 2007, Bell received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the trade publication Radio & Records
in Los Angeles.
In July 2008, it was announced that Art Bell would be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on November 8, 2008, in Chicago.
Retirement: His first retirement, highly unexpected, was announced on October 13, 1998. Bell: I told you that there was an event, a threatening terrible event occurred to my family, which I could not tell you about. Because of that event, and a succession of other events, what you're listening to right now is my final broadcast on the air. Coast To Coast AM is broadcast on more than 400 stations and is the country's most listened to overnight radio show, heard by some 15 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times
" 10-13-98.) Hilly Rose
filled in after Bell's departure.
Retirement: On April 1, 2000, Bell once again announced to his audience his retirement, which would occur on April 26, 2000 (that from "The Washington Post" 4-1-00), but he offered no details other than expressing intentions to "resolve a family crisis." On April 11, 2000, Mike Siegel
was introduced as the new host of Coast To Coast AM. On April 27, 2000, Siegel took over the program which at this time had an estimated 22 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times" 4-12-00.) It was later explained he had left to deal with the aftermath of a sexual assault against his son. Brian Lepley, a substitute teacher, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted transmission of HIV
and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years.
Retirement: On October 23, 2002, Bell announced he would be retiring because recurring back pain (the result of a fall from a telephone pole during his youth) forced yet another departure, and Bell was permanently replaced by George Noory
as weekday host of Coast to Coast AM on January 1, 2003. It was also said that Barbara Simpson
would host weekends and that Bell planned to be an occasional guest host for Noory. (Most information from "The Seattle Times" 10-26-02.)
Retirement: on July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement again, stating that he wished to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it explicitly clear that, unlike the circumstances surrounding previous retirements, this one was an entirely positive and joyful decision and that he would not disappear completely—he would occasionally substitute for other hosts and host "special" shows. According to George Noory, Bell is on board to do 15 shows per year. Art Bell confirmed this fact in a post on the Fantastic Forum fan site.
attack on January 5, 2006 in Laughlin, Nevada
, where the couple was taking a short vacation.
The events surrounding Ramona's death were described in great detail by Art Bell during the January 22 broadcast of Coast to Coast AM. For weeks thereafter, callers would express their sadness and sympathy for Art Bell to George Noory
, who had taken Art Bell's place weekdays in 2002.
every Saturday and Sunday evening, and that former weekend host Ian Punnett
would work a new live prefeed program for the four hours preceding Bell's slot on Saturday nights (9:00pm – 1:00am ET
). Punnett's show was titled Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett
. When returning to the show the following day, Bell spent the first hour recounting the death of his wife.
and married Airyn Ruiz, whose name is pronounced like the name "Irene," but Art likes to pronounce her name as "Arin." This is because during their Internet dating
Art imprinted the spelling of her name with that pronunciation. Airyn Ruiz Bell is a recent college
graduate. Ruiz — given Bell's private e-mail
address by an amateur radio friend—had contacted Bell to offer condolences shortly after Ramona's death. After "dating" via Internet videoconferencing
for "hundreds of hours," the two married one week after Bell arrived in the Philippines to actually meet her in person . Bell also paid for his friend—who was courting Airyn's sister—to accompany him to the Philippines and marry her. The two couples wed in a double marriage ceremony on April 11, 2006.
On October 7, 2006, Bell announced on Coast to Coast that Ruiz was pregnant with the couple's first child. Art told listeners that the couple's child was indeed a girl as many listeners suspected. He noted that they had been hoping for a girl and had announced only a girl's name for their unborn child in hopes of receiving a girl.
Art and Airyn's baby girl, Asia Rayne Bell, was born by caesarean section
on May 30, 2007.
and relocating to the Philippines
, near Makati, Metro Manila
, intending to continue hosting Coast to Coast AM weekend editions via an ISDN connection. He departed the United States on April 29, 2006, stating an intention to remain abroad for at least a year, while maintaining ownership of his property in Nevada
and of the radio station KNYE
. Bell resumed hosting on June 18, 2006 but then encountered technical problems that kept him off air until July 23, 2006, when the ISDN line was finally installed.
In July 2001, the Philippine Daily Inquirer
printed an email letter purportedly from Bell that made derogatory statements about Filipinos. This letter was subsequently demonstrated to be a hoax perpetrated upon Bell, who in fact had a publicly loving relationship with his Filipina wife and his previous wife Ramona, who was also Filipina, and who often spoke openly about his admiration for the Filipino people on his radio show. Subsequently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a retraction and apologized for printing the statement upon their verification of the hoax. This still periodically results in serious threats to Bell when this material surfaces. On February 19, 2009 The Manila Times apologized and retracted when a columnist mistakenly reprinted the hoax two days before; one email the paper received attributed the original slander to a Filipino-American student at San Jose State University
during the 1990s.
In October 2006, Bell threatened Rogers Cadenhead
with a lawsuit for some allegedly libelous comments posted on Cadenhead's blog
, which Cadenhead has said he will defend himself against under Section 230
of the Communications Decency Act
.
, with Ruiz, who had obtained the necessary paperwork for immigrating to the United States
. Bell had not disclosed on any previous show his plans to return to the High Desert. Despite feeling jet-lagged after a 15-hour flight from the Philippines via Vancouver
, British Columbia
, he did the full show. Bell was aloft returning to the States when an earthquake
cut off undersea cables
that would have prevented his broadcasts from the Philippines. Bell indicated on his December 30, 2006 show that among the reasons for his return were a recent recirculation of the infamous fake anti-Filipino email, and his homesickness for his elaborate stateside Amateur Radio station.
.
On July 1, 2007 at 10:10 p.m. PDT, Art Bell announced his retirement from regular hosting effective that day, expressing a desire to spend more time with his family. Bell stated that he will only host occasionally on Coast to Coast.
On May 29, 2008 Bell sold KNYE
to Station Manager Karen Jackson.
On September 8, 2008, Noory stated that he would be hosting the annual Ghost to Ghost AM Halloween call-in show rather than Bell, who normally returns to the Coast to Coast to host it (along with the New Year's prediction shows). On September 19, Noory explained that Bell would be unavailable because he was on a cruise during that time this year.
On November 30, 2008, Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM. Michio Kaku
was the guest. This was the first time Bell had hosted the show since May 23, 2008. On December 23, Bell's mother, Jane, died. George Noory informed Coast to Coast listeners of her passing during that night's show, with a number of callers offering Bell their condolences regarding the passing of Bell's mother.
On December 30 and 31, 2008, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast. Bell remarked on his mother's passing and stated that he was very happy that she got to spend time with his daughter, Asia, before she passed on.
Art Bell was scheduled to return to Coast to Coast AM on April 24, 2009, to host an evening of open lines, but because of engineering problems in Manila, Art was rescheduled to a later date.
On May 17, 2009, Bell returned to host Coast to Coast AM live from Manila. His guest was Professor Peter Ward
. Topics of discussion were mass extinctions, earth's "self-destructive" phenomena, and life beyond planet earth. While on the air, Art answered an email question from a listener who asked why he was in the Philippines again and how long he'd be there. Art replied that he'd address it on "Friday" and hinted that his move might be permanent.
As of May 20, 2009, the Coast to Coast website listed that Art Bell would be filling in for George Noory on Friday, May 22, 2009 to interview Dr. Bob Koontz. However, Art Bell did not do that show. The Coast to Coast website, again, cited technical difficulties in Manila and that his interview would be postponed. Bell interviewed Koontz on Saturday, June 6, 2009.
Friday June 26, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Dr. Dean Radin
. He also commented on the death of Michael Jackson
and how he had lived in Pahrump, Nevada not too far away from where Art lived.
Friday November 20, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Starfire Tor, psi researcher and experiencer who discussed time shifts and time slips, and other strange occurrences of time. During the first 90 minutes, they were joined by Whitley Strieber
, who shared his take on Tor's research.
On Wednesday, December 30 and Thursday, December 31, 2009, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast, noting that a number of the predictions this year were of an unusual and interesting nature and not mere repeats of many that had come before, though he also took several callers to task for seemingly veiling their obvious political agendas or wishes in the form of predictions, rather than offering up something from their "psychic center," which is what he repeatedly asks for during the prediction show. He also suggested that maybe Coast To Coast AM should institute some sort of prize or acknowledgment for listeners whose predictions are particularly accurate or astute.
