A Piece Of Art Bell's Legacy At Stake In NJ Lawsuit

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Riddick
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A Piece Of Art Bell's Legacy At Stake In NJ Lawsuit

Post by Riddick » 05-10-2021 11:49 AM

Is it a shadowy conspiracy? An alien plot? Longtime Art Bell listeners might suspect so, only this is no conspiracy - it's a court case concerning ownership of a collection of the Radio Hall of Famer's final shows before his retirement in 2015 & 2018 death.

In one corner is David Rubini, a fast-talking on-air talent who styles himself a former protégé of Bell’s & his disciple on the radio mic. Rubini’s nemesis, Michael Marshalek, is a conspiracy radio fan turned anti-face-mask crusader. Rubini says less than a year ago, he effectively ran Dark Matter Digital Network, Bell’s last radio venture.

In court documents, Rubini declares himself its rightful owner, saying he agreed to buy the network with Marshalek’s help. But the deal went south, with Marshalek seizing the company and archives of Bell’s last 100 shows, according to the suit.

“I’m not even in it for the money,” Rubini said. “I just want to keep the tradition, the heritage.” Marshalek did not respond to requests for comment. In court documents, he denies that the company was stolen and that Rubini is its rightful owner.

Rubini’s path crossed with Bell’s after the Texas man started working for John B. Wells, who was a fill-in host on "Coast-to-Coast AM." That led to a producing gig for Rubini on Dark Matter, a streaming service launched to broadcast Bell’s new show, "Midnight in the Desert," and other conspiracy-minded content.

"Midnight in the Desert" shuffled hosts for years after Bell’s departure. With the production company in need of a revamp, a friend put Rubini in touch with Marshalek, a fan of Bell's and Dark Matter. He had no radio experience, according to Rubini, but offered financial help and wanted to keep the program running.

The case seems poised for a prolonged battle: According to Rubini, the two struck a handshake agreement in March 2020 for Marshalek to buy the service at $80,000 and then sign it over to Rubini, who would pay back the loan with no interest.

Rubini’s suit says he spent months as Dark Matter’s operations director and executive producer. During that time he picked a replacement for "Midnight in the Desert" and introduced "Best of Art Bell,” a daily broadcast of Bell’s old shows.

But by July, the lawsuit alleges, Marshalek effectively shut Rubini out as Dark Matter’s chief. He changed all computer passwords and “hijacked” instructions on show format, music hosts, the board operator and social media posts, the suit states.

Rubini says he thought Marshalek would be a silent lender who just wanted Dark Matter to flourish, but his opinions have changed. “He’s a nutball,” Rubini said. Of late, Marshalek faces charges for allegedly holding his 5-year-old son captive during a police standoff over COVID restrictions.

The streaming service is currently run by Marshalek, who has installed new hosts and updated the Dark Matter website, according to Rubini. As an added slight, Rubini claims the network no longer broadcasts Bell’s old shows.

“They’ve lost the whole value of the legacy. But I’m going to build it back up,” he said.

FULL STORY

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