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A big part of the XM show was the "Assault on the Media", led by ] to provide the show additional exposure. On May 19, 2005, show intern Nathaniel showed up behind ] of ], and was coincidentally joined by ]. The disruption caused Chi'en to shout "What the fuck is your problem, man?" while the cameras were still on. This incident got the show nationwide press. Chi'en was fired a few hours later. | A big part of the XM show was the "Assault on the Media", led by ] to provide the show additional exposure. On May 19, 2005, show intern Nathaniel showed up behind ] of ], and was coincidentally joined by ]. The disruption caused Chi'en to shout "What the fuck is your problem, man?" while the cameras were still on. This incident got the show nationwide press. Chi'en was fired a few hours later. | ||
On ], ], XM suspended Opie & Anthony for 30 days, in response to a broadcast that featured a homeless man rapping about having sexual intercourse with ] and ].<ref name="xmsuspend"></ref> CBS radio (terrestrial radio) |
On ], ], XM suspended Opie & Anthony for 30 days, in response to a broadcast that featured a homeless man rapping about having sexual intercourse with ] and ].<ref name="xmsuspend"></ref> CBS radio (terrestrial radio) continued to air the show from 6am-9am (eastern time). | ||
Fans have reacted to the news by canceling their XM Radio subscriptions. The day the suspension was announced, callers to XM Radio Customer service experienced lengthy hold times.<ref></ref> In addition, some sponsors have pulled their advertising off XM, in protest of the suspension. <ref></ref> | Fans have reacted to the news by canceling their XM Radio subscriptions. The day the suspension was announced, callers to XM Radio Customer service experienced lengthy hold times.<ref></ref> In addition, some sponsors have pulled their advertising off XM, in protest of the suspension. <ref></ref> |
Revision as of 18:04, 22 June 2007
Radio showFile:Opieandanthony.jpgGregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia | |
Genre | Talk, Comedy |
---|---|
Running time | ~5 hours per episode, Monday through Friday 2-3 hours are exclusive to XM Radio |
Country of origin | United States |
Home station | The Virus (XM202) WXRK (92.3 K-ROCK in New York City) See affiliates below |
Starring | Gregg "Opie" Hughes Anthony Cumia Jim Norton |
Created by | Gregg Hughes Anthony Cumia |
Executive producer(s) | Steve Carlesi |
Original release | March 27, 1995 – present |
Opening theme | Street Fighting Man by Rage Against the Machine |
Website | http://opieandanthony.com |
Podcast | audible.com |
Opie (Gregg Hughes, b. May 23 1963) and Anthony (Anthony Cumia, b. April 26 1961) are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing on XM Satellite Radio, XM Canada, DirecTV, and syndicated on terrestrial radio stations nationwide. It is co-hosted by stand up comedian Jim Norton. The show is currently based in New York City; it was previously on WNEW-FM in New York, and prior to that, on WAAF-FM in Boston.
The show airs weekdays live from 6am ET through 11am. The first three hours of The Opie & Anthony Show (at 6-9 am) are broadcast from CBS Radio's WXRK 92.3 K-ROCK studio in New York. They then continue their show from 9am through 11am, on XM Radio Channel 202 "The Virus". If the live show is not running long, a "worst-of" segment will be broadcast from 11am to 12pm. Replays are available throughout the day on their XM channel as well as on Direct TV channel 879.
On April 26, 2006, Opie and Anthony returned to the terrestrial airwaves after a four year absence, replacing CBS Radio's David Lee Roth Show, which aired mainly on the East coast of the United States. On August 1, 2006, they replaced the low-rated Rover's Morning Glory in Chicago. Syndication of The Opie & Anthony Show is handled by Robert Eatman Enterprises.