On March 10, 2009, Bell and his wife and daughter left Nevada for Manila to deal with some family business including the disposition of a condo they owned. Shortly thereafter, the USCIS denied the application on the grounds that the documentary evidence was never received, and further stipulated that Airyn Bell is not permitted to re-enter the United States, which is why Bell remains in the Philippines. Moreover, since the Bells were out of the country when the application was denied, they must start the process all over again.
On his June 6 broadcast, Bell explained the situation and asked his listeners to send emails on his behalf to the White House.
Recently, George Noory announced that he has heard from Art, that the immigration controversy is over, and that Airyn has been granted permanent residency.
As of December 2010 Art Bell was no longer listed as a host on the Coast to Coast website; his shows were no longer searchable under his name; and the only references to Bell on the site were of an historical/archival nature. However, the weekly "Somewhere In Time with Art Bell" broadcasts of classic Bell-hosted episodes (which have aired before the live show on Saturday nights since 2006) were not discontinued.
On 12/21/10 the "HamCam" on Art's ham radio website featured an image with the following cryptic wording: "The Wind No Longer Blows, in the End it was Without Direction. Long Live the Hot Air. 30" Fans on Art-centric comment boards have identified "30" as "a sign-off when a Ham has their final transmission from a particular location." Other interpretations are similar: "The End," "Good Night," "No More."
It was announced in late December 2010 that Ian Punnett would host Art's annual two-part New Year's Eve prediction shows. Initially, Noory had said that Art was unable to host them because he would be traveling, but on 12/24/10 Noory said: "We had asked Art to do his predictions show; he's going to spend time with his family. He's winding down, folks, he's winding down....I don't anticipate he'll do any more shows." On the first of the two nights (12/30/10), Punnett made a brief, oblique reference to his having the honor of "picking up (Art's) fallen mantle." On the 01/01/11 show, Punnett stated he was "looking forward to doing the follow-up a year from now."
In email interactions with fans who have written in to inquire about Bell's absence, Coast personnel have confirmed that Art Bell has retired. According to Coast webmaster Lex Lonehood: "Art Bell decided he no longer wished to do live C2C shows, and asked that his name be removed from the host listings accordingly. Classics and Somewhere in Time shows will continue as is." Coast producer Lisa Lyon told another fan that Bell "has chosen to retire," but that "Art Bell will always be associated with our show, and he is welcome back to the mic whenever he feels the need."
Despite the above remarks from Punnett, Noory, Lyon, Lonehood and Bell, as of 01/06/11, an official public statement formally confirming Bell's departure from Coast to Coast AM has yet to be made via press release, website announcement or on-air, by any party with the authority to do so--the show's producers, Premier Radio Networks, Clear Channel Communications, or Art Bell himself. This lack of information has led to rampant speculation among Bell's fanbase as to the motivations and circumstances behind Bell's sudden absence; whether he has given his last live broadcast; and what--if anything--he may decide to do next.
During a chat on February 8, 2011, events became even more confusing for Bell's fans as George Noory, during a public chat responding to a question on Art Bell, stated that Art Bell isn't responding to his emails. The questioner, "Coalspeaker," asked "Have you spoken to Art Bell lately? And if so is he and his family doing well?" Noory responded by saying, "No I haven't. Art has decided to retire for good this time. I assume all is well for him and his family. He has gone through many ups and downs. I sent him a very lengthy email a few months ago, and he never responded. Though he normally would." There was no further explanation beyond that point on why Art Bell did not respond to Mr. Noory's email, although it only led Bell's fanbase to speculate further.
In March 2011 a Facebook profile appeared claiming to be the legitimate page of "Arthur W. Bell III," who posted hints that there would be a "big announcement" at the end of April 2011. After much speculation and debate among fans and friends on that page and various Bell forums, and finally after direct intervention from a verified Art Bell account, the "Arthur W. Bell III" page was proven to be a hoax, with no "big announcement" imminent.
On July 20, 2011, Art Bell announced via his Facebook page that he had relocated with his family to Pahrump, Nevada. Subsequent posts indicate Art and his family initially focusing on resettling his house and making it "fit for human habitation" again, giving no indication about his radio plans, if any (beyond maintaining his HAM activity). However, on July 30, Bell posted the following: "There is so much to do and only so many hours in the day. There are things going on in the background that I will talk about at the proper time. The move was a big one and we need time to adjust."
On August 19, 2011 Art Bell announced via Facebook "Phrase for the day......Stay tuned!", followed on August 31 by the message "Sorry for so few posts but we are working on this house every day like dogs, much more soon." Some Bell fans have speculated that the phrase "stay tuned" may indicate Art's return to broadcasting in some form, though as of October 22, 2011 there has been nothing further to support or deny that claim.
, which became the basis for the popular movie, The Day After Tomorrow
.
as William S. Paley
, head of CBS.
On September 30, 1998 NBC's Today Show aired a taped segment of reporter Fred Francis interviewing Bell. Francis questioned Bell about Hale-Bopp, Area-51, eccentric callers claiming to be "six-fingered alien hybrids" as well as the UFO sighting experienced by Bell and his wife Ramona. The segment also featured members of Bell's audience reacting to topics being discussed.
In 1999 Bell appeared as himself on the Chris Carter-created series Millennium
. The episode, called "Collateral Damage," aired in the third season and dealt with a former U.S. soldier who claimed the government he fought for was indeed responsible for horrendous tests on soldiers and Iraqi civilians. (This episode was broadcast on January 22, 1999. The Washington Post, 1-22-99.)
In 1999 Bell was interviewed on Larry King Live
. (This was broadcast on March 5, 1999. The Washington Post, 3-5-99.)
Progressive rock band Tool
's 2001 album, Lateralus
, featured a track entitled "Faaip de Oiad" (Enochian
for "The Voice of God"), which includes a clip of the "distraught and terrified" Area 51 employee call from September 11, 1997.
In 2005 Bell and then-wife Ramona were featured on the ABC news special: Peter Jennings
Reporting: UFOs — Seeing Is Believing, which reported on the entire scope of the UFO experience, from the first famous sighting by Kenneth Arnold
in 1947 to the present day. (This was broadcast on February 24, 2005. The Washington Post, 2-20-05.)
In 2005 snippets of Bell and callers to his show were featured on the song "Conspiracy Radio" on Sean Hogan
's album "Catalina Sunrise": Bell is credited for "voice overs" on this track.
In 2006 Bell was featured in the video game "Prey
" and played himself. He hosts, as in real life, Coast to Coast AM
, and the player is able to listen to the broadcast at several terminals throughout the game. The broadcasts describe what is happening on Earth as the game unfolds. The game plot centers around a massive space ship and alien abductions. Bell receives a number of calls about people who have seen smaller craft as they abduct people. The protagonist is one of these people and listens to the radio while on the space ship.
In 2007 Bell appeared as himself in the movie I Know Who Killed Me
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
. He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland. Semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM since 2003, he hosted the show many weekends for the following four years. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting on July 1, 2007 but occasionally serves as a guest host
Guest host
A guest host is a host, usually of a talk show, that substitutes for the regular host if they are, for example, ill or have other commitments...
. He attributed the reason for this latest retirement to a desire to spend time with his new wife and daughter, born May 30, 2007. He added that unlike his previous "retirements," this one will stand, while leaving open the option to return. Classic Bell-hosted episodes of Coast to Coast AM can be heard in some markets on Saturday nights under the name Somewhere in Time.
Bell founded and was the original owner of Pahrump, Nevada
Pahrump, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,631 people, 10,153 households, and 7,127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 82.7 people per square mile . There were 11,651 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile...
-based radio station, KNYE
KNYE
KNYE is an American radio station located in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada. The station plays an eclectic mix of pop music most of the broadcast day. Coast to Coast AM is heard every night from 10pm til 6am...
95.1 FM. His broadcast studio and transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
were located near his home in Pahrump while he hosted Coast to Coast AM except from June to December 2006, when he lived in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He returned to the Philippines March 10, 2009 with his family after having significant difficulties obtaining a U.S. visa for his wife Airyn.
Early life
Bell was born in Jacksonville, North CarolinaJacksonville, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina, is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the population stood at 70,145, which makes Jacksonville the 14th largest city in North Carolina...
to Arthur Bell, Jr., a United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Captain, and Jane Gumaer Bell, a Marine drill instructor. Arthur Bell, Jr. died in 2000 and Jane Bell died December 23, 2008.
Art Bell III was always interested in radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
and at the age of 13 became a licensed amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...
