Hate Radio on Coast-to-Coast. Who is 'Sharon Sebastian'?

[earthside]

Millions of people listen to the Coast-to-Coast radio program late at night. It used to be a fun show that discussed flying saucers, Bigfoot, ghosts, the paranormal -- quirky entertainment mostly. However, since the founder of the show, Art Bell, retired, the new host, George Noory, has been taking the program steadily to the right.

I noted this on the Coast-to-Coast web site for tonight's radio program:

Govt. Control
Date: 04-10-12
Host: George Noory
Guests: Sharon Sebastian ...
Author Sharon Sebastian argues that Socialist/Marxist influences on current government policies, and expansion of government controls threaten our quality of life and freedoms.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2012/04/10

Here is the biography on the C2C site:

Sharon Sebastian is an author, writer, public speaker and contributor for various forms of media including broadcast, print, and online websites. Her second book, "Darwin's Racists" addresses the global “evolution vs. creation” debate highlighting both the impact of Social Darwinism on America’s culture, as well as its influence on Marxism, Socialism and current policy coming out of Washington. Holding a deep curiosity about Darwinian evolution based on an ape-to-man chart, she has found answers that expose both truth and fallacy in the ongoing, hotly disputed, global "evolution vs. creation" debate.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/sebastian-sharon/56963

What is disturbing are the apparent rabidly anti-Obama, anti-progressive, anti-science articles this person has authored as shown at this list: http://darwinsracists.com/book/?cat=3

First, I'd like to find out more about this 'Sharon Sebastian' ... it sounds like she has done a lot of radio.
Second, here is contact info for Coast-to-Coast -- this show has a wide audience that I don't think should be discounted. Increasingly the show has very right-wing guests (like birther Jerome Corsi):

George Noory
[e-mail]

Lisa Lyon
Producer, Coast to Coast AM
[e-mail]

Tom Danheiser
Producer, Coast to Coast AM
[e-mail]

[tularetom]

1. I never listen to that show and neither does my pet chupacabra

But I have bought fireworks in Pahrump Nevada. Drove right past Area 51 too.

[Kablooie]

24. Chupacabras are illegal as pets. You must be certified insane before you can possess one.

[tularetom]

25. Believe me that ain't gonna be a big problem for me

[yellowcanine]

2. 'hotly disputed, global "evolution vs. creation" debate.' No such thing.

There is no global evolution vs creation debate. There are small pockets of people in the U.S. trying to have a debate with the scientific community which has no interest in debating them. The only part of the so called debate which is hotly disputed is in the monologues of the creationists.

[Ikonoklast]

3. Stopped listening after Art finally left. Noory is a right-wing libertarian with an agenda.

C2C hasn't been very entertaining now for years, it's just WND with a softer focus.

[earthside]

4. Art Bell voted for Obama.

Art Bell is pretty libertarian ... but he was quite public about his support of Obama four years ago.

Noory, in my opinion, is not so libertarian as just plain teabag right-wing.

And you are correct, he uses World Nut Daily as a source for 'news' and guests.

I still check on the show because of occasional host Ian Punnett who, for example, had Bart Ehrman as a guest just this past Sunday -- a great interview.

But, Noory is ruining Coast-to-Coast. Bell was careful to be non-political and was actually careful to not let listeners know if he believed a lot of the crazy, paranormal stuff that his guests talked about -- and that is what made it a very good radio show. Bell was a kindly skeptic and a marvelous interviewer.

Noory is very Christian-Catholic in his views, puts on a lot of guests who trash science (especially evolution and global climate change), and is rather forthcoming about his actual belief in things like angels and after-death-experiences, miracles, etc.

It is just too bad because I used to let C2C put me to sleep when I otherwise couldn't get to sleep. Now it is so political that if I listened to it it would make me angry and keep me awake.

