 | |
| Genre | Talk radio |
|---|---|
| Running time | 175 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Country of origin | United States Canada Philippines (2006–2010) |
| Syndicates | Premiere Networks |
| Hosted by | George Noory (weeknights and 1st Sunday) George Knapp (4th Sunday) Rich Berra Richard Syrett |
| Announcer | Dick Ervasti |
| Created by | Art Bell |
| Recording studio | Sherman Oaks, California |
| Remote studios | St. Louis, MO (Noory) Las Vegas, NV (Knapp) Phoenix, AZ (Berra) Toronto (Syrett) |
| Original release | 1988 – present |
| Opening theme | "Chase (Theme fromMidnight Express)" byGiorgio Moroder |
| Ending theme | "Inca Dance" or "Ghost Dance" byCusco (Shows hosted by Noory and Knapp) "Listening to Coast to Coast" by UFO Phil (Fridays) "Midnight in the Desert" byCrystal Gayle |
| Website | coasttocoastam.com |
| Podcast | Streamlink |
Coast to Coast AM is an American late-nightradio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently, the topics relate to either theparanormal orconspiracy theories. It was hosted by creatorArt Bell from its inception in 1988 until 2003; the program is currently hosted byGeorge Noory. The program is distributed byPremiere Networks, a subsidiary ofiHeartMedia, both as part of its talk network and separately as asyndicated program. The program now airs seven nights a week from 1:00–5:00 a.m.ET.[1] It airs on over 600 affiliates, and has repeatedly been called the most popular overnight show in the country.[2][3]
In 1978,Art Bell created and hostedWest Coast AM, a late-night political talk/call-in show on Las Vegas radio stationKDWN.[4] In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the showCoast to Coast AM and moved its studios from thePlaza Hotel in Las Vegas to Bell's home inPahrump.[4] After Bell's retirement, the show was hosted by various personalities, includingMike Siegel,George Noory, and others.
At its peak,Coast to Coast AM under Bell was syndicated by Premiere Radio Network, and aired on more than 500 radio stations and boasted a weekly listening audience in excess of 10 million listeners.[5][6][7] Since 2013, the weekly listener numbers have declined to 2.5 million.[8] According to estimates byTalkers Magazine,Coast to Coast AM has a cumulative weekly audience of around 2.75 million unique listeners listening for at least five minutes, making it themost listened-to program in its time slot.[9] By 2010 the program was known as by far the most popular overnight show in the country,[2] echoed byThe New York Times in 2017, citingNielsen ratings.[3]
The show is estimated to be carried by over 600 US affiliates,[1] along with a limited number ofFM stations; it also airs on many Canadian affiliates, several of whichstream the show on their station's website. The affiliate group is fronted by 12clear-channel stations, among themWBT inCharlotte,WHO inDes Moines,WWL inNew Orleans,WOR in New York City,KFBK inSacramento,KFI in Los Angeles, andWTAM inCleveland. The show is also carried bySirius XM Radio, on itsRoad Dog Trucking channel 146.[10]
Scholars have criticizedCoast to Coast AM for promotingpseudohistoric andpseudoscientific ideas. HistorianRonald H. Fritze characterized the show as an "especially influential example" of the trend in modern media to disseminate false history and fake science.[11]
According toState University of New York (SUNY) professor Paul Arras, early shows hosted by Art Bell featured guests that were frequently pseudoscientists, but "regardless of their reputation, all guests are presented as experts." According to Arras "Bell seems to believe much of what even his wildest guests say".[12]Boston College professor Michael C. Keith noted a "characteristic of distrust and fear that is a part of the text of Coast to Coast —fear of the unknown, fear of invasion, fear of being taken over by some kind of evil force".[2]
Religious Studies lecturer David G. Robertson observed that "sweeping conspiratorial revisionist histories and ancient alien narratives" are a frequent feature of the show.[13] Nolan Higdon ofCalifornia State University, East Bay speculated that programs likeCoast to Coast AM that "propagate unsubstantiated claims" were "potentially dangerous".[3]
According toThe Atlantic senior editor Timothy Lavin, host George Noory "lets clearly delusional or pseudoscientific assertions slide by without challenge". Lavin wrote that "Coast to Coast AM has perfected a charged and conspiratorial worldview that now pervades American media".[2]
In 1998, theCommittee for Skeptical Inquiry awarded show host Art Bell theirmocking "Snuffed Candle Award", citing his work "for encouraging credulity, presenting pseudoscience as genuine, and contributing to the public's lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry".[14]CSI fellowJoe Nickell has appeared on the show occasionally as "a voice of skepticism", saying his goal was to explain and demystify the "bizarre topics 'Coast to Coast' deals with" such asBigfoot andghosts.[3]
Bell was the original host of the show, starting in 1988. He announced his retirement in 2000, but would return as show host, retire, and return again a number of times.[15] Bell died in April 2018.
Mike Siegel hosted the show from April 2000 until February 2001. He became a frequent substitute for Bell in late 1999, and when Bell announced his retirement in early 2000, he recommended Siegel to succeed him.[16] Siegel maintained the format of the show that Bell had created, but his personal style was very different, and the show became less popular. Siegel hosted the show fromSeattle, Washington, where he lived. Early in 2001, Bell decided to return, and Siegel left the show.[17]
Ian Punnett hosted the show sporadically, as either guest host or main host, between 1998 and 2012, and from 2018 to 2023. Punnett died in December of 2023.[18]
In January 2012,John B. Wells replaced Punnett as host of the Saturday evening[19] and the second Sunday evening programs.
George Noory first took over show hosting duties in 2003 as a replacement for Bell, but was temporarily discontinued after Bell returned citing disagreements with Noory. After Bell's death in April 2018, Noory said that the two were "not that close" personally and that there were major differences in their approaches. Despite this, Noory said that Bell was "instrumental in me being where I am right now."[20] Noory currently hosts the show on weeknights and on the first Sunday of every month.
George Knapp joined the show in 2007 and is currently hosting every third and fourth Sundays of every month.
Guest hosts have includedHilly Rose,Barbara Simpson,Rollye James,Robert Salas, Dave Schrader, Connie Willis, Lisa Garr, Richard Syrett, Rob Simone and Jimmy Church.
The show featured a number of guests, some recurring.[21]
Several shows associated withCoast to Coast AM have aired in the slot immediately preceding the late Saturday night edition of the program, from 6–10 p.m. Pacific Time.
Dreamland was another Art Bell creation, nearly identical toCoast to Coast AM but less caller driven. Bell recordedDreamland on Friday afternoons where the show streamed live over the Internet and listeners could call in towards the end of the show. The show then aired at various times on different stations during the weekend, but doing eight shows a week got to be too much and he handed over control of the show toWhitley Strieber. Many affiliates aired the show beforeCoast to Coast AM on Sunday nights, butPremiere Radio pre-empted that time spot after it began to syndicateMatt Drudge, and then dropped the program entirely.
Upon Art Bell's January 2006 return,Ian Punnett hostedCoast to Coast Live on Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern Time. A spin-off of the originalCoast to Coast AM, the show covered similar topics as its flagship program. With Bell's July 2007 retirement,Coast to Coast Live was discontinued, with Punnett returning to host the regular Saturday edition.
ReplacingCoast to Coast Live in the late Saturday time slot is a series of reruns of classic Art Bell episodes ofCoast to Coast AM, airing under the titleSomewhere in Time.
Midnight in the Desert was a live radio and podcast which Art Bell founded. The program was later hosted by Heather Wade and then by Dave Schrader.
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