. Bell now holds an Extra Class
Amateur radio licensing in the United States
In the United States, amateur radio licensing is governed by the Federal Communications Commission under strict federal regulations. Licenses to operate amateur stations for personal use are granted to individuals of any age once they demonstrate an understanding of both pertinent FCC regulations...
license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
license class. His call sign is W6OBB.
Bell served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic
Medic
Medic is a general term for a person involved in medicine, especially emergency or first-response medicine, such as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or a military member trained in battlefield medicine. Also the term is used toward a Nurse in pre-hospital care and/or emergency...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and in his free time operated a pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station at Amarillo Air Force Base
Amarillo Air Force Base
Amarillo Air Force Base, originally Amarillo Army Air Field is a former United States Air Force base located in Potter County, Texas, approximately 6 miles East of downtown Amarillo within the easternmost city limits...
. He would go out of his way to play anti-war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
music (like "Eve of Destruction" and "Fortunate Son
Fortunate Son (song)
"Fortunate Son" is a song by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their album Willy and the Poor Boys in 1968. It was released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in September 1968. This song reached #14 on the United States charts. It won the RIAA Gold Disc award in December 1970...
") that was not aired on the American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
.
After leaving military service he stayed in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, living on the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese island of Okinawa where he worked as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
for KSBK, the only non-military English-language station in Japan. While there, he set a Guinness record
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
by staying on the air for 116 hours and 15 minutes. The money raised there allowed Bell to charter a DC-8, fly to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, and rescue 130 Vietnamese orphans stranded in Saigon at the war's end. They were eventually brought to the United States and adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
by American families.
Bell returned to the United States and studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. He dropped out and returned to radio as a board operator and chief engineer, and had opportunity to be on the air a few times. For several years he worked behind and in front of the microphone. After a period of working in cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, in 1989 the 50,000-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
KDWN
KDWN
KDWN is a radio station owned by Beasley Broadcast Group based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It broadcasts full-time at 50,000 watts, and is directional at night. It can be heard throughout most of the Western United States, north into Canada and south into Mexico...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
offered Bell a five-hour time slot in the middle of the night. Syndication of his program to other radio stations began in 1993.
Broadcasting career
Art Bell was living in Watsonville California and worked for KIDDKIDD
KIDD , is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Monterey, California, USA, the station serves the Santa Cruz area. The station is currently owned by Buckley Communications....
630 AM in Monterey California during the early 70s. He also owned a dating service and worked for KMST
KION-TV
KION-TV is a full-power television station in Salinas, California, broadcasting on digital channel 32 as a CBS affiliate. The stations continues to use UHF channel 46 as its virtual channel through the use of PSIP. KION-TV shows local news, weather, and sports programming, as well as syndicated...
channel 46.
First a rock music jockey before moving into talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, Bell's original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on KDWN
KDWN
KDWN is a radio station owned by Beasley Broadcast Group based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It broadcasts full-time at 50,000 watts, and is directional at night. It can be heard throughout most of the Western United States, north into Canada and south into Mexico...
was a political call-in show under the name West Coast AM. In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show Coast to Coast AM and moved its broadcast from the Plaza Hotel
Plaza Hotel & Casino
The Plaza Hotel & Casino is a casino-hotel located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada owned by the Tamares Group and Play LV is the leaseholder and operator of the property. It currently has 1,037 rooms and suites, as well as an casino and there is more than of event space...
in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump.
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
and conspiracy theories, leading to a significant bump in his overnight ratings. The show's focus again shifted significantly after the Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
in 1995. Many in the media did not want to be blamed for inciting anti-government or militia actions like the bombing. Subsequently, Bell discussed off-beat topics like the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
, the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
, UFOs
Unidentified flying object
A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object...
, protoscience
Protoscience
In the philosophy of science, a protoscience is an area of scientific endeavor that is in the process of becoming established. Protoscience is distinguished from pseudoscience by its standard practices of good science, such as a willingness to be disproven by new evidence, or to be replaced by a...
and pseudo-science. During his tenure at KDWN Bell met and married his second wife, Ramona, who later handled production and management duties for the program.
According to The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
in its February 23, 1997 edition: Art Bell was at the time America's highest-rated late-night radio talk show host, broadcast on 328 stations. According to The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
in its June 22, 1997 edition, Coast To Coast AM with Art Bell was on 460 stations. At its initial peak in popularity, Coast To Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
was syndicated on more than 500 radio stations and claimed 15 million listeners nightly. Bell's studios were located in his home in the town of Pahrump, located in Nye County, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
; hence the voiceover catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye."
Critical reputation
Fans regard Bell as a master showman, noting that he calls his show "absolute entertainment" and expressly says he does not necessarily accept every guest or caller's claims but only offers a forum where they will not be openly ridiculed. Bell was one of only a few talk show hosts who did not screen incoming calls, but this changed in 2006. On the October 31, 2006 edition of Coast to Coast AM, (renamed for the night to Ghost to Ghost AM), Bell was asked why he was now using call screeners. The explanation given was that for him to use unscreened open phone lines while in the Philippines would require listeners to call there directly at enormous cost to them. Art admitted that he should have chosen New Zealand instead of the Philippines as an alternative to the USA. He said, "It was a bad choice, and I'll regret it, one day, in the near future." He subsequently stopped screening calls upon his return to the United States.His calm attitude, patient questions, and ability to tease substance from nebulous statements of callers and guests gave his show a relaxed yet serious atmosphere. This earned him praise from those who declare the paranormal deserves a mature outlet of discussion in the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
as well as the approval of those simply amused by the nightly parade of bizarre, typically fringe topics. Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland
Richard C. Hoagland
Richard Charles Hoagland, is an American author and a proponent of various conspiracy theories about NASA, lost alien civilizations on the Moon and on Mars and other related topics....
, Terence McKenna
Terence McKenna
Terence Kemp McKenna was an Irish-American philosopher, psychonaut, researcher, teacher, lecturer and writer on many subjects, such as human consciousness, language, psychedelic drugs, the evolution of civilizations, the origin and end of the universe, alchemy, and extraterrestrial beings.-Early...
, Dannion Brinkley
Dannion Brinkley
Dannion Brinkley is an American author who described two near death experiences in his 1994 book Saved by the Light. He is also a hospice volunteer, speaker, and prominent figure in the New Age and New Thought Movement....
, David John Oates, and Robert Bigelow
Robert Bigelow
Robert T. Bigelow is a hotel and aerospace entrepreneur. He owns the hotel chain Budget Suites of America and is the founder of Bigelow Aerospace....
have all been regular guests. Some of Bell’s regular guests, particularly Hoagland, continue to be regular guests on Coast to Coast AM now hosted by George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
.
Bell's own interests, however, extend beyond the paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
. He has interviewed singers Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle
Crystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
and Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot, Jr. is a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music, and has been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s...
, comedian George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
, writer Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz
Dean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...
, hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
writer Greg Bear
Greg Bear
Gregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
, X-Files Writer/Creator Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
, TV talk host Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
actor Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, actor Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, former Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
pilot Bruno Stolle
Bruno Stolle
Bruno Stolle was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, actress Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
, actress Ellen Muth
Ellen Muth
Ellen Anna Muth is an American actress, known for her role as George Lass in Showtime's series Dead Like Me. Muth is a member of Intertel and Mensa.-Career:...
, actor and TV host Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
, human rights lawyer John Loftus
John Loftus
John Joseph Loftus is an American author, former US government prosecutor and former Army intelligence officer. He is a president of The Intelligence Summit and, although he is not Jewish, a president of the Florida Holocaust Museum. Loftus also serves on the Board of Advisers to Public...
, legendary disc jockey Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
and frequent guests physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Michio Kaku
Michio Kaku
is an American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, the co-founder of string field theory, and a "communicator" and "popularizer" of science...
and SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak is an American astronomer. He grew up in Arlington, VA and earned his physics degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D...
and H. Paul Shuch
H. Paul Shuch
Dr. H. Paul Shuch is an American scientist and engineer who has coordinated radio amateurs to help in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.-Overview:...
.
Beginning in late 1996, Bell was criticized for reporting rumors that Hale-Bopp comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
was being trailed by a UFO. It was speculated that members of the Heaven's Gate group committed mass suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
based on rumors Bell aired, but others dismissed the idea, noting that the Heaven's Gate website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
stated: "Whether Hale-Bopp has a "companion" or not is irrelevant from our perspective." Susan Wright notes, however, that Bell was also "one of the first to publicize expert opinions refuting the 'alien companion'" said to have been shadowing Hale-Bopp.