[Yvette]

6. Where art Art Bell?

I agree with you and had to join democraticunderground so as to back you on this. I thought it might have been my imagination, but, more and more I hear strange right-wing rants emanating from my formerly beloved program, and I become disturbed and wake up. If i wanted hear my dear president being lied about, blamed for the mistakes of previous chiefs, or listen to fallacious claims and accusations, I would tune in to am radio daytime.
I was tipped off that there was one radio show on am worth listening to in 1995. I have not turned C2C off in all of these years until very recently. George Noory and John Wells are bending to politics, wacky, dishonorable, dehumanizing, weirdo tea party politics. I tried not to believe this but, seeing today's guest on the website just sparked me to click on the link in the description, which brought me to "Darwin's Racists"....That did it for me. I typed in the search "Sharon Sebastian right wing", was brought her to this site, and, clearly, no denying it any longer, Coast to Coast is inching farther and farther into right - wing foaming rabidism. I sent an email to all 3 of those listed herein, Noory, the producer, Lisa and Tom. I have written to George Noory in the past once or twice, and more recently to inquire about his choice of guests leaning right, and, he chose no to respond. This rang a warning bell. However, George Knapp, Ian Punnett, are responsible hosts, as Art Bell was. I have emailed George Knapp to praise him for being head and shoulders above the rest.
I also purchased a wireless radio so as not to lose listenership to C2C when CUMULUS replaced i in ABQ, and immediately found it odd that every station that airs the program is extremely right - wing. The only progressive am station I have ever found that airs C2C is in Taos, and perhaps in Austin. Unfortunately, the Taos station, which is only 50 miles up the Rio Grande Gorge from my house here in Santa Fe, is not connected with Reciva networking hub....So, at times I wake up to truly right ring am radio in the morning. If only Art Bell would return.

[earthside]

8. Art Bell wouldn't recognize C2C anymore.

I have emailed Noory every time he has had Jerome Corsi listed as a guest ... I won't listen, but I let him know that Corsi is a "birther bigot" and that he is endangering C2C by having him on.

I've noticed that Corsi hasn't been on in awhile, notably since the Arpaio birth certificate press conference that Corsi attended. Indeed, the beginning of the end for me with Noory was Noory's total acceptance of Corsi's abiotic theory of oil (Corsi's 2005 book 'Black Gold Stranglehold') -- what a total pile of malarky, but Noory likes it because it sticks it to 'conventional' science.

I agree with you about Punnett and George Knapp -- just a little bit of the old, classic Coast-to-Coast. I suspect that we will rarely hear Art Bell anymore, he has gone on to live another life with a new wife and child (I also suspect that Noory doesn't really want him around since he reminds listeners of C2C's golden age).

Finally, like you, when I saw and read about this Sharon Sebastian I just had to put something up somewhere and DU is the place. Why Noory would have on someone as mean-spirited, as philosophically ugly and as politically extreme as this person is beyond me. Oddly, I couldn't find a photo of Sebastian in my Google searching, but she sounds like a person very ambitious to become known as a tea party, right-wing talking head.

I also believe that we have to fight against this extreme, reactionary conservatism where ever it rears its head -- George Noory and C2C is just one more battleground.

[Yvette]

9. Listening now, looking at website C2C, and, Sharon Sebastian was removed?

I, for once, did not turn the radio on tonight until close to 1:30 am. I am very surprised to find that there is actually a great guest speaking now about astral planes,higher consciousness, leaving the body, karma and all that sort of thing. I opened the C2C website, and apparently the first guest also was a cool speaker who was NOT Sharon Sebastian. What happened? Did they boot Sharon out, or did we all have a mass hallucination? I received a response from George Noory to my email that was merely a strip of question marks. I had provided him with a link to this story, and my own protests against right - wing politics on Coast. I wrote in haste, so, typos were included. Now that there is not a trace of this Sharon Sebastian to be seen on the website, she must have been replaced? Are you listening to the show? Did she ever come on? If not, I am sorry that I avoided the radio tonight and missed the guests in total. The first hour will repeat when it is 3 am here.
So, I feel badly about emailing so many claims against George Noory and his right-winging earlier today, as, I was wrong.

[earthside]

10. Maybe the emails worked.

I also emailed Noory and the producers my concerns.

This 'Sharon Sebastian' disappeared from the show.

I want to believe that the email complaints actually had an effect and caused the change.

So, you shouldn't feel badly, but hopeful that the message has been received by C2C.

Now, we'll see if Sebastian and Corsi and the guests Noory has from World Nut Daily show-up later after the heat has died down.

You know, I'm sure Premiere and Clear Channel don't want a repeat of what is happening to Limbaugh to spill over to their only other big show, Coast-to-Coast. Maybe they will get smart and have the rightward drift of C2C halted.

