LOS ANGELES — Dave Navarro told XBIZ Thursday that his “Dark Matter” radio show will return on PlayboyRadio.com next Wednesday, and that he was unaware going into his scheduled broadcast last night on Sirius XM Channel 102 that it was not going to make it on the air.
According to an announcement on SiriusXM.com/PlayboyRadio, Playboy Radio is no longer available on the satellite network, as of March 14. That came as a surprise to Navarro, who began doing his show that usually goes from 9 to 11 p.m. PST on Wednesday, before a caller actually notified him that the station had gone dark.
"Thankfully, normally I bring adult entertainers on the show," Navarro explained. "I initially talked about having Skin Diamond and Asphyxia Noir on last night’s program, but thank god I wasn't able to put it together."
Navarro said that Diamond and Noir would be his first two guests on "Dark Matter' next Wednesday night.
Manwin, which began managing Playboy Radio and its other digital businesses in November 2011, indicated that the Playboy Radio channel went off the air Wednesday night because the contract had expired.
"We went dark per the end of our contract with Sirius," Manwin spokesperson Kate Miller told XBIZ. "We will be launching a streaming player of our shows shortly."
Navarro said that according to his information, he thought Playboy Radio would remain on Sirius XM 102 through Friday.
“I think what was happening last night was Sirius pulled the plug on me, two days early, for what reason I don’t know. I think they pulled it on me because they wanted to send some kind of corporate message," Navarro said. "All I am is an on-air personality. I love doing my show. As far as the corporate arm-wrestling game goes, I have nothing to do with that. Needless to say, we were pretty unhappy about it.”
Navarro continued, “We were broadcasting as usual… my show is very listener-caller-generated, so we found out about it because somebody called in to tell us that we weren’t broadcasting.
“We start at 9 p.m. They pulled the plug at 8:59. Somehow I feel that it’s a back-handed compliment. That’s how I’m taking it. I don’t know the corporate side of things, and I don’t care to know. I just feel bad for the fans that record us that got screwed."
But Navarro said there is a bright side.
"The good news is PlayboyRadio.com is launching and going to be stronger and better than ever. All of their original content will still be available through the site, plus there will be different premium access areas," he said.
"So I am really proud to be with the Playboy team. They are doing everything they can for their listeners and to make this a more accessible and user-friendly format."
The well-known guitarist for Jane's Addiction has been a fixture in adult industry circles for more than a decade, frequently hosting red carpet shows and various events. He said his “Dark Matter” radio show has been on the air in some form, whether on Playboy Radio or elsewhere, for the past five years. Navarro has been doing live radio once a week for the past 10 years.
“I love it. It’s my favorite medium, it really is,” Navarro said. “It’s live and interactive and you can’t take anything back or cut anything. What happens, happens and it’s out there immediately. Even when you go see live music these days, half of that is on tape. It’s really rare to get a truly live experience nowadays, but radio is one of the few remaining realms where that happens.”
He added, “Who said what, did what, I don’t know. I show up in the studio and do my show, and I do it because I love it. I don’t do it for money or glory. It’s a hobby that allows me the opportunity to meet really cool people and talk to our listeners.”
Wicked Pictures contract star Jessica Drake also confirmed that her show, "In Bed With Jessica Drake," would continue on PlayboyRadio.com. The day and time slot will be announced soon, she said.