Political views
Bell chooses not to discuss his political views on Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
though occasionally he has brought them up. He has expressed support for the right to bear arms and same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
. He also used to be, in his own words, a "staunch" supporter of the death penalty, though has changed his mind at least to some extent, due to innocent people being put to death.
Bell has completely dismissed the 9/11 conspiracy theories
9/11 conspiracy theories
9/11 conspiracy theories are theories that disagree with the widely accepted account that the September 11 attacks were perpetrated solely by al-Qaeda. These theories arose because of what proponents of the conspiracy theories believe to be inconsistencies in the official conclusions or some...
, having uploaded an image stating "God Bless George W. Bush and the U.S.A." to his website following the September 11 attacks.
Bell is a member of the U.S. Libertarian Party. Originally, Coast to Coast AM was a conservative political talk show, but in recent years Bell has expressed both conservative and liberal views on the air. On air, Bell has shown support for immigration reform and decriminalizing marijuana. He has also criticized humankind's role in facilitating the onset of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. Bell has also stated that he opposes abortion, believes the U.S. should finish the job in the war in Iraq and supports a free market
Free market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
economy.
Callers and guests
- One of Art Bell's Coast to Coast interviews occurred in 1997 with Mel Waters who discussed what is known as "Mel's HoleMel's HoleMel's Hole is a supposed geographic anomaly discovered by Mel Waters on his land near Ellensburg, Washington. Waters claimed that he lived in or near Manastash Ridge, Washington, about nine miles due west of Ellensburg, though later investigation revealed that no such person was listed as a resident...
" in rural Washington State. The mysterious opening is said to be a fantastically deep vertical shaft which possesses extremely bizarre properties. No such hole has ever been physically located by anyone attempting to verify this story. - On May 23, 1997, Bell interviewed a man who called himself "Victor", who claimed to have been at S-4S-4 (Sector Four)S-4 is an alleged military base said to be near Papoose Lake, supposedly hidden under the Papoose Range within Nevada's Nellis Air Force Range at Area 51. The site is protected from all view, as it is located within a valley...
(near Area 51Area 51Area 51 is a military base, and a remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base. It is located in the southern portion of Nevada in the western United States, 83 miles north-northwest of downtown Las Vegas. Situated at its center, on the southern shore of Groom Lake, is a large military airfield...
) and was responsible for the release to the public of a nearly three-minute video commonly called the "alien interview." For almost two hours, Victor described the ebe (extraterrestrial biological entities) program at S-4, verifying most of Bob LazarBob LazarRobert Scott Lazar or Bob Lazar , has said to have worked from 1988 until 1989 as a physicist at an area called S-4 , allegedly located near Groom Lake, Nevada, at the location also known as Area 51...
's claims. - On September 11, 1997, Bell took a call from a frantic man claiming to be an ex-Area 51 employee who grew progressively more upset as the call wore on, culminating in the show's going temporarily off the air because of "satellite failure."
- This incident formed the basis of the song "Faaip de Oiad" by the rock band ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, which features said interview (with Art Bell's part cut out), over frantic drumming and buzzing static. - The interview was also sampled in Konkhra's track "Religion is a Whore" and The Faceless's "Planetary Duality." It was also featured as a hidden track on the Agent 51 album "Red Alert" released in 1998.
- Yet another song featuring the call was "It's Out There and It's Gonna Get You" by experimental Texas quartet The Paper ChaseThe Paper Chase (band)The Paper Chase was an alternative rock band formed in 1998 by well known producer/engineer John Congleton in Dallas, Texas, signed to Kill Rock Stars and Southern Records. Their Albums "God Bless Your Black Heart" and "Now You Are One Of Us" have been released on vinyl by the Austrian label Trost...
on their 2006 album Now You Are One Of Us.
- Yet another song featuring the call was "It's Out There and It's Gonna Get You" by experimental Texas quartet The Paper Chase
- This incident formed the basis of the song "Faaip de Oiad" by the rock band Tool
- J.C. Webster the Third, or "J.C." – J.C. began calling in 1996, and has since been on the air over 50 times. He purports to be a Baptist RevivalChristian revivalChristian revival is a term that generally refers to a specific period of increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church congregation or many churches, either regionally or globally...
preacher, and believes Art to be "the Devil's Mouthpiece." He has continued to call George NooryGeorge NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
and guest hosts. Although some listeners have expressed a disbelief that someone like J.C. could exist, Art Bell and George Noory have repeated their beliefs that J.C. is real, and is neither a "put-on" nor a "plant." - On the night of October 23, 1997, Art interviewed Harlot the Witch (Patsy).
- In the mid to late 1990s, a regular caller named "Fritz" would call in and give his view on various matters.
- In the mid to late 1990s, another regular caller known only as "Charlie Liberal" used to call with his perspectives on current events.
- In April 1996, Bell received a package of what would be known as "Art's Parts." These parts were allegedly pieces of debris from the 1947 Roswell UFO crash. Extensive analysis of the metals indicated they were made of an odd bismuthBismuthBismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
material. - In 1998, Bell spoke with John TitorJohn TitorJohn Titor is the name used on several bulletin boards during 2000 and 2001 by a poster claiming to be a time traveler from the year 2036. In these posts he made numerous predictions about events in the near future, starting with events in 2004...
, a self-proclaimed time traveler from 2036 who made all kinds of fantastic predictions and discussed time travel. - In February 2005, Bell received a call from a person calling himself "Oscar", proclaiming to be "the Son of SatanSatanSatan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
." Oscar had since also called George Noory, but disappeared after a June 2007 on-air confrontation with J.C.- In 1997 Cusco's Michael Holm, the group's leader, revealed that a song on APURIMAC III - Nature Spirit Pride - "Pahrump-Big Water" was titled in recognition of Art Bell and Coast to coast.
- A caller in 2000 named "Daniel Murray" claimed he was a Majestic Agent from Downey, California.
- This call served as the inspiration for the alternate reality gameAlternate reality gameAn alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
Majestic.
- This call served as the inspiration for the alternate reality game
- In March 2005 a man also called about disturbing events on KwajaleinKwajaleinKwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
and Johnston AtollJohnston AtollJohnston Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean about west of Hawaii. There are four islands located on the coral reef platform, two natural islands, Johnston Island and Sand Island, which have been expanded by coral dredging, as well as North Island and East Island , an additional two...
about a weapon that only targeted certain people and could leave others unhurt. He indicated he had been on both islands (that are US military only) and that these weapons had been tested in 1993. Art lost the call after another voice came on the line with a click saying "Shelton, terminate the call from A-6." Art tried to call the man back but was unsuccessful. - "Bugs" – An aging farmer who has repeatedly told of his account of shooting and burying two BigfootBigfootBigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
creatures back in the 1970s in the Texas PanhandleTexas PanhandleThe Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
, initially thinking they were bears. Bugs has mailed a map of the location of this "burial" to Art Bell, to be released to the public upon Bugs' death. During his first appearance in 1996, Bugs said he had taken a dozen PolaroidInstant filmInstant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera...
photos of the creatures he would be willing to send to Bell. None of the alleged photos have yet been made available. - In 2003, Chris Clements, a freelance writer with the Washington Post, called Art Bell to tell him he had evidence of a financial connection between the Bush family and the Bin Ladens. Clements went on further to tell of how his research showed that 9/11 may have been orchestrated by the Bush family and hinted at proof of a coming police state with secret prisons and the chipping of citizens. Clements promised to forward all of his information to Bell but it was reported that Clements died in a suspicious car crash in the weeks after his call.
- In October 2003, Bell interviewed Temple of the Vampire founder George "Nemo" Smith. Smith spoke about the Temple of the Vampire's beliefs and practices.
- In 2009, David Van Dyke, a photojournalist with Metro News Canada, called into Coast-to-Coast (guest hosted by Art Bell that night) and warned listeners that Toronto would become a testing ground for police tactics and subverting citizens at a soon to be announced global summit. Weeks after the call Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Toronto would play host to the G20 summit. Van Dyke, also a Toronto citizen, returned to the show after the announcement and declared that Toronto's downtown would be "stripped of everything not bolted down. Even trees and sticks will be removed, so that the oligarchy could not be touched." Van Dyke went missing shortly after the second call. Van Dyke resurfaced in mid-2010 following the G20 Summit in Toronto and was interviewed on local news channel CP24 while protesting outside a court hearing for G20 detainees. Van Dyke claimed he was held against his will in a stone-block room for "what felt like years" while being subjected to various psychological stress tactics. "German industrial metal music blasted frequently. A bright strobe light came on intermittently, and when it wasn't on a TV constantly played a loop of interracial porn", Van Dyke told CP24. He also claimed he was only fed raw steak and agents "dressed in pink bunny costumes" shouted anti-Marxist slogans at him. At this point the interview was abruptly ended by the reporter.
