Talk-show host Bell might be back

Monday, Oct. 19, 1998 | 11:27 a.m.

Art Bell's self-imposed retirement from radio apparently will be a short one.

The late-night talk show host, who boasts an audience of 15 million listeners on 400 stations nationwide, is expected to explain last Tuesday morning's abrupt departure during the first hour of tonight's broadcast.

Meanwhile, Jacor Communications Inc.'s Premiere Radio Networks said it will continue to air Bell's overnight syndicated radio shows, killing speculation that the paranormal-loving host was in danger, according to a copyrighted story from Bloomberg News.

Premiere, the No. 1 U.S. syndicator of radio shows, said Bell, host of "Coast to Coast AM" and "Dreamland," has requested that a guest host fill in for him for a short time.

Bell's shows, broadcast from his Pahrump home, are aired locally on KVBC-FM 105.1 starting at 10 p.m.

Last week, Bell, 52, shocked listeners near the end of his show when he said: "You may recall about a year ago ... I told you that there was an event -- a threatening terrible event occurred to my family.

"Because of that event and a succession of other events, what you're listening to now is my final broadcast on the air. ... I'm going off the air and will not return. ... That is the end of this man's broadcast career."

The broadcast drew thousands of calls of concern to radio stations and other media outlets from his loyal listeners. Nye County Sheriff's deputies went to his home after the broadcast and said afterward that Bell was OK.

Bloomberg reported that Bell's exit became one of the hot topics at the annual National Association of Broadcasters Radio Show in Seattle last week.

Some executives and industry watchers speculated that Bell might have been fired by Jacor's soon-to-be owner Clear Channel Communications Inc., or that he simply was pulling a publicity stunt, Bloomberg said.

"Art Bell got the biggest industry conference of the year talking about him," said Don Walker, a sales representative of United Press International Radio. "If publicity was the intention, he certainly succeeded."