[earthside]

17. Sebastian Still on C2C Web Site

'Sharon Sebastian' is still listed in the Coast-to-Coast biography section:

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/sebastian-sharon/56963

[Rosco T.]

15. Art is living in the Philippines ...

.. with his wife and new daughter. He VERY OCCASIONALLY does a C2C. Keep hoping he will start up a new show on XM, live and uncensored.

Correction... he's officially gone from C2C

plucked form the Wikipedia page -

February 2, 2012, Bell commented on the subject via a post on the Coastgab forum: "Hi there, I thought it would be ok to stop in here and say hi from the High Desert! I have had so many people send me links in email that refer to a post on this site. All is well with the Bell Family and we are doing just fine in Pahrump. As far as retirement is concerned it has been great having time with my family and my hobby. I have learned to 'never say never' but I am enjoying life." The following day he elaborated: "As for Coast, the show has changed, which from my point of view is a shame, but it is the right of the host doing the show to take it in the direction they see fit. I have had many offers to join other networks to compete if I wished BUT I have decided that I do not wish to destroy what I built, or what is left of it. I really am enjoying being retired, I can be part of my daughter's life as she grows, and it is a blast. I do miss all of you though. I am not saying I will not pick up a mic one day, just not this day. I learned long ago, never say never.--Art" Finally, when asked directly by a fan on his Facebook page if he would be returning to Coast, he stated definitively: "No I will not be on Coast."

[romantico]

16. Yes

Yes, Art has said in the past he did not believe C2C should be political and is seems like very early on (within months of him retiring and George coming to the show)he said something on the air that George had said or done. Art made it very clear he did not share his view. Can't remember what it was but that is when I first began to feel some tension. George every night use to thank his producers and Art Bell was ALWAYS mentioned. For years as a matter of fact Art was mentioned. The one night he just stopped. I've heard some guests won't go on C2C anymore.The show has gone down hill. George Noory is a piss poor host. When he opens up the lines and callers call in, they usually take over. Rarely will he interrupt and tell them to wrap it up. He lets these people on and allows them to go off and sound crazy. Art would never do that. Art would not waste the time or slow down the rythym of the show. George Knapp does not allow the callers to do this either. One thing George does that I hate is a caller will call in and give a speech before they ask their question. Art always wanted as many callers to call in and when people do that it is unfair to everyone else.

Noory does not know how to interview people and some of the questions he asks are just embarrassing.

[earthside]

18. "As for Coast, the show has changed, which from my point of view is a shame"

Thanks for finding and posting that information.

That about says it all about George Noory and Coast-to-Coast.

Last night, April 11, Mountain Daylight Time, I tuned in for a little while and Noory's guest for the whole show was Damon Vickers.

Now, Damon can provide some interesting economic information -- but Noory started out by asking Vickers at great length about his upbringing, his personal life and on and on. Noory kept going with his typical but patronizing 'enthusiasm' ... agreeing with everything Vickers said, agreements that didn't even make sense.

As much as I would have liked to hear what Damon Vickers had to say about the future of the world economy, I turned the radio off because Noory could not conduct the interview to get to the point of why Vickers was there in the first place.

[romantico]

19. What

What I hate is the first hour. He could have a decent guest on who is interesting alone without Noory interviewing them.However, that first hour is the time when he goes through the days top news stories. This is usually when he gets political or throws in a Obama dig. Not long ago I listened to some of the shows from the archive. Some topics and guests interested me and these shows go back to 2005-2008,before Obama became President. Noory PRAISED Bush and the Republicans! One show was in September or October 2008 and he went on a rant about how Bush is handling this financial crisis so well. He goes on about McCain is the only grown up handling this (talking about him suspending his campaign while he came back to DC) No criticism at all when talking about the war in Iraq and the debt and how much it costs and how the war was based on lies and no WMD, etc.

The first hour and last hour is what you have to watch out for. He gets his crazy callers to call in during the last hour. He can have a great guest on and the callers ruin it by asking dumb questions.Also, not a night goes by where at least one caller throws in some political commentary about Obama and the Democrats,meanwhile Noory allows Corsi and Alex Jones and other RW guests spew their hate while claiming he does not take political sides on his show.

