The Future of Midnight in the Desert and Dark Matter Radio Network

[Bob Bain]

The Future of Midnight in the Desert and Dark Matter Radio Network - Midnight in the Desert

OK folks, here’s the deal as of now…. from Keith Rowland
Midnight in the Desert

I will run Midnight in the Desert w/Heather Wade on the Dark Matter Digital Network for the next 30 days minimum. She will start in Art’s same time slot for Monday and Tuesday…

However, seeing as I’m obligated to continue feeding the terrestrial affiliate stations for the next 30 days, I’ll need to feed either Heather’s live show or replays of Art Bell’s archives, (which ever they determine the best for them yet to be decided). If I need to feed the Art Bell replays to them at 9-12, Art’s time slot, I will have Heather do MITD from 6-9 pm PT LIVE to insure she gets to do shows for you also. If the radio stations are fine with Heather filling in for Art, we’ll keep her at 9-12 PT.

Her shows will be added to the same Time Travelers archive as Art’s shows, so your current subscription will have Art’s old shows and these new ones. It’s up to you to continue to support the show with Heather by keeping your existing subscription or signing up again for the Time Travelers subscription, now at $4.99. After 30 days, we all will evaluate the financial situation of whether we can continue. I hope the subscriber base will maintain the show. We will do our part in reducing the costs.

Other Side of Midnight
As for Richard C Hoagland’s OSOM program, again, it’s all about finances. RCH and I need to re-evaluate our financial model and hope to come to some resolution to continue running his show on DMDN. Stay tuned for updates on this matter. He could be back on Monday night! You can still show your support by Joining Club 19.5.

Dark Matter Digital Network
It was always my intention to bring good paranormal programs to the network and as Art Bell would draw people to the station, these shows would gain audience and attract advertisers. While Art Bell was bringing the audience, some shows received some increase in numbers and I continued to run those shows hoping for better performance.


As hard as I tried, with over two years in building the network, none of the other programs I carried were able to earn any advertising dollars to support the cost of playing the shows, let alone justify my time in producing the shows live. I had to be present in the studio during all live shows in order to connect and bring them on, monitor the sound, play the breaks, record the show and edit the replay audio files. This time took away from my day and had no financial benefit. But I did it because Art’s show was subsidizing the cost. With the leaving of Art Bell, it doesn’t seem financially viable to continue spending hours a day doing this. So I regret to not being able to produce LIVE versions of these programs after this week.

I will however for the time being, continue to play on the station stream any and all pre-recorded shows that I currently have and any of the current LIVE shows who wish to produce their own pre-recorded audio files to me for playback, on DMDN each week. But I need to have those 4 hours a day back.

The station will also revert back to a cheaper streaming solution and may be dark for some periods of time to save costs.

Finally
It is sad that incidents have taken our Art Bell away from us again…. The challenge of bringing Art back was intense and satisfying. But the Dark Matter Digital Network was created and maintained for his return. Now that he is gone… the situation will be fluid and could quickly change. But I’m willing to get this a shot, if you are. I will update this post as I have more information.

— Keith Rowland

 

[Debi]

Thank you for bringing this to us, Bob.

 

[EET]

Random thoughts: I am reminded of the Tuna ads with the phrase,"Sorry Charlie" ... re: the three hours in the evening on the Darkmatterdigitalnetwork; well, whatever is really going on my final response is, to paraphrase the host who "quit", "Going once, going twice, GONE!" I will only support Richard C. Hoagland and follow his program the Otherside of Midnight or whatever it is going to be called to another network if that is what happens.

 

[Bob Bain]

The problem with Keith's reasoning is other shows have carried the network long before Art Bell's Midnight even existed. Keith wants to come out and claim Art Bell is the only show that can carry the network... that is a huge FU to all other hosts.

 

[malliard]

Hey I may not make a lot of money with my show but it is the black.

 

[PlasmonPolariton]

The problem with Keith's reasoning is other shows have carried the network long before Art Bell's Midnight even existed.
Keith wants to come out and claim Art Bell is the only show that can carry the network... that is a huge FU to all other hosts.