Amateur radio
Bell became a licensed amateur radio operatorAmateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...
at the age of 13. His first call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was KN3JOX, first listed in the Winter 1959 edition of the Radio Amateur
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
Callbook
Callbook
A callbook is a directory of radio station call signs. Originally a bound book that resembled a telephone directory, it contains the name and addressees of licensed radio stations in a given jurisdiction . Modern Electrics published the first callbook in the United States in 1909...
. He soon upgraded
Amateur radio licensing in the United States
In the United States, amateur radio licensing is governed by the Federal Communications Commission under strict federal regulations. Licenses to operate amateur stations for personal use are granted to individuals of any age once they demonstrate an understanding of both pertinent FCC regulations...
to K3JOX, and he later held W2CKS, first listed in the Spring 1967 Callbook
Callbook
A callbook is a directory of radio station call signs. Originally a bound book that resembled a telephone directory, it contains the name and addressees of licensed radio stations in a given jurisdiction . Modern Electrics published the first callbook in the United States in 1909...
. Bell holds an Amateur Extra Class
Amateur radio licensing in the United States
In the United States, amateur radio licensing is governed by the Federal Communications Commission under strict federal regulations. Licenses to operate amateur stations for personal use are granted to individuals of any age once they demonstrate an understanding of both pertinent FCC regulations...
license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
license class. His call sign is W6OBB.
Bell is well known in the world of amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
. He and many of his ham friends could be heard nightly on the 80 meter
80 meters
The 80 meter or 3.5 MHz band is a core amateur radio frequency band, allocated frequencies from 3.5 to 4.0 MHz in IARU Region 2, and generally 3.5 to 3.8 or 3.9 MHz in Regions 1 and 3 respectively. The portion of the band used for phone communications is sometimes referred to as 75 meters...
amateur radio band at a frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
of 3840 kHz (before he moved to the Philippines). While there he could occasionally be heard on 3678 kHz via EchoLink
Echolink
EchoLink is a free computer-based Amateur Radio system that allows radio amateurs to communicate with other amateur radio operators using Voice over IP technology on the Internet for at least part of the path between them...
. When Bell resides in the USA, he can be heard on 3830 kHz. Bell has also run a nightly online amateur radio stream at Smeter.Net from 7:00 PM Pacific time until 3:00 am.
According to QRZ.Com, Bell took and passed the Philippines amateur radio exams and became a Philippine Class A amateur radio operator with the call sign of 4F1AB. While in the Philippines, Bell is active on 40-10 Meters, as well as 144.600 MHz simplex in Manila.
Honors
In 1998, Bell was named as recipient of the less-than-prestigious Snuffed Candle Award. The CSICOP Council for Media Integrity cited Bell "for encouraging credulity, presenting pseudoscience as genuine, and contributing to the public's lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry."In 2005, the City of Las Vegas renamed a portion of 11th Street in the downtown area "Art Bell Drive."
On March 10, 2007, Bell received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the trade publication Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
in Los Angeles.
In July 2008, it was announced that Art Bell would be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on November 8, 2008, in Chicago.
Marriages
- Airyn Ruiz, April 11, 2006 – present. Children: Asia Rayne Bell
- Ramona Lee Hayes, August 4, 1991 – January 5, 2006 † (see below)
- Vickie L. Baker, married March 1, 1981, divorced, July 3, 1991. Children: Arthur William Bell
- Sukiyaki Sakamoto Kyo, divorced. Children: Art "Scooter" Bell IV.
- Sachiko Toguchi Bell Pontius, married 1965, divorced 1968. Children: Vincent Pontius, Lisa Pontius Minei.
Retirements and comebacks
Bell has retired and returned to Coast to Coast AM several times.Retirement: His first retirement, highly unexpected, was announced on October 13, 1998. Bell: I told you that there was an event, a threatening terrible event occurred to my family, which I could not tell you about. Because of that event, and a succession of other events, what you're listening to right now is my final broadcast on the air. Coast To Coast AM is broadcast on more than 400 stations and is the country's most listened to overnight radio show, heard by some 15 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
" 10-13-98.) Hilly Rose
Hilly Rose
Hilly Rose is an American radio personality and a pioneer of the talk radio format. He currently specializes in paranormal events, with shows available from Fate and guest host appearances Coast to Coast AM. He also writes a monthly column for FATE Magazine.-Early career:Rose began his career as a...
filled in after Bell's departure.
- Return: He returned on October 28, 1998. Bell asserted that the brief departure was brought on by threats made against his family. On May 29, 1999, Art Bell explained that this retirement was due to an allegation made by hosts of WWCRWWCRWWCR is a shortwave radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. WWCR uses four 100 kW transmitters which broadcast on 14 different frequencies....
shortwaveShortwaveShortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
radio that Bell had paid to cover up a criminal indictment. (Announcement date from "The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
" 5-29-99, where Bell's show was said to be on 460 stations.)
- The facts of the matter became public knowledge with Art Bell's second retirement in 2000, when it was revealed that an actual criminal indictment was filed against a person who had assaulted a member of Bell's family. Because of the nature of the crime, Bell had wanted to keep the matter private. The hosts at WWCR shortwave radio had accused Bell of the crime. (Bell took legal action against the hosts and stations, which was settled in 2000.)
Retirement: On April 1, 2000, Bell once again announced to his audience his retirement, which would occur on April 26, 2000 (that from "The Washington Post" 4-1-00), but he offered no details other than expressing intentions to "resolve a family crisis." On April 11, 2000, Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel
Mike Siegel is an American radio talk show host. He was the host of the late night talk show Coast to Coast AM from April 2000 until January 2001. He became a frequent substitute of the show's host, Art Bell in late 1999, and when Bell announced his retirement in early 2000, he recommended Siegel...
was introduced as the new host of Coast To Coast AM. On April 27, 2000, Siegel took over the program which at this time had an estimated 22 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times" 4-12-00.) It was later explained he had left to deal with the aftermath of a sexual assault against his son. Brian Lepley, a substitute teacher, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted transmission of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years.
- Return: On January 24, 2001, it was announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper), Art Bell would return to Coast To Coast AM on February 5, 2001. Bell noted that since his departure the show had lost a number of affiliates, commercial content had risen to an unbearable level, and Siegel had taken the program in a "different direction" of which Bell disapproved. He retained some authority over the program as its creator and thus felt his return was necessary.
Retirement: On October 23, 2002, Bell announced he would be retiring because recurring back pain (the result of a fall from a telephone pole during his youth) forced yet another departure, and Bell was permanently replaced by George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
as weekday host of Coast to Coast AM on January 1, 2003. It was also said that Barbara Simpson
Barbara Simpson
-Coast to Coast AM and KSFO :Simpson was a fairly prominent television news anchor in San Francisco and Los Angeles from about the late 1970s through the 1990s, but is most notable as the host of Coast to Coast AM on Saturday nights from about 2000 until about 2003, alternating with George Noory;...
would host weekends and that Bell planned to be an occasional guest host for Noory. (Most information from "The Seattle Times" 10-26-02.)
- Return: Bell again on September 23, 2003, announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper) would return as a weekend host on September 27, 2003, having missed the microphone, this time replacing Barbara SimpsonBarbara Simpson-Coast to Coast AM and KSFO :Simpson was a fairly prominent television news anchor in San Francisco and Los Angeles from about the late 1970s through the 1990s, but is most notable as the host of Coast to Coast AM on Saturday nights from about 2000 until about 2003, alternating with George Noory;...
and Ian PunnettIan PunnettCase Ian Punnett is an American radio broadcaster.Punnett hosts a morning show, Ian and Margery, with his wife on KTMY in Minneapolis-St...
as host of the Saturday and Sunday evening broadcasts. In June 2005, he scaled this schedule back a bit (a "semiretirement"), deciding to host only the last two Sundays of every month. Bell went back to hosting every weekend show as his schedule permitted after his wife Ramona’s death a few months later.
