Art
Bell is no ordinary talk show host, not just because
"Coast to Coast AM" is the dominant live all-night
show in America today, but because Art's a true radio fanatic,
the ultimate "new media" personality. How many hosts
get off the air after a four hour show, turn on another
microphone, and talk to fellow Ham operators around the
country? How many talk hosts have the engineering know-how to
produce their own show, run their own technical board, and
generally control the ebb and flow of the show from the first
on- air minute to the last? Art Bell's grasp of the electronic
revolution--and how to make it personal--is unique; he's a
talk show host primed to influence 21st century America in
more ways than one.
Although there's something distinctly "new century"
about the Art Bell mystique, Art's upbringing was unusually
traditional. The son of a Marine Colonel father and a Drill
Sergeant mother, Art developed a taste for news and analysis
at an early age; he knew that current events could have a
significant--and immediate--impact on his life; the family
could be re- stationed for the slightest geopolitical reason.
Art made a point of staying tuned into world events--in other
words, he became a news junkie.
By the age of 13, Art was an FCC licensed radio technician. A
few years later, as a young airman, Bell and an equally
foolhardy buddy built their own pirate radio station right on
Amarillo Air Force base, secretly broadcasting rock 'n' roll
to appreciative locals. These kinds of antics were not limited
to bootleg military radio. As a civilian DJ, Art Bell landed
in the Guinness Book of Records for a 116 hour (and 15
minutes) solo broadcast marathon "playing the hits"
on KSBK on Okinawa, Japan. Then he raised money in Alaska that
allowed Art to charter a DC 8, fly to Vietnam and rescue 130
Vietnamese Orphans stranded in Saigon at the war's end. They
were eventually all brought to America and adopted by American
families. Art's no-nonsense demeanor doesn't fool his
listeners who sense he's more complex underneath.
Art Bell's political views are complex as well. He spent years
on the island of Okinawa, living a Japanese lifestyle and
working for KSBK, the only English speaking station in Asia;
it gave him a Pacific Rim perspective and a grasp of
international affairs that few talk show hosts really have.
That plus his military background and his love of the news,
made Art Bell a natural talk show host, a man who understood
how politics, human nature, and cultural dynamics can affect
national and international stability for better or for worse.
Art became immersed in the high tech world of cable
television, eventually leaving radio to be part of building
what became known as "Prime Cable." As Chief
Engineer for Times Mirror in Las Vegas, Art was on the fast
track. His radio life had faded but not his radio love; before
long Art was back at a microphone. When the 50 thousand watt
giant in Las Vegas, KDWN offered him the chance to broadcast
all night to 13 Western states, he grabbed the opportunity and
never looked back.
Later, a chance to go network opened up and Chancellor
Broadcasting Company was created. But that presented a new
challenge when it came to the radio world. Nobody thought
all-night live radio had a future after Larry King abandoned
his throne. Advertisers thought no one would listen anymore.
"Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell" proved them wrong,
and now proudly a part of Premiere Radio Networks, Art Bell is
back doing Saturday and Sunday nights.
Art connects to his audience not just by the full force of
modern technology from satellite to Internet to fax, but also
by his unique view of the world, and a daring to pose all
questions, no matter what the answer. When Art flips that
switch and says "from the high desert and the great
American Southwest," he's talking to millions of
Americans who want to be part of a unique experience.
If you've ever sat in a darkened cockpit, in front of a
twinkling control panel, and prepared for a night flight, you
know the feel of what all-night radio can be like--the
excitement of knowing that you'll be flying high and covering
great distances while others are asleep. On "Coast to
Coast AM" Art Bell is at the controls, guiding his
millions of national listeners through the night's news, and
bringing them in for a safe landing by dawn. That's Art Bell,
and that's the Art Bell show. His fans know the feeling very
well.
It
became official on January 1, 2003. George Noory took over the
reins from retiring Art Bell to become the host of America's
most fascinating overnight radio program. Looking back on
George's life and his passion for all things unexplained, it
seems almost fated that he would fulfill this unique role.
While still a teenager, George joined NICAP, the UFO
organization that was a precursor to today's MUFON. George
immersed himself in the field, "so much so that I decided
I wanted to go into broadcasting in order to do unusual
stories in the paranormal and stories that the mainstream
media didn't want to touch," he told After Dark. Indeed,
George's very first broadcast interview, while a young radio
reporter for Detroit's WCAR-AM, was with Roswell
expert/physicist Stanton Friedman, with whom he has maintained
a lifelong friendship.
Now with a 30-year history in the broadcasting field under his
belt in such positions as executive television news producer
and news director, George brings a wide swath of experience to
the table. In fact, at age 28 he was the youngest major news
market news director in the country when he was at KMSP-TV in
Minneapolis. But it was just a couple of years ago that he
came to the attention of Premiere Radio Networks, who heard
him on his late-night radio program on KTRS in St. Louis.
Known as "the Nighthawk," George's penchant for
covering paranormal topics with enthusiasm and skill impressed
Premiere. He was then brought on board to host the Sunday
night Coast to Coast show. And as Art's back problems became
more severe, George was honored to fill in for him on a
regular basis.
"Coast to Coast AM may just be the most unusual show I
have ever witnessed or been a part of. You really almost have
to be born into that arena, I think, in order to handle it. I
was very lucky in that's the way I was guiding my own career.
It was this thirst to really get to the bottom of some of
these stories that kept pushing me," George said.
Other highlights of George's life include serving nine years
in the U.S. Naval Reserve and winning three Emmy Awards as a
news executive. But certainly manning the helms of Coast to
Coast AM is a pinnacle for George, allowing him to pursue the
unexplained on a grand scale. It's become his destiny to guide
the huge audience from more than 500 radio stations through
the night in this dynamic format created by Art Bell. Across
America, and around the world on the Internet, George Noory's
voice rings out.
--- Read a special
message from George delivered on his first official night
as host of the program.
Update: April 2003
--George is now writing a bi-monthly column for UFO
Magazine.
