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Art Bell’s new Internet show offered to AM/FM, with ad load restrictions

art bell midnight in the desert

Radio veteran Art Bell is counting down the days until his new Internet-only show, Midnight in the Desert, launches on his DarkMatterRadio network. The show focuses on science and the paranormal, topics that formed the basis of his late-phase radio career.

In an interesting reversal of podcasts derived from broadcast programming, Bell is offering syndication rights to broadcast stations, but with restrictions. The tone of Bell’s announcement indicates a nonchalant attitude toward on-air distribution. Here is how Bell describes the licensing conditions:

“The format of the show is geared towards the Internet, having less commercials and more freedom of where the breaks of the show will be. Rarely would a radio station want to carry the show and not be able to automate the commercial insertions. We are not going to change our format to match up with commercial radio. That being said, if a station wants to carry the show as is, without any interruption of the content, they may just grab the Internet stream and replay it. They would also have to cover the costs of the music licensing.”

Over a dozen stations have signed up. the formal Terms for Terrestrial Affiliates are presented here.

Art Bell’s last radio stint was on Sirius XM, with the Art Bell’s Dark Matter program. He left Sirius after just six weeks, and has been waiting out a non-compete clause, which expires in July. The new show will launch July 20, as a live-streamed, no-charge, three-hour program. Episodes will be archived and available to paying subscribers.

Brad Hill

2 Comments

  1. The new show is up and running. It’s quite good as it really seems like the old days being live with current content. The July 21st guest, Faddis I believe, was a really interesting one. The guy seemed totally credible and in no way a sensationalist or former spook looking to settle any scores while cashing in. Quite the opposite. A good view of our recent past with both boneheaded government decisions ( just let the Chinese and Russians do what they want and walk away from what we accomplished in The Middle East only to create the vacuum in which ISIS is rising) and subversion of our constitutional freedoms. His few comments on Trump seemed “spot-on” too. A very intelligent and level headed retired CIA insider who believes our best days aren’t necessarily over because America has the most intelligent and productive people anywhere on earth.

  2. Yes. But the most intelligent person was not president when we were lied into the war on terrorism in Iraq and made a mess of things there. He did not bother to pay for the wars either. Where are the intelligent people when it comes to election fraud in Florida and Ohio?

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