Retirement: on July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement again, stating that he wished to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it explicitly clear that, unlike the circumstances surrounding previous retirements, this one was an entirely positive and joyful decision and that he would not disappear completely—he would occasionally substitute for other hosts and host "special" shows. According to George Noory, Bell is on board to do 15 shows per year. Art Bell confirmed this fact in a post on the Fantastic Forum fan site.
Death of Ramona Bell
Ramona Bell, his wife of 15 years, died unexpectedly, at the age of 47, of what appeared to be an acute asthmaAsthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
attack on January 5, 2006 in Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin, Nevada
Laughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
, where the couple was taking a short vacation.
The events surrounding Ramona's death were described in great detail by Art Bell during the January 22 broadcast of Coast to Coast AM. For weeks thereafter, callers would express their sadness and sympathy for Art Bell to George Noory
George Noory
George Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
, who had taken Art Bell's place weekdays in 2002.
Change in schedule
On January 21, 2006, just days after the unexpected death of his wife Ramona, Bell announced he would host Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
every Saturday and Sunday evening, and that former weekend host Ian Punnett
Ian Punnett
Case Ian Punnett is an American radio broadcaster.Punnett hosts a morning show, Ian and Margery, with his wife on KTMY in Minneapolis-St...
would work a new live prefeed program for the four hours preceding Bell's slot on Saturday nights (9:00pm – 1:00am ET
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
). Punnett's show was titled Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett
Ian Punnett
Case Ian Punnett is an American radio broadcaster.Punnett hosts a morning show, Ian and Margery, with his wife on KTMY in Minneapolis-St...
. When returning to the show the following day, Bell spent the first hour recounting the death of his wife.
Remarriage
By the end of January, Bell began hinting that he was making a significant life decision, but that he would keep it a secret for at least one year, asking listeners to remind him in 2007 to let them in on it. By March, he was saying that he would soon take a "huge risk" and "do something rash." On April 15, 2006, he ended the mystery and, to the mild surprise of listeners, revealed that, after several weeks of mourning, he had recently gone to the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and married Airyn Ruiz, whose name is pronounced like the name "Irene," but Art likes to pronounce her name as "Arin." This is because during their Internet dating
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
Art imprinted the spelling of her name with that pronunciation. Airyn Ruiz Bell is a recent college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
graduate. Ruiz — given Bell's private e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
address by an amateur radio friend—had contacted Bell to offer condolences shortly after Ramona's death. After "dating" via Internet videoconferencing
Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously...
for "hundreds of hours," the two married one week after Bell arrived in the Philippines to actually meet her in person . Bell also paid for his friend—who was courting Airyn's sister—to accompany him to the Philippines and marry her. The two couples wed in a double marriage ceremony on April 11, 2006.
On October 7, 2006, Bell announced on Coast to Coast that Ruiz was pregnant with the couple's first child. Art told listeners that the couple's child was indeed a girl as many listeners suspected. He noted that they had been hoping for a girl and had announced only a girl's name for their unborn child in hopes of receiving a girl.
Art and Airyn's baby girl, Asia Rayne Bell, was born by caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
on May 30, 2007.
Relocation to the Philippines
At the same time, Bell announced he would be leaving his longtime homestead in NevadaNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and relocating to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, near Makati, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
, intending to continue hosting Coast to Coast AM weekend editions via an ISDN connection. He departed the United States on April 29, 2006, stating an intention to remain abroad for at least a year, while maintaining ownership of his property in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and of the radio station KNYE
KNYE
KNYE is an American radio station located in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada. The station plays an eclectic mix of pop music most of the broadcast day. Coast to Coast AM is heard every night from 10pm til 6am...
. Bell resumed hosting on June 18, 2006 but then encountered technical problems that kept him off air until July 23, 2006, when the ISDN line was finally installed.
In July 2001, the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
printed an email letter purportedly from Bell that made derogatory statements about Filipinos. This letter was subsequently demonstrated to be a hoax perpetrated upon Bell, who in fact had a publicly loving relationship with his Filipina wife and his previous wife Ramona, who was also Filipina, and who often spoke openly about his admiration for the Filipino people on his radio show. Subsequently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a retraction and apologized for printing the statement upon their verification of the hoax. This still periodically results in serious threats to Bell when this material surfaces. On February 19, 2009 The Manila Times apologized and retracted when a columnist mistakenly reprinted the hoax two days before; one email the paper received attributed the original slander to a Filipino-American student at San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
during the 1990s.
In October 2006, Bell threatened Rogers Cadenhead
Rogers Cadenhead
Rogers Cadenhead is a computer book author and web publisher who is currently chairman of the RSS Advisory Board, a group that assists developers in using the RSS 2.0 specification. He graduated from the University of North Texas in 1991 and Lloyd V...
with a lawsuit for some allegedly libelous comments posted on Cadenhead's blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, which Cadenhead has said he will defend himself against under Section 230
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 is a landmark piece of Internet legislation in the United States, codified at...
of the Communications Decency Act
Communications Decency Act
The Communications Decency Act of 1996 was the first notable attempt by the United States Congress to regulate pornographic material on the Internet. In 1997, in the landmark cyberlaw case of Reno v. ACLU, the United States Supreme Court struck the anti-indecency provisions of the Act.The Act was...
.
Return to "the High Desert and the Great American Southwest"
Truly bringing his personal events of 2006 full circle, Bell opened his December 28 program by disclosing to his stunned listeners that he had just relocated back to Pahrump, NevadaPahrump, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,631 people, 10,153 households, and 7,127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 82.7 people per square mile . There were 11,651 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile...
, with Ruiz, who had obtained the necessary paperwork for immigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Bell had not disclosed on any previous show his plans to return to the High Desert. Despite feeling jet-lagged after a 15-hour flight from the Philippines via Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, he did the full show. Bell was aloft returning to the States when an earthquake
2006 Hengchun earthquake
The 2006 Hengchun earthquake occurred on Tuesday December 26, 2006 at 12:25 UTC , with an epicenter off the southwest coast of Taiwan, approximately 22.8 km west southwest of Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan, with an exact hypocenter 21.9 km deep in the Luzon Strait , which connects the...
cut off undersea cables
Submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
that would have prevented his broadcasts from the Philippines. Bell indicated on his December 30, 2006 show that among the reasons for his return were a recent recirculation of the infamous fake anti-Filipino email, and his homesickness for his elaborate stateside Amateur Radio station.
Events of 2007
On May 30, 2007, at 12:51 p.m. PDT, daughter Asia Rayne Bell was born by planned caesarean sectionCaesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
.
On July 1, 2007 at 10:10 p.m. PDT, Art Bell announced his retirement from regular hosting effective that day, expressing a desire to spend more time with his family. Bell stated that he will only host occasionally on Coast to Coast.
Events of 2008
On May 23, 2008, Bell, while hosting Coast to Coast AM, stated that there would be a change in the artbell.com Web site in July 2008. Within a few weeks the Web site was no longer responding to requests and has even dropped from DNS.On May 29, 2008 Bell sold KNYE
KNYE
KNYE is an American radio station located in Pahrump, Nye County, Nevada. The station plays an eclectic mix of pop music most of the broadcast day. Coast to Coast AM is heard every night from 10pm til 6am...
to Station Manager Karen Jackson.
On September 8, 2008, Noory stated that he would be hosting the annual Ghost to Ghost AM Halloween call-in show rather than Bell, who normally returns to the Coast to Coast to host it (along with the New Year's prediction shows). On September 19, Noory explained that Bell would be unavailable because he was on a cruise during that time this year.
On November 30, 2008, Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM. Michio Kaku
Michio Kaku
is an American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, the co-founder of string field theory, and a "communicator" and "popularizer" of science...
was the guest. This was the first time Bell had hosted the show since May 23, 2008. On December 23, Bell's mother, Jane, died. George Noory informed Coast to Coast listeners of her passing during that night's show, with a number of callers offering Bell their condolences regarding the passing of Bell's mother.
On December 30 and 31, 2008, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast. Bell remarked on his mother's passing and stated that he was very happy that she got to spend time with his daughter, Asia, before she passed on.
Events of 2009
Art Bell Returned to Coast to Coast AM on February 20, 2009, for a discussion on the global financial crisis with Wall St. insider Michael J. Panzner. Bell and Panzer agreed the United States was headed for an economic depression.Art Bell was scheduled to return to Coast to Coast AM on April 24, 2009, to host an evening of open lines, but because of engineering problems in Manila, Art was rescheduled to a later date.
