Coast To Coast AM

''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 1988 until 2003, and is currently hosted by George Noory. The program is distributed by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia, both as part of its talk network and separately as a syndicated program. The program now airs seven nights a week from 1:00–5:00 a.m. Eastern Time Zone. It appears on over 600 affiliates, and has repeatedly been called the most popular overnight show in the country.

History

In 1978, Art Bell created and hosted ''West Coast AM'', a late-night political talk/call-in show on Las Vegas radio station KDWN. In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show ''Coast to Coast AM'' and moved its studios from the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump. After Bell's retirement, the show was hosted by various personalities, including Mike 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. Since 2013 the weekly listener numbers have declined to 2.5 million. According to estimates by ''Talkers 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 the most listened-to program in its time slot. By 2010 the program was known as by far the most popular overnight show in the country, echoed by ''The New York Times'' in 2017, citing Nielsen ratings.

The show is estimated to be carried by over 600 US affiliates, along with a limited number of FM stations, as well as many Canadian affiliates, several of which stream the show on their station's website. The affiliate group is fronted by 12 clear-channel stations, among them WBT in Charlotte, WHO in Des Moines, WWL in New Orleans, WOR in New York City, KFBK in Sacramento, and KFI in Los Angeles. The show is also carried by Sirius XM Radio, on its Road Dog Trucking channel 146.

Criticism

Scholars have criticized ''Coast to Coast AM'' for promoting pseudohistoric and pseudoscientific ideas. Historian Ronald H. Fritze characterized the show as an "especially influential example" of the trend in modern media to disseminate false history and fake science.

According to State 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". 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".

Religious Studies lecturer David G. Robertson observed that "sweeping conspiratorial revisionist histories and ancient alien narratives" are a frequent feature of the show. Nolan Higdon of California State University, East Bay speculated that programs like ''Coast to Coast AM'' that "propagate unsubstantiated claims" were "potentially dangerous".

According to ''The 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".

In 1998, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry awarded show host Art Bell their mocking "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".
CSI fellow Joe 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 as Bigfoot and ghosts.

Hosts

Art Bell

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. Bell died in April 2018.

Mike Siegel

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. 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 from Seattle, Washington, where he lived. Early in 2001, Bell decided to return, and Siegel left the show.

Ian Punnett

Ian Punnett hosted the show sporadically, as either guest host or main host, between 1998 and 2012. He is currently a guest host in 2022.

John B. Wells

In January 2012, John B. Wells replaced Punnett as host of the Saturday evening and the second Sunday evening programs.

George Noory

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." Noory currently hosts the show on weeknights and on the first Sunday of every month.

George Knapp

George Knapp joined the show in 2007 and is currently hosting every third and fourth Sundays of every month.

Others

Guest hosts have included Hilly Rose, Barbara Simpson, Rollye James, Dave Schrader, Connie Willis, Lisa Garr, Richard Syrett, and Jimmy Church.

Guests

The show featured a number of guests, some recurring.
* Katherine Albrecht, consumer rights advocate.
* Howard Bloom