January 1, 1997: Open Lines
The night takes unexpected turns as callers debate the biblical and legal origins of laws against polygamy, with theories ranging from Mormon persecution to a banker conspiracy. A CBS radio report about asteroids breaking out of their orbits and potentially crossing Earth's path adds a note of cosmic unease. Meanwhile, the mysterious countdown signal on 940 AM in central California fuels Hale-Bopp companion speculation, and Art shares his prediction that the government will try to seize control of the internet by planting classified data online.
From flood-ravaged listeners sandbagging through the night to philosophical musings on royalty and mortality, this episode captures the restless energy of a nation stepping into an uncertain new year, with Art Bell as its late-night guide through the unknown.
Key Moments
Oregon caller: this flooding is not normal: Scott from Oregon pushes back on a previous caller who downplayed the Pacific Northwest weather, citing 64 inches of rain in 1996 versus a 37-inch norm and a snowpack double its usual depth.
Art on states' rights and medical marijuana: Responding to a listener fax, Art sides with California and Arizona voters on medical marijuana and argues the federal government should have used the votes as a chance to separate marijuana from harder drugs rather than threaten doctors' licenses.
Hacienda Hotel imploded to ring in 1997: Art recaps Las Vegas welcoming the new year with the demolition of the Hacienda Hotel, describing the explosion as looking like Independence Day.
Portland caller blames flooding on out-of-staters clearing trees: Wardance in Portland argues the floods are aggravated by transplants who bought houses and chopped down trees that would have absorbed the rainfall, turning the open-lines call into a land-use complaint.