In the first hour of this all-Open Lines program, Art discussed news items and a major riot in St. Petersburg, Florida, caused by an incident where a Black motorist was shot and killed by police. Art asked for anyone in Florida who could shed some light on this to call in. He offered commentary on Bob Dole's campaign and the 1996 presidential campaign. He also reported on frog deformities and environmental pollution. The Pope at the time (John Paul II) was lending his support to the theory of evolution, and one caller thought the Pope's comments had to do with anomalies on Mars. Another caller shared an odd hypothesis about the frog mystery.

After seeing a report in the Rocky Mountain News about "The Art Bell's Listener Hotline," Art called the number out of curiosity. On the first attempt, he dialed a wrong number. His second attempt was successful, and a prerecorded message featured the opening music from "Dreamland," and details about an upcoming event for Art Bell fans to gather. A later caller said the way to change America was to vote for a third party. Art replied that there was no alternative party attracting enough people. The caller thought it was because the media is not getting the word out enough about other ideologies.