On May 17, 2009, Bell returned to host Coast to Coast AM live from Manila. His guest was Professor Peter Ward
Peter Ward (paleontologist)
Peter Douglas Ward is a paleontologist and professor of Biology and of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, and has written popular science works for a general audience. He is also an adviser to the Microbes Mind Forum....
. Topics of discussion were mass extinctions, earth's "self-destructive" phenomena, and life beyond planet earth. While on the air, Art answered an email question from a listener who asked why he was in the Philippines again and how long he'd be there. Art replied that he'd address it on "Friday" and hinted that his move might be permanent.
As of May 20, 2009, the Coast to Coast website listed that Art Bell would be filling in for George Noory on Friday, May 22, 2009 to interview Dr. Bob Koontz. However, Art Bell did not do that show. The Coast to Coast website, again, cited technical difficulties in Manila and that his interview would be postponed. Bell interviewed Koontz on Saturday, June 6, 2009.
Friday June 26, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Dr. Dean Radin
Dean Radin
Dean Radin is a researcher and author in the field of parapsychology. He has been Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences , in Petaluma, California, USA, since 2001, and is on the Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Psychology at Sonoma State University, on the Distinguished...
. He also commented on the death of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and how he had lived in Pahrump, Nevada not too far away from where Art lived.
Friday November 20, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Starfire Tor, psi researcher and experiencer who discussed time shifts and time slips, and other strange occurrences of time. During the first 90 minutes, they were joined by Whitley Strieber
Whitley Strieber
Louis Whitley Strieber is an American writer best known for his horror novels The Wolfen and The Hunger and for Communion, a non-fiction account of his perceived experiences with non-human entities. Strieber also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Art Bell, which inspired the film about...
, who shared his take on Tor's research.
On Wednesday, December 30 and Thursday, December 31, 2009, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast, noting that a number of the predictions this year were of an unusual and interesting nature and not mere repeats of many that had come before, though he also took several callers to task for seemingly veiling their obvious political agendas or wishes in the form of predictions, rather than offering up something from their "psychic center," which is what he repeatedly asks for during the prediction show. He also suggested that maybe Coast To Coast AM should institute some sort of prize or acknowledgment for listeners whose predictions are particularly accurate or astute.
Immigration Controversy
In late 2008, Bell filed an I-751 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in order to get his wife a green card. In early 2009 the USCIS responded that they would need additional evidence to prove that Bell's marriage to a Filipina national and subsequent green card application therefore was in good faith. Bell responded with evidence including their marriage license, their daughter's birth certificate, Bell's last will and testament, bank records, family photos, and Social Security forms. Bell sent the package to the USCIS by return receipt mail, and he subsequently received the return receipt stamped "USCIS RECEIVED JAN-15-09."On March 10, 2009, Bell and his wife and daughter left Nevada for Manila to deal with some family business including the disposition of a condo they owned. Shortly thereafter, the USCIS denied the application on the grounds that the documentary evidence was never received, and further stipulated that Airyn Bell is not permitted to re-enter the United States, which is why Bell remains in the Philippines. Moreover, since the Bells were out of the country when the application was denied, they must start the process all over again.
On his June 6 broadcast, Bell explained the situation and asked his listeners to send emails on his behalf to the White House.
Recently, George Noory announced that he has heard from Art, that the immigration controversy is over, and that Airyn has been granted permanent residency.
Events of 2010-11
Art Bell hosted 10 episodes in 2010, 5 short of his publicly-announced, contractually-specified quota of 15 shows per year. His last hosting gig was his annual Ghost To Ghost show on Halloween night (this was the first show ever wherein Art used call screeners). At the end of that broadcast, Bell said "When they next call my name we'll come back and we'll do this one more time."As of December 2010 Art Bell was no longer listed as a host on the Coast to Coast website; his shows were no longer searchable under his name; and the only references to Bell on the site were of an historical/archival nature. However, the weekly "Somewhere In Time with Art Bell" broadcasts of classic Bell-hosted episodes (which have aired before the live show on Saturday nights since 2006) were not discontinued.
On 12/21/10 the "HamCam" on Art's ham radio website featured an image with the following cryptic wording: "The Wind No Longer Blows, in the End it was Without Direction. Long Live the Hot Air. 30" Fans on Art-centric comment boards have identified "30" as "a sign-off when a Ham has their final transmission from a particular location." Other interpretations are similar: "The End," "Good Night," "No More."
It was announced in late December 2010 that Ian Punnett would host Art's annual two-part New Year's Eve prediction shows. Initially, Noory had said that Art was unable to host them because he would be traveling, but on 12/24/10 Noory said: "We had asked Art to do his predictions show; he's going to spend time with his family. He's winding down, folks, he's winding down....I don't anticipate he'll do any more shows." On the first of the two nights (12/30/10), Punnett made a brief, oblique reference to his having the honor of "picking up (Art's) fallen mantle." On the 01/01/11 show, Punnett stated he was "looking forward to doing the follow-up a year from now."
In email interactions with fans who have written in to inquire about Bell's absence, Coast personnel have confirmed that Art Bell has retired. According to Coast webmaster Lex Lonehood: "Art Bell decided he no longer wished to do live C2C shows, and asked that his name be removed from the host listings accordingly. Classics and Somewhere in Time shows will continue as is." Coast producer Lisa Lyon told another fan that Bell "has chosen to retire," but that "Art Bell will always be associated with our show, and he is welcome back to the mic whenever he feels the need."
Despite the above remarks from Punnett, Noory, Lyon, Lonehood and Bell, as of 01/06/11, an official public statement formally confirming Bell's departure from Coast to Coast AM has yet to be made via press release, website announcement or on-air, by any party with the authority to do so--the show's producers, Premier Radio Networks, Clear Channel Communications, or Art Bell himself. This lack of information has led to rampant speculation among Bell's fanbase as to the motivations and circumstances behind Bell's sudden absence; whether he has given his last live broadcast; and what--if anything--he may decide to do next.
During a chat on February 8, 2011, events became even more confusing for Bell's fans as George Noory, during a public chat responding to a question on Art Bell, stated that Art Bell isn't responding to his emails. The questioner, "Coalspeaker," asked "Have you spoken to Art Bell lately? And if so is he and his family doing well?" Noory responded by saying, "No I haven't. Art has decided to retire for good this time. I assume all is well for him and his family. He has gone through many ups and downs. I sent him a very lengthy email a few months ago, and he never responded. Though he normally would." There was no further explanation beyond that point on why Art Bell did not respond to Mr. Noory's email, although it only led Bell's fanbase to speculate further.
In March 2011 a Facebook profile appeared claiming to be the legitimate page of "Arthur W. Bell III," who posted hints that there would be a "big announcement" at the end of April 2011. After much speculation and debate among fans and friends on that page and various Bell forums, and finally after direct intervention from a verified Art Bell account, the "Arthur W. Bell III" page was proven to be a hoax, with no "big announcement" imminent.
On July 20, 2011, Art Bell announced via his Facebook page that he had relocated with his family to Pahrump, Nevada. Subsequent posts indicate Art and his family initially focusing on resettling his house and making it "fit for human habitation" again, giving no indication about his radio plans, if any (beyond maintaining his HAM activity). However, on July 30, Bell posted the following: "There is so much to do and only so many hours in the day. There are things going on in the background that I will talk about at the proper time. The move was a big one and we need time to adjust."
On August 19, 2011 Art Bell announced via Facebook "Phrase for the day......Stay tuned!", followed on August 31 by the message "Sorry for so few posts but we are working on this house every day like dogs, much more soon." Some Bell fans have speculated that the phrase "stay tuned" may indicate Art's return to broadcasting in some form, though as of October 22, 2011 there has been nothing further to support or deny that claim.
Books
Bell has written, or co-written, several books. They include The Quickening: Today's Trends, Tomorrow's World; The Art of Talk (an autobiography); The Source: Journey Through the Unexplained; The Edge: Man's Mysterious Past & Incredible Future; and The Coming Global SuperstormThe Coming Global Superstorm
The Coming Global Superstorm is a 1999 book by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber which predicts that global warming might produce sudden and catastrophic climatic effects.The book posits the following theory:...
, which became the basis for the popular movie, The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
.
