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Subject: [illusions] Fwd: ART BELL SIGNS OFF
Date: 1 Apr 2000 11:45:14 -0500
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Subject: ART BELL SIGNS OFF
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From: "Darren G. Sarvis" 
Organization: I N F O E D G E

I didn't always agree with Art Bell and his guests nor central agenda. I 
questioned the guy. But I do give Art this, he is one (was) of the best 
radio talk hosts I've ever heard and I've been a connoisseur of radio talk 
hosts since I was about 12 years old (1972) and admit to getting hooked at 
times by Art Bell. Art at one time recently had the ability to keep his 
show topic interesting, his guests often the same, and he kept his callers 
rolling with interest so overall, the show was most infotaining to listen 
to. It was dynamic! His achievement of 400 radio markets in the overnight 
hours was not by accident but truly TALENT. Plus his bumper music was often 
very great!

So far out of all the guest hosts the Coast to Coast show has featured in 
Art's absence, I vote for Peter Weissbach as the person with the talent to 
keep this show going in all 400+ markets.

I wish & pray Art Bell and his family well, especially concerning the 
circumstances he has outlined which are truly tragic.
Darren

April 1st, 2000 - In the second hour of his talk radio program tonight, Art 
Bell announces his retirement from radio broadcasting.
"In order that you all understand the gravity of the announcement I'm about 
to make, it's going to be necessary for me to repeat some very painful 
events that have occurred to my family over the past several years.

On May 16th of the year 1997, my son, Art Bell IV, was kidnapped, 
transported across state lines and raped by a substitute teacher from his 
own high school. The assailant was HIV positive. My son was a minor. He was 
only 16 years old at the time.

The teacher involved was tried, convicted and is now serving a life 
sentence. My son though, as you might imagine, was sent into a 
psychological tailspin which continues to this very day. We are trying very 
hard to help him recover and lead a more normal life. Some positive events 
have occurred toward that end and your prayers are welcome. Please keep 
them coming.

While the police work and the trial of my son's assailant were underway, 
difficult as it was for me to continue my daily radio programs, I did so. 
Because my son was a minor at the time of the crime, the records were 
sealed, his name was not made public, something our society does to protect 
its own, its future, its young people.

As our family was working through this trauma in private, an event beyond 
all bounds of decency and humanity occurred. On December 9th of 1997, just 
a few months after my son's ordeal, my own began. Ted Gunderson, a retired 
FBI agent, along with David Hinkson and the assistance of others, aired a 
broadcast which - incredibly, absolutely incredibly - accused me of 
committing the very same crime my son had suffered, child molestation. The 
program further stated that I had paid to cover up an indictment in Nye 
County, Nevada, my home. It further urged listeners to call me "on air" and 
ask if I had been indicted. Of course, these accusations were entirely 
false. But, never the less the calls poured into my open line unscreened 
program, asking if this was true. I had no choice but to block out all 
these calls and keep my silence for fear of my son's situation becoming 
public. This broadcast was made on WWCR, world wide shortwave radio, in 
Nashville, Tennessee. This station has been described by newspapers and 
civic minded organizations as one of the country's leading broadcasters of 
hate radio. The individuals, WWCR and its sister-station WNQM, have allowed 
to broadcast over the airwaves, include a man who wrote a book entitled 
"The Hitler We Loved And Why" and another man who stated over the airwaves 
that Jews are the children of Satan and that African-Americans are "mud 
people".
In addition to broadcasting these proponents of hate and violence, this 
radio station has consciously decided not to spend money on a delay switch, 
not to conduct a careful background check of the people it places on the 
air and to allow individuals to say almost anything they want in foreign 
languages without having staff on duty who can even understand what they 
are saying.

In my opinion, WWCR is one of the most irresponsible stations permitted to 
broadcast over the airwaves of this country.
Now the fallout from that broadcast has been unbelievable. Besides the 
unrelenting accusatory calls, others repeated this false rumor as though it 
was fact, resulting in several related lawsuits. Many of you may have heard 
my defense played out on the airwaves and the Internet.

