coast to coast

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.

Format and subject matter

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.

Hosts

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^[1] 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."

Broadcast area

Coast to Coast is broadcast on hundreds of United States affiliates, as well as numerous Canadian affiliates. Coast to Coast's Streamlink offers live Internet feeds of the show by subscription. The program is also broadcast on XM Satellite Radio in the United States, on channel 165. Currently, the XM channel is not available to XM Radio Canada subscribers. An online petition was started to convince XM Canada to begin carrying it.^[2]

Popular callers

Below is a list of some widely popular or regular listener callers to the show.

• Jonathan Christian Webster or JC – An alleged Christian male of an unspecified denomination who claims to be the leader of a Christian religious group called CLAMP (Christian Legion Against Media Pornography.)
• Oscar - A self-proclaimed demonic spirit that is allegedly ‘possessing’ the body of a Coast to Coast listener.
• Mel Waters - Owner of Mel's Hole.
• Phil Hill or UFO Phil - A song writer (focusing on the paranormal) and UFOlogist who claims to have also been abducted by aliens.
• Richard C. Hoagland - A controversial theorist in astronomy.
• Alex Jones - An American radio host, conspiracy theorist, and filmmaker.
• Dr. Louis Turi - Like the great prophet, Nostradamus, Dr. Louis Turi was born and raised in Provence, France. Following four incredible solid UFO experiences he was influenced to re-kindle Nostradamus' methods of Divine Astrology and spent many years reviving the Seer's rare cabalistic healing method. In 1976 he graduated from the Royal School of Music in London with the highest distinction. He moved to the US in 1984 and has since established himself as a successful hypnotherapist, an astropsychologist, author of 4 books, and a powerful motivational speaker.

In 1993 he received a metaphysical Doctorate from the Progressive Universal Life Church based in Sacramento, California. His notoriety has skyrocketed after hundreds of accurate predictions such as 9-11, the Asian tsunami, Iraq war, SARS virus and unarguable predictions of major earthquakes that he made on television and radio programs.

• Sylvia Browne - Sylvia Browne is known the world over for her psychic talent, her counseling ability, and her research into parapsychology. Sylvia first noticed her psychic ability when she was three years old and for many years shared her gift with family and friends. After moving to California in 1964, she continued assisting people privately. Then in 1974, Sylvia incorporated a foundation for psychic research, now known as "The Sylvia Browne Corporation." To further her goals, in 1986 she formed the Society of Novus Spiritus, which is based upon a Christian Gnostic theology. She also donates many hours to help find missing children, and assists police in solving crimes.
• Lionel Fanthorpe - Lionel Fanthorpe was born in England and has worked as a journalist and teacher. He is currently Director of Media Studies at Cardiff Academy and is a fully ordained Anglican Priest working part-time and unpaid for the Church in Wales. Lionel is President of ASSAP (The Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena) and is also the President of BUFORA (the British UFO Research Association). He's now a popular TV and Radio presenter and celebrity guest on chat shows. Lionel is also the author of over 250 books.

These people are just a few of the major guests Coast to Coast has had on air!

Dreamland

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[1] 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.

Newsletter

The radio show publishes a newsletter for subscribers called After Dark. It discusses matters covered on the show in greater detail.

See also

• Ed Dames
• Richard C. Hoagland
• Jonathan Christian Webster
• Edna Pringle
• Linda Moulton Howe
• Peter Davenport
• Alex Jones
• Other Paranormal Radio Shows

References

1. ^ coasttocoastam - Sunday January 22nd, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
2. ^ Bring Coast to Coast to XM Canada. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.

External links

• Official website
• Coast to Coast AM Forum
• Coast to Coast AM Discussion Forums
• Coast to Coast AM page at PsiTalk
• Coast to Coast AM Fan Club
• T.O. Talk (www.totalk.ca) hosts an area called "Dreamland" which includes Coast to Coast AM show discussion
• Nighthawkzone Coast to Coast AM discussion boards
• Paltalk Chatroom Paltalk Chatroom Message Board to Coasters AM Stream Alternative
• Coast to Coast Fan Forum