It was only a few short months ago I wrote that Art Bell needs to stop steering his fans on a bumpy ride. His semi-frequent vague teases (via Facebook) always led to nowhere, leaving his many fans disappointed.
That all changed today with the announcement via ArtBell.com that the legendary overnight talk show host is launching a new radio show this September on SiriusXM,
Some of his fans will surely be disappointed that he is on satellite, which for at least $15 per month is not exactly cheap . At the end of the day however, satellite is more likely to give Bell everything he wants. He’s certainly entitled.
Bell has previously noted that the high amount of commercial content on the current “Coast to Coast AM” bothered him. On SiriusXM, commercials are limited.
Bell can be uncensored and seemingly no topic would be barred from discussion. Not sure how important that is to him, but such parameters mean Bell should have little restraints, if any. The minimal restraints, I’m guessing, is important to him. He will have a lot of freedom.
Even though Bell made a lot of money in his prime radio days, he’s going to make plenty more, further ensuring the long-term financial security of his family.
The limited commercials and the added freedom are two parameters Bell could have gotten if he had gone the podcast route. However, the guaranteed income would likely be less than what SiriusXM can offer. At the end of the day, Bell has every right to make as much money as he can.
And SiriusXM will still receive a hefty handful of new subscribers because of it.