Art Bell Not Coming Back To Podcasting Due To Music

From Art Bell:

I have some very sad news to report, barring some sort of miracle there will be NO Dark Matter Radio show. Here is why: I will be unable to use ANY Bumper music, I will be unable to use any Theme music. The cost of using even the small amount that I use in my show stops us cold. Both Keith and I have talked this to death and there is no way around it.

Yes I could do the show with no music but I will not because it was part of the very soul of my show as any of my former listener’s know. I feel like crying to be honest with you. Keith and me along with others have poured time and money into this effort. I was about to spend $20,000.00 on just the Studio here in Pahrump. We had also cleared free streaming just as I had promised. The ..bottom line is that the music Industry has in my opinion shot themselves in the foot by making it impossible for anybody in my position to stream or provide any copyrighted music on the Web. That is why nobody, even Rush will do it. I am so sorry. If anything changes I will beright back on it. Just sad.

Followup:

It warms my heart for some of you to be saying you do not care but for me it was a major part of the energy for me and I think the listener as well, I picked bumper music like others might pick a fine wine for a special dinner, it was part and I think a major part of the magic.

Followup 2:

Just for the record, I am not quitting, I am just not starting till we can resolve this in some way. I do not want or need anybody’s money. If we can find a way around this we will proceed. I was just trying to keep everybody up to date with the fact that we seemed to hit a brick wall. We are working on it.

Followup 3:

I could live with no music in the Podcast for download BUT I at least want it for the stream. Even that seems to be a nightmare, as we look into it. Does anybody know a Talk Host doing a stream who is using bumpers legally?

Radio stations are covered by a blanket agreement, I know because I paid it for KNYE when I owned it. It is not even clear who you must pay to use music in a stream, the record keeping is also a nightmare. Those who say just put it on a station and your covered are wrong.

Anyway we continue to try and figure it out.

Source: http://artbell.com/sad-news-art-bells-return-internet-streaming/