[Quantess]

7. George Noory is a mediocre interviewer.

I liked Art Bell because he encouraged all sorts of wackiness (and occasionally brilliant insights) from guests, without ever agreeing or disagreeing.

George Noory missed the point, by commenting on the plausibility or lack of. He took all the fun out of it.

[Katashi_itto]

5. I couldnt take C2C for it's politics, although I have found a pretty cool Paranormal Blog:

I like their blend of stuff. Some real good journalism too. Had some great articles about Opus Dei and Rick Santorum.

www.paranormalsearchers.com

[marshall gaines]

11. surprised?

Reagan, Bush, Cheney, Rove, cowardly actions by Dims in the last twelve years in regard to Repug advances have emboldened radio show idiot commentators and wing nut authors. I fear for the future of progressives. You know they are put up against the wall first.

[romantico]

12. Art

Art won't even fill in once a month like he use to because he HATES Noory. He won't have anything to do with C2C. I have said this for years. One night George bashed Obama and Obamacare for the first hour and his callers sounded like dittoheads. It was disgusting. George has given Jerome Corsi a soapbox and has had birther portions of the show. He talks about the economy has only praises GW Bush and the Republicans.

His show has gotten worse. He has a rabid Right Winger named John Wells on the weekends now and this guy has literally said Obama is a Muslim and a Communist on C2C. He has said this and literally bashed bleeding heart liberals on the show. I have emailed Noory in the past and asked him to leave politcs out and he has emailed me denying the show has a right wing tilt. Jerome Corsi is neutral and non politcal he told me. He also has ALex Jones on a lot as well.

I listen to Mysterious Universe. The show is so much better than C2C and they actually make fun of a lot of the guests George has on his show. They have also taken some good shots and George and his lazy and gullible news casting. Give them a try.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/

Has Art officially retired? I wish he would do a podcast or a monthly radio show or something. Seems like he retires for a while then comes back. I doubt he will come back to C2C but another network or show would be great. I don't even know how to get in contact with him.

[earthside]

13. Perplexing to me ...

What I also don't understand is why Noory and Company think that the listening audience for C2C wants right-wing blather.

It just seems to me that the kinds of folks who are open to discussing (and maybe believing in) UFOs, reincarnation, alternative medicine, astronomy, etc., would tend to be more 'liberally minded' ... so to speak.

So, I think that this 'Tea Party' rightward drift of Coast-to-Coast is mostly driven by Noory's personal politics.

I also have to say though in regards to your story about emailing Noory and his response -- I'm not so sure that George Noory is the brightest bulb in broadcasting, I think that shows-up in his rather poor interviewing skills. Perhaps Noory is so surrounded by the right-wing Clear Channel crowd that he doesn't even realize the conservative tilt of his program.

Thanks for telling me about Mysterious Universe. I was thinking this morning that we need an alternative to C2C that is not political, doesn't take itself too seriously and brings back some of the good characteristics of the classic Art Bell show.

[romantico]

14. MU

MU is great. They have a free show each week plus a paid membership ($9 a month and SO WORTH IT!) Two Australian guys in their 20's who are smart,hip, and approach the subject of the paranormal with some honest skepticism. Whenever someone has a picture of an alien or a bigfoot George Noory posts it on his site and spends about 10-15minutes on his show. Always playing it up as "could this be REAL evidence?" He caters to a gullible audience (which is why his advertisers are the same as daytime HATE AM radio)

When Ben and Aaron on MU post the picture they make fun and ridicule it and tell you why it is fake. Like I said, I think one of them accused George Noory one time of drinking before his shows. MU is more objective and intelligent. Oh, and not make this a big issue but both Ben and Aaron come across as being Very Very Very liberal. Both admire Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton and just some of their views and positions sound very liberal, IMO.

You can listen to the show for free on their site. Listen to a show and see if you like it. Members have access to the archives but I warn you if you are like me you will become an addict. Some of their stories are just awesome. I recommend you listening to their show about the Dibbuk box.

This REALLY is a good and SCARY story they tell.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2009/10/episode-209-mysterious-universe/

[TuxedoKat]

20. Thanks for posting this

While I was reading through all the comments to this op, I started wondering about an alternative to C2C, because I feel that the show has really gone downhill too. The guests aren't as interesting and the shows either. It really took a nosedive lately when Ian was replaced with John B. Wells. I used to like George but he has become more political as the years have gone by.