Other work
In 1996 Bell appeared in an episode of the NBC science fiction series Dark SkiesDark Skies
Dark Skies is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that aired from the 1996 to 1997 season for 18 episodes, plus a two-hour pilot episode. The success of The X-Files on Fox proved there was an audience for science fiction shows, resulting in NBC commissioning this...
as William S. Paley
William S. Paley
William S. Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.-Early life:...
, head of CBS.
On September 30, 1998 NBC's Today Show aired a taped segment of reporter Fred Francis interviewing Bell. Francis questioned Bell about Hale-Bopp, Area-51, eccentric callers claiming to be "six-fingered alien hybrids" as well as the UFO sighting experienced by Bell and his wife Ramona. The segment also featured members of Bell's audience reacting to topics being discussed.
In 1999 Bell appeared as himself on the Chris Carter-created series Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
. The episode, called "Collateral Damage," aired in the third season and dealt with a former U.S. soldier who claimed the government he fought for was indeed responsible for horrendous tests on soldiers and Iraqi civilians. (This episode was broadcast on January 22, 1999. The Washington Post, 1-22-99.)
In 1999 Bell was interviewed on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. (This was broadcast on March 5, 1999. The Washington Post, 3-5-99.)
Progressive rock band Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
's 2001 album, Lateralus
Lateralus
Lateralus is the third studio album by American rock band Tool. The album was released on May 15, 2001, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. On August 5, 2003, Lateralus was certified double platinum by the RIAA. On August 30, 2004 the album was certified Silver by the BPI for...
, featured a track entitled "Faaip de Oiad" (Enochian
Enochian
Enochian is a name often applied to an occult or angelic language recorded in the private journals of John Dee and his seer Edward Kelley in the late 16th century. The men claimed that it was revealed to them by angels...
for "The Voice of God"), which includes a clip of the "distraught and terrified" Area 51 employee call from September 11, 1997.
In 2005 Bell and then-wife Ramona were featured on the ABC news special: Peter Jennings
Peter Jennings
Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings, CM was a Canadian American journalist and news anchor. He was the sole anchor of ABC's World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer...
Reporting: UFOs — Seeing Is Believing, which reported on the entire scope of the UFO experience, from the first famous sighting by Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth A. Arnold was an American aviator and businessman. He is best-known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, after claiming to have seen nine unusual objects flying in a chain near Mount Rainier, Washington...
in 1947 to the present day. (This was broadcast on February 24, 2005. The Washington Post, 2-20-05.)
In 2005 snippets of Bell and callers to his show were featured on the song "Conspiracy Radio" on Sean Hogan
Sean Hogan
Sean Hogan is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter.-Biography:Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Hogan attended Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, studying music. In 2003 he won the Roots Artist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards and he has also won the Independent Male Artist of the...
's album "Catalina Sunrise": Bell is credited for "voice overs" on this track.
In 2006 Bell was featured in the video game "Prey
Prey (video game)
Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by Human Head Studios , and published by 2K Games. The Xbox 360 version was ported by Venom Games. The game was initially released in North America and Europe on 11 July 2006...
" and played himself. He hosts, as in real life, Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, and the player is able to listen to the broadcast at several terminals throughout the game. The broadcasts describe what is happening on Earth as the game unfolds. The game plot centers around a massive space ship and alien abductions. Bell receives a number of calls about people who have seen smaller craft as they abduct people. The protagonist is one of these people and listens to the radio while on the space ship.
In 2007 Bell appeared as himself in the movie I Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me
I Know Who Killed Me is a 2007 American horror-thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson and starring Lindsay Lohan.-Plot:The quiet suburb of New Salem is being terrorized by a serial killer who abducts and tortures young women, holding them captive for weeks before murdering them...
.
See also
- George NooryGeorge NooryGeorge Ralph Noory is a Lebanese-American radio talk show host.As of 2010, he is the weekday host of the late-night radio talk show Coast to Coast AM. He is heard across the United States and Canada on many AM and FM stations as well as on XM Satellite Radio. His show is one of the most listened...
. - Coast to Coast Topics: 9/11 Conspiracy theories9/11 conspiracy theories9/11 conspiracy theories are theories that disagree with the widely accepted account that the September 11 attacks were perpetrated solely by al-Qaeda. These theories arose because of what proponents of the conspiracy theories believe to be inconsistencies in the official conclusions or some...
, Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, BiodieselBiodieselBiodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
, Carl SaganCarl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, Central Intelligence AgencyCentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Chemtrail theoryChemtrail theoryThe chemtrail conspiracy theory holds that some trails left by aircraft are actually chemical or biological agents deliberately sprayed at high altitudes for purposes undisclosed to the general public in clandestine programsdirected by government officials...
, Classified information in the United StatesClassified information in the United StatesThe United States government classification system is currently established under Executive Order 13526, the latest in a long series of executive orders on the topic. Issued by President Barack Obama in 2009, Executive Order 13526 replaced earlier executive orders on the topic and modified the...
, Electronic Voice PhenomenaElectronic voice phenomenonElectronic voice phenomena are electronically generated noises that resemble speech, but are not the result of intentional voice recordings or renderings. Common sources of EVP include static, stray radio transmissions, and background noise...
, GhostGhostIn traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s, Global WarmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, Amateur RadioAmateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
, Lucid DreamingLucid dreamingA lucid dream is a dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming. The term was coined by the Dutch psychiatrist and writer Frederik van Eeden . In a lucid dream, the dreamer can actively participate in and manipulate imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can seem real and...
, Near-death experience, New World OrderNew World Order (conspiracy)In conspiracy theory, the term New World Order or NWO refers to the emergence of a totalitarian one-world government.The common theme in conspiracy theories about a New World Order is that a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an...
, Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
, Out-of-place artifacts, Peak OilPeak oilPeak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, projected reserves and the combined production rate of a field...
, the ParanormalParanormalParanormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
, SETISETIThe search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
, the Solar systemSolar SystemThe Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
, String theoryString theoryString theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
, Time travelTime travelTime travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
, UfologyUfologyUfology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
, the UndeadUndeadUndead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
, and the United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of DefenseThe United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. - Coast to Coast personalities: Nick BegichNick Begich (author)Nicholas John Begich, Jr. is a writer, lecturer and conspiracy theorist, who is the forerunner in the conspiracy theories associated with the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Begich wrote and published the book Angels Don't Play This HAARP in the mid-1990s...
, Dannion BrinkleyDannion BrinkleyDannion Brinkley is an American author who described two near death experiences in his 1994 book Saved by the Light. He is also a hospice volunteer, speaker, and prominent figure in the New Age and New Thought Movement....
, Ed Dames, Richard C. HoaglandRichard C. HoaglandRichard Charles Hoagland, is an American author and a proponent of various conspiracy theories about NASA, lost alien civilizations on the Moon and on Mars and other related topics....
, Linda Moulton HoweLinda Moulton HoweLinda Moulton Howe, born January 20, 1942, is an American investigative journalist and documentary producer-writer-director-editor who is currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.-Early life and education:She was born as Linda Moulton in Boise, Idaho...
, Michio KakuMichio Kakuis an American theoretical physicist, the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics in the City College of New York of City University of New York, the co-founder of string field theory, and a "communicator" and "popularizer" of science...
, Seth ShostakSeth ShostakSeth Shostak is an American astronomer. He grew up in Arlington, VA and earned his physics degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D...
, Mel WatersMel's HoleMel's Hole is a supposed geographic anomaly discovered by Mel Waters on his land near Ellensburg, Washington. Waters claimed that he lived in or near Manastash Ridge, Washington, about nine miles due west of Ellensburg, though later investigation revealed that no such person was listed as a resident...
. - Radio: Coast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AMCoast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
, List of radio programs. - Other: Pahrump, NevadaPahrump, Nevada-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,631 people, 10,153 households, and 7,127 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 82.7 people per square mile . There were 11,651 housing units at an average density of 39.1 per square mile...
, United States Libertarian Party.
Further reading
- Ronson, JonJon RonsonJon Ronson is a Welsh journalist, documentary filmmaker, radio presenter and nonfiction author, whose works include The Men Who Stare At Goats. His journalism and columns have appeared in British publications including The Guardian newspaper, City Life and Time Out magazine...
. The Men Who Stare at GoatsThe Men Who Stare at GoatsThe Men Who Stare at Goats is a book by Jon Ronson about the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by staring at them...
, Picador, 2004 ISBN 0-330-37547-4; Simon & Schuster, 2006 ISBN 0-7432-7060-1. Chapter 6, "Privatization," pp. 93–114.