Jim Southwick n7js, Shuts Down Online Tuner

Copied and pasted directly from Jim’s site http://www.jimandleah.com/

After 5 years and much thought and consideration - JimAndLeah's User Controlled Online Tuner is no longer. Due to increasing costs, equipment issues, age of computers (requiring eventual repairs and upgrade) and most of all - time debt, I have made a decision to take things down. I may re-visit the whole thing in the future, but I would like to tackle other learning curves at this time. The online tuner was fun, but I took it about as far as I could take it (including 2 major published articles). I simply don't find joy unless something is progressing and advancing. It is unfortunate that the whole hobby of user controlled online tuners has taken some massive hits as of late. With the demise of DXtuners, a great resource was lost and I am hesitant to throw more water on it. It is the technical aspects, costs, and upkeep that separate these unique mechanisms from mere audio streaming - hence the commitment level is much much greater. It's this aspect that frankly makes them overly abused while being under appreciated. I do want to say however, that I have appreciated those that have supported me over the years. This came in the form of encouragement, links, and financial support. I am grateful. I'm not one to just completely yank the carpet, so my site will still exist and will be a dynamic ever changing medium - depending on my whim. Within the next few days it will be converted to display live weather data from sensors around my home. I will also be streaming live police and fire for all you excitement fanatics. It may not be as entertaining as 75 meters, but it will have to do for now. I may expand this to include other audio streams from those interested in participating and ultimately push it all at my forgotten site - www.hamstreams.com In the meantime, don't forget about www.smeter.net which is probably one of the last (if not the last) site that has a focus on consolidating controllable radio's. I know that was his ultimate goal, and it is my hopes that the future holds more of these vs. mere audio streaming.

Well, it seems that is exactly what Jim has done “yanked the carpet” and added to the demise of both Ham Radio, and Short Wave Listening.

Though I have ‘sensed’ this was coming for a long time, as Jim just hasn’t seemed interested in providing this ‘service’, (and that’s what it was, a service) for quiet a period of time.

I did notice that the above statement is all about ‘Jim’, his costs, his time, his fun. There seemed to be no concern for others, or the effect such a move would have on anyone but himself. Is everyone involved in Ham Radio a clone of narcissistic artie, w6obb?

Wonder how many will be interested in ‘live police and fire’ from Ogden UT? Or weather data from Jim’s home? I guess Jim will...
Should we all just pack it in? (This includes both HAMS/SWL’s many of whom have equipment, but just get poor reception.) Or will there be folks out there who will set up dedicated, live streams of their fav frequencies?

MORE on artie's w6obb Latest Retirement

Wow, it would seem there is an epidemic of ‘warm fuzzies’ going around.

Twenty-year Premiere Radio Networks veteran Kraig Kitchin announced he’ll leave the network as president/COO IMMEDIATELY (Charlie Rahilly is taking over for him on 7.11.07) and will exit the company later this year. Kitchin cited the desire to focus on “family, friends, and new challenges” as reported in TALKERS MAGAZINE http://www.talkers.com/main/

Rumors have it that Kitchin was involved in padding the ‘ratings’ for some of Premiere Radio’s shows, including arties. Which, supposedly was revealed AFTER Premiere Radio hired Arbitron, and the discrepancies were found.

It does seem to be strange that artie suddenly (rumor has it that he gave Premiere Radio ONE HOUR'S notice) decided to ‘retire’ almost the same day that Kitchin stepped down, or was asked to step down.

Both Kitchin and artie gave almost the same stated reasons for their actions. Artie specifically cited ‘that he had found love’ and wanted to enjoy whatever time he had left with his ‘family’. Did these two men confer and decide what they were going to say?

It would seem that artie has had 'love' and 'family' and has walked away from them many times before. He had love with his first wife, Sachiko Toguchi in the early 1960’s. He had a son, Vincent Pontius. He had a daughter, Lisa Pontius.

He walked away, from 'love' and 'family' leaving them to fend for themselves, according to a Philadelphia Weekly article by Steve Volk published online for the week of July 4-10, 2007 http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/14998

Then there is Art Bell IV, (Scooter) born to artie’s second wife. He walked away from that 'love' and 'family' also. (‘Scooter’ Bell is reportedly living in Las Vegas.).

Now he has AGAIN, walked away from his show, Coast-to-Coast AM, leaving a lot of people (listeners, fans, radio execs) in the lurch. Did he do this for ‘love’, or did he do it because he was implicated in a ‘ratings’ conspiracy, or simply because with much lower ratings, he would be making much less money for his few hours of work per week?

And, As all of us know too well, artie has walked away from his 'life long love' Amateur Radio, seldom being heard on the bands any longer. Dropping people that thought they were his friends like a rock, folks who came running when he needed their help after Ramona Bell died (and that death is still a question in my mind).

Does this sound anything like a man capable of ‘love’? Or does this sound more like an egotistical psychopath? An immoral one at that (or is that redundant?).

Art Bell w6obb, Retires Again

Last night on Coast-to-Coast AM, artie announced his immediate retirement from the popular radio program. I am not sure that anyone actually knows how many times he has done this now, I have certainly lost track.

Yep, he is retiring EXCEPT for ‘fill-in’ shows and ‘specials’ he may be called on to do. (Now I ask, is that retirement?)

This time, his STATED reasons for retiring were (paraphrasing here):
- he has ‘found’ love.
(uhhh, love is NOT turned off and on like a faucet)
- he wants to spend whatever time left that God grants him, with Airyn and Asia
(in other words to keep Airyn on her knees, and I don’t mean in prayer, artie needs to placate her with travel and other un-boring things)
- he is eligible for Social Security
(someone out there needs to find out what Airyn and Asia will be eligible for Social Security wise, as a wife and child)

However, reading between artie’s lines, I hear:
- they needed the medical insurance, but now that the child has been born
- the rumors of LOW weekend ratings may well have been true
- perhaps he proved more of an embarrassment and liability then an asset to Premier Radio
- perhaps artie was ‘asked’ to retire
- artie has lost his Coast-to-Coast AM ‘touch’, for proof, just listen to a couple of his old shows and compare them to current shows. Recent shows sound forced, and seem scripted
- Airyn is leading him around by the uhhh, nose
- artie is in dire need of an antidepressant

While listening to his ‘announcement’ of his ‘immediate retirement from the week end Coast-to -Coast AM, I was struck by a couple of things. First off, I did predict this ‘ending’ weeks ago. Secondly, his reasons were all about HIM. Indeed, in any of his retirements, he did not consider the results of his actions on anyone but HIMSELF. I cannot remember that he ever a voiced a thought about his fans, the show, or its producers or owners, only what artie wanted.

Also during this announcement, artie claims to have a ‘small circle of close friends’. (Are three people a ‘circle’ and do relatives, even if only by marriage, count?) I cannot help but wonder who those would be, (especially if you eliminate those wishing to spend his money) as many of the people who once called him friend are not only disgusted, but also done with him.

But, cheer up folks, all is not lost! Maybe Airyn will enjoy traveling her new country in the death mobile RV! (She does not seem to mind living in Ramona’s house, on Ramona’s furniture, or stepping into Ramona’s life. How very, very sad for her; expect more babies and perhaps a nervous break down for her within years.)

Then too, maybe artie and the other members of the new ‘elite’ group that seems to be forming will show up on 3.720 with more regularity to enlighten and entertain.