 The term was first popularized in the late 1980s and early 1990s by conspiracy theorist and broadcaster Bill Cooper on his radio program "The Hour of the Time" which was broadcast internationally via shortwave radio stations.The program gained a cult following inspiring many individuals who would later broadcast their own radio programs critical of the American government.This then led to its regular use on the radio program "Coast to Coast AM" by Art Bell throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.