I believe that the root problem here is that WE are supporting the Establishment-Big-Syndicate-Machine model (even when streaming over the Internet) rather than creating our own listener-owned direct Broadcast alternative.
I was afraid this might happen in August 2015 and September 2015, and wrote extensively then about the reliance on the "dollars for gigabytes Internet Streaming" model , and the existing broadcast syndication model to develop new affiliates. We should have been bypassing that old establishment model rather than just relying on it.
I was very afraid that something like this might happen if we as fans did not the rush to aid Art Bell and help to show him how to directly bypass the need for lots of new syndicated AM and FM band broadcast affiliates to sell advertising. Please take the time to re-read what I wrote from mid August to mid September 2015 at the thread at:

Is 'technical trouble' really the problem?

There, I outlined a workable plan to completely bypass the FCC broadcast station syndicate while also establishing a listener owned alternative paranormal syndicate to carry the Dark Matter Digital Network and to entice Art to come back when adequate security is fully established to protect Art's family and his Pahrump, NV home and an alternative viable digital network is in place.

We need to work with Keith Rowland to make DMRN a financial and freedom radio success.
I MHO the only way to do so quickly is to emulate what is already working.
Please go check out the Liberty Radio Network at:

Audio Streams

crowd·fund·ing
ˈkroudˌfəndiNG/
noun

1. the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.
   "musicians, filmmakers, and artists have successfully raised funds and fostered awareness through crowdfunding"

By simply crowdfunding space on a Galaxy 19 Geosynchronous Satellite orbiting transponder as well as the existing affiliate feed satellite link an alternative digital network that goes everywhere in North America and likely can be extended to Africa and Europe or Globally can be created.

There is no good reason to have to program without good advertising revenue IF, and ONLY IF you achieve large market penetration over multiple continents.

As I previously pointed out the key is to make free radio free from monopoly control rather than simply demanding that "free radio" be free of all costs..

Internet streaming alone simply can not do that.
However Geosynchronous Free-To-Air Satellite direct broadcasting can!

So, I suggest that if we want MITD back, with enough listeners to phase out C-2-C, while causing DMRN to succeed and prosper, then we fans should stop crying on our pork rinds and activate ourselves, to make that happen now

With Best Regards,
PlasmonPolariton

 

[Bob Bain]

I think at minimum fifty percent of Art's once loyal fan base has finally had enough and won't be interested in another return. That number is from what I am reading through emails, and other places on the internet.

Nobody but that other place is happy to have the fake midnight airing instead of a show/host that has earned its spot and listeners. You know those hosts that busted their ass off to earn their audience?

I wouldn't want that spot.
Hell I'm not interested in airing live at night... but guys like Jim Malliard, Dr. J and a few others do produce live shows at night. Those are the guys who should have been given a chance to fill that slot.

 

[Halloweenghost]

The problem with Keith's reasoning is other shows have carried the network long before Art Bell's Midnight even existed. Keith wants to come out and claim Art Bell is the only show that can carry the network... that is a huge FU to all other hosts.

I agree... it was around before Art... kinda a BS move to think that it is nothing without Art.

 

[PlasmonPolariton]

I think at minimum fifty percent of Art's once loyal fan base has finally had enough and won't be interested in another return. That number is from what I am reading through emails, and other places on the internet.

Nobody but that other place is happy to have the fake midnight airing instead of a show/host that has earned its spot and listeners. You know those hosts that busted their ass off to earn their audience?

I wouldn't want that spot.
Hell I'm not interested in airing live at night... but guys like Jim Malliard, Dr. J and a few others do produce live shows at night. Those are the guys who should have been given a chance to fill that slot.

It takes a viable business model irrespective of who hosts the content. However great content helps sell ads by retaining listeners.
Deep market penetration sells ads because more listeners then exist than mere Internet streaming could produce.
If the network prospers, so then will time slots for great content producers.
If Art wants one slot again I am sure he too would be eligible to earn his fan's respect.
With Best Regards,
PlasmonPolariton

 

[malliard]

If Keith would have started a membership shortly after the network started. And made shows come to his network like another former network I was on.

They should have been grooming a fill in /weekend host. And if they had art could have had the flu and missed a week while this all got investigated and settled. Without any of us being wiser.

I knew they were in trouble went I was told I tweet too much.