No matter how hard I have tried to set the record straight, my torment and 
that of my family continues. Recently, a radio host in Toronto, Canada 
opened his morning show with the words "I am Art Bell and I molest little 
children". All of this sent me into a psychological tailspin. I felt I had 
been dealt a blow I might not recover from. Still I continued my nightly 
broadcasts as best I could.

In October of 1998, my son came to a crisis point, a situation so critical 
that nothing but my full-time attention would help. So, on that fateful 
day, October 13th of 1998, I resigned on air with no intention of 
returning. But thanks to the efforts of my network, my best friend Alan 
Corbeth, Kraig Kitchin (CEO of Premiere Networks) and Randy Micheals [CEO 
of Clear Channel], I was able to return, but the pressure of having to 
defend myself against baseless, vile claims that I was a child molester 
eventually forced me to reduce my on air hours. Why the individuals behind 
the December 9, 1997 broadcast by WWCR decided to make such a patently 
false and harmful broadcast remains for the courts to decide. A major 
moment in this litigation is going to occur April 28th in Nashville, 
Tennessee. If justice prevails, a trial, perhaps a protracted one, may 
follow. It would be untrue for me to say this has not affected my air work, 
it has. It would be unfair to all of you, not to give you my full-time 
best. I can no longer do that. The reality that after suffering the fate of 
my son's own molestation, I now stand destined to be tainted for life as a 
child molester, has proven simply too much to bear. God knows, I have tried.

For my Son, I pray that somehow his wounds will heal, his mind's troubles 
fade into something of a normal life. For myself an ordeal looms ahead to 
clear my good name of accusations I committed a crime, committed against my 
own son. Nobody ever said life would be fair, only to be lived as the hand 
is dealt to you. For all the years of joy my work has provided, I want to 
thank all of you and whatever creative force allowed it.

I have decided to retire from the broadcast business at the end of this 
month, my last show to be April 26, 2000.

I will not do any media interviews on this subject. I have already said 
more than any private person would have said, a private world I now look 
forward to returning to. Any further questions should be addressed to my 
attorney Gerard Fox at the law firm of Fox, Siegler & Spillane in Los 
Angeles at (310) 229-9300."
-- Art Bell

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amir Forester 818-461-5404

ART BELL SIGNS OFF

LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2000 - Art Bell, the radio host famous for his 
spontaneous and compelling conversations of all things unexplained, 
officially resigns. His last broadcast will be on Wednesday evening, April 
26, running into Thursday morning, April 27.

Art will deliver a statement on his show tonight (2a.m. EST, 11p.m. PST) 
addressing his retirement from not only radio broadcasting, but also all 
other forums of media including book publishing, television, etc. He is 
looking forward to living an anonymous lifestyle.

"We have and will continue to support Art," said Kraig T. Kitchin, 
president/COO of Premiere Radio Networks. "I hoped he would return full 
time, but understand his inability to do so and agree this is the best 
course of action. A new host of Coast to Coast AM will be introduced to 
affiliates and listeners imminently through Art's own introduction. Coast 
to Coast AM will continue to pursue the subject matter in the same 
entertaining and intriguing ways. In addition, affiliates and advertisers 
are being informed of the changes as they happen. The network is committed 
to delivering ratings results consistent to Art's."

Premiere Radio Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of Clear Channel, currently 
syndicates more than 60 radio programs and serves more than 7,800 radio 
station affiliates. Premiere is one of the top three radio networks in the 
country, and the leading provider of morning show material nationwide. The 
number one syndicator of programming, Premiere features the following 
personalities: Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Jim Rome, Dr. Dean 
Edell, Michael Reagan, Phil Hendrie, Naomi Judd, Blair Garner, Lionel and 
Rick Dees. Premiere is based in Sherman Oaks, Calif., and has eight offices 
nationwide.



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