[earthside]

21. He was right back at it last night (Thursday)

I tuned in for maybe five minutes.

Noory had on some creationist, "intelligent design" person ... and he (Noory) was tripping all over himself in agreement.

Kind of dull.

[romantico]

22. Surprisingly

Surprisingly, Art Bell re-runs are played on Saturday nights on some stations that carry C2C. I guess Art does not own the shows or content and the network can do as they please. I doubt this makes Art very happy. Still, it is nice to hear how the show use to be and how it has gone so down hill since the days Art started it.

[romantico]

23. So

So, this week alone.Check out the guests.

Saturday April 21st

In the first hour, director James Lane and writer/producer Holland Vandennieuwenhof present ignored and censored info about the Oklahoma City bombing. I can only assume this will be an anti Clinton rant about how he let this happen. Just wait and see.

Monday April 23rd

First Half: Author Dr. Jerome Corsi reveals that Nazi chemists developed a series of equations that unlocked the secrets of how oil is formed, and Germany had planned to make enough synthetic oil to wage war successfully. I'm sure he will also throw in some Anti Liberal/Democratic slurs as well as some Birther comments as well.

Wednesday April 25th

First Half: Lecturer and commentator Charles Goyette speaks about the fractured American Dream, and how our freedom and prosperity can be restored. Another show on how Obama has destroyed this country with the help of all liberals in just 3 years.

Other shows this week are how an asteroid is going to destroy the planet and Bigfoot.

Again, George Noory and John Wells have both aid on the show they DO NOT bring politics into the show and they do not take one side over the other and that they are fair and balanced.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/upcoming

[earthside]

26. Corsi again?

Wow.

I missed that Noory had the preeminent 'birther bigot' back on the show.

I really do wish there was an organized internet effort to encourage non-listenership of Coast-to-Coast.

[romantico]

27. Agreed

Agreed. I do however like George Knapp. He is more like Art and I believe he is the only one on C2C who actually talks to Art. Knapp did stories during the Bush years on black box voting,something Noory made sure he does not do anymore. Alex Jones is also a regular on C2C and George often sites Newsmax,The New York Post,The Washington Times, World Net Daily and Even the CHristian Broadcast Network as sources to stories(Seriously, he REALLY does!)

I am amused at how with all of this he still can manage to say with a striaght face that he is not biased at all and does not cater to one side politically. I've emails George so many times I think he just deletes them now.

[wavesofgreen]

28. Noory is a highly effective shill for the "hate right"

Noory’s two recurrent anti science themes that have political implications are: (1) that there is no evidence of human contribution to climate change and (2) that oil is “abiotic” (i.e. not a hydrocarbon that is created by heat and pressure on organic deposits; but, just natural gunk excreted by the Earth’s geologic processes.) The obvious common thread in these two anti science views is that oil will never run out and burning as much of it as you want is no real problem for the environment. Very comforting for people who feel powerless and those in oil companies who are, in fact, very much over empowered. Noory’s positioning is even a bit more oil industry favorable than Rush Limbaugh. This shouldn't’t come as a surprise, as most economic and political guests on Noory’s show range from the right wing to the survivalist “patriot movement” and ultra far right. Though often trying to claim that his show is apolitical, it is unquestionably one of the most effective - if not the single most effective - media outlet for the extreme right and carried within it’s conspiratorial themes are thick dose of survivalism, neo confederate theory and anti Semitism. In fact, a substantial number of guests are linked, in particular, to anti Semitic websites and conspiracy theories. The new weekend host "John B. Wells" is even more extreme and likely to extol the virtues of the hate right. Before the election, Wells even broke down and told people that they "were throwing away their vote" if they didn't vote for Romney or Obama. Given that Wells thinks an honest debate is a face off between a member of the John Birch Society and a LaRouchite "Democrat," I let you imagine which side he supported.

As Coast to Coast reaches millions a day a deeper investigation into the number of guests with extreme views on race and politics is called for. In addition, Noory is the single largest outlet for Catholic extremism among the Vatican II rejectionist movement that seeks to return the Church to the bad old days and frequently hosts members of the Catholic Church (mostly "brothers" in extremist sects).

[hrmjustin]

29. Welcome to DU, and that is a great first post.