Coast to Coast AM is a late-night syndicated radio talk show which deals with a variety of topics, but usually ones that relate to the paranormal. It was created by Art Bell, airs seven nights a week 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Pacific Time, and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. It is currently hosted by George Noory weekdays and Art Bell (broadcasting from Manila in the Philippines) on the weekends.
Coast to Coast mostly emphasizes very unusual topics, and is full of personal stories related by callers. While program content varies, most nights are focused towards the paranormal, and subjects such as the occult, remote viewing, hauntings, shadow people, psychic predictions, conspiracy theories, UFOs, crop circles, cryptozoology and science fiction literature, among other paranormal topics. Since the terrorist attacks carried out in the United States on September 11, 2001, the events of that day (as well as conspiracy theories surrounding them) and current U.S. counter-terrorism strategy have also become frequent themes. However, more conventional topics are sometimes discussed, with interviews with notable authors and political talk sometimes featured.
After the theme song is played (Giorgio Moroder's The Chase from Midnight Express), the broadcast is typically kicked off with a reading of current events or news stories by the host, with callers weighing in if time permits. This is usually followed by a lengthy interview with the evening's guest, or hours of open phone lines. Occasionally, roundtable discussions are held on one of the show's common topics. Since Art Bell has resumed weekend hosting from the Philippines, he has focused on scientific topics.
During hours of "open phone lines", calls are taken and put on air without any screening, at least according to original host Art Bell. More recently, under George Noory, open lines have added topics for callers to share their experiences or stories about a particular issue or situation. The show has multiple call-in numbers, of which there are always at least five (as of 2005): for "east of the Rockies", "west of the Rockies", first-time callers, "international callers" and finally a "wild card" line. They are all announced at the beginning of each broadcast by Ross Mitchell. The shows opening, which is now famous, had been spoofed on the now defunct nationally-syndicated Phil Hendrie Show, with Hendrie imitating Mitchell's trademark deep voice and repeating his one phone number for all four lines. On special occasions, Coast to Coast AM rolls out more numbers, including lines that are reserved for special "themed" callers, for example those who claim to be from other dimensions, time periods, and those possessed by spirits.
The Halloween edition of Coast to Coast becomes Ghost to Ghost, as listeners call in with their ghost stories. The New Year's Eve show usually entails listeners calling in their predictions for the coming year, and the host (commonly Art Bell) rating the predictions made a year earlier.
Coast to Coast was created by veteran broadcaster Art Bell in the mid 1980s. Originally called West Coast AM, it aired on Las Vegas, Nevada radio station KDWN 720. Bell hosted the program each weeknight from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM Pacific Time, live from the KDWN studios in the Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. In addition to his show, Bell did radio commercials and other voiceover work for the station.
Bell's program was syndicated in 1990 as Coast to Coast AM and began airing on more stations. For a while it still kept the 1:00 AM starting time, but then moved to 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM and then to the present 10:00 PM to 2:00 AM schedule to better serve other time zones. Soon, Bell hosted the program every weeknight and Sundays from his residence in the town of Pahrump, located in Nye County, Nevada (often referred to on the program as The Kingdom of Nye). Bell is a skilled interviewer, drawing out his callers' improbable stories with a poker-faced but confidence-inspiring, "Oh, really?" He has retired and returned to the show many times since 1998; the first "retirement" lasted two weeks, and was brought on by alleged threats against his family. Art Bell's first successor as host of Coast to Coast was Mike Siegel.
In 2001, Siegel stepped down as host due to pressure from Premiere Radio Networks and Bell, as ratings and affiliates fell sharply during his tenure. Bell then returned to weekday hosting duties, only to depart again the following year due to chronic back pain. He was replaced by frequent guest-host George Noory, and the weekday program officially became Coast to Coast AM with George Noory by the end of 2002.
Bell made another comeback in 2003, this time replacing Barbara Simpson and Ian Punnett on the weekend broadcasts. Then in June 2005, he announced that he would be reducing his role to just two Sundays a month to leave more time for traveling with his wife. He also disclosed that Ian Punnett and Hilly Rose would take over the new vacancies. Previously, Rose had been a frequent guest-host of the program, and Punnett had regularly hosted Sunday evening broadcasts years ago. However, following the passing of his wife, Ramona Bell, on January 5, 2006, Art decided to return to the air on Saturdays and Sundays, stating in an emotion-filled broadcast on Sunday, January 22, 2006], that he needed to keep busy. On April 8, 2006, concluding several weeks of mourning, Art Bell, 60, married 21 year old Airyn Ruiz, a resident of the Philippines whom he came to know through internet "dating." Art relocated to the Philippines and resumed hosting the show as of June 15, 2006, but has had difficulties with an ISDN line and hosts weekends as technology permits. Otherwise, George Noory substitute hosts the Sunday versions or a tape is played of a previous show. Saturdays are guest hosted when Bell is unavailable. On Saturday from 9 pm to 1 am Eastern Time, Punnett hosts Coast to Coast Live, a spin-off of the original Coast to Coast AM, covering similar topics. He occasionally hosts the regular Saturday edition of Coast to Coast as well, making an eight hour shift.
George Noory remains host of the weeknight editions. He broadcasts from, alternately, Los Angeles, California and St. Louis, Missouri, and has had a continually positive effect on the program's ratings. He is consistently nonjudgmental in his reponses to callers' comments, seemingly accepting at face value the credibility of their reported experience. He has promised listeners that he will "stick around" to host the show through 2012; his wish is to report on whatever might occur in relation to the many predictions of the world ending (or at least changing significantly) that year, as purportedly anticipated by the Mayan calendar, alleged bible code, and a number of spiritualist and other fantasy writers, prognosticators, predictors, shamen, the witch doctorate, and assorted prophets. Recently, Noory retracted that statement and now says that he will stay until he is "dragged out."
Dreamland was another Art Bell creation, nearly identical to Coast-to-Coast AM but less caller driven. Bell hosted Dreamland on early Sunday evenings, until he relinquished control of the show to Whitley Strieber. It continued to precede Coast-to-Coast AM on most affiliate stations on Sunday nights but moved to Saturday night (after Premiere Radio began to syndicate Matt Drudge) and then dropped the program entirely. It is now heard over the Internet exclusively.
Dreamland continues to focus on many of the same topics as its sister program, although often with a more spiritual point-of-view, as well as an increased emphasis on extra-terrestrials.
The name Dreamland was, in fact, at one time a radio call sign for the control tower at the The Air Force's Operating Location Near Groom Lake, Nevada, as described by the government in legal documents, but more commonly known as Area 51.
The radio show publishes a newsletter for subscribers called After Dark. It discusses matters covered on the show in greater detail.
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