Background and history
Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia were both raised on Long Island, New York in Centerport and Elwood respectively. Hughes graduated from SUNY Geneseo and for the next seven years, interned and worked at several upstate New York radio stations before deejaying at rock station WBAB on his native Long Island. Although he did not not initially host a talk-show, Hughes did experiment with certain talk elements, including a character named "Spuds Buckley". Cumia dropped out of high school and was barely making a living as an HVAC duct worker when he began performing songs with his brother Joe. One of Cumia's first breaks, and consequently a break for the then Opie Show on Long Island's WBAB, was Cumia's appearance on the legendary Howard Stern show in the late 1990s. Stern's approval of Cumia's Jackie the Jokeman impression drew attention to Hughes' show on WBAB, where Cumia also performed the impression. Hughes and Cumia would later call Stern "washed up," although they both previously said Stern was a major influence. In August 1994, Hughes received an entry during an O.J. Simpson parody song contest. The song was entitled "Gonna Electric Shock OJ" (sung to the tune of Otis Redding's "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay") by a local band known as Rotgut, for which Cumia was the lead singer. It became a hit on Hughes' show, and he invited the Cumia brothers to the studio to play live. This sparked many further appearances, where "Ant & Brother Joe" jumped at any airtime opportunity available. Soon afterward, Hughes and Cumia became a radio team. Hughes' show was called "The Nighttime Attitude," and aired from 8 p.m.-midnight on WBAB. . Shortly after Cumia's arrival, it was proposed to the station's management that the show be moved to morning or afternoon drive, the two most listened-to timeslots in radio. When the station refused, Hughes and Cumia moved the show to afternoon drive on WAAF in Boston, where they premiered on March 27, 1995 as Opie & Anthony (O&A).
WAAF-FM
Among Opie and Anthony's most notable Boston stunts was when they hyped a giveaway of "100 Grand" for weeks. When they finally gave away the prize, the winning caller laid into the duo with biting invective after he realized the repairs he needed to make to his truck would be un-affordable with a 100 Grand candy bar instead of $100,000.
The duo was fired in April 1998 from WAAF for an April Fool's Day prank involving Mayor Thomas Menino. Opie and Anthony told their listeners Menino died in a fiery car accident while vacationing solo in Florida. Many believed the story, leading Menino to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission, as the FCC prohibits the broadcast of knowingly false information if it causes public harm . WAAF suggested that the duo have pies thrown at them while being held in town square stocks. The idea was summarily dismissed by the mayor's office. Facing a possible license challenge, WAAF fired them, but Opie and Anthony promised that they would return to Boston and get revenge.
WNEW-FM
In June 1998, O&A were back on New York station WNEW-FM, where they became a top 10 afternoon drive show in New York by 2000. WNEW's ratings had been sagging for the last three years, and the duo was virtually the only thing keeping the once-proud station relevant on the New York radio scene. The duo's success led WNEW to switch to a hot talk format in 1999, and station owner Infinity Broadcasting (the radio unit of CBS, which was owned by Viacom) soon made plans to introduce the format to several of its other FM stations.
In 2001, O&A signed a syndication deal with Infinity to syndicate their show on 22 stations nationwide, including WBCN in Boston, longtime rival of WAAF. Former friend of the show Andrew Dice Clay then introduced O&A to Jim Norton, a comedian who toured with Clay and opened for him. Norton was a hit and soon became a regular on the show, appearing three or four days of the week.
O&A hosted the short-lived "XFL Gameday" - the pregame show for Vince McMahon's startup football league - for four weeks in February 2001. The half-hour show aired nationally on Saturday nights on select NBC affiliates prior to the evening's games. The show was taped on Wednesdays at the WWF's theme restaurant in Times Square, and was open to the public. It featured analysis by WNBC sportscaster Bruce Beck and New York/New Jersey Hitmen head coach Rusty Tillman, but also featured plenty of raunch. One particular segment featured O&A as chefs, inserting a cucumber in between two melons. O&A were almost banned from Giants Stadium for life during the filming of one episode when they imitated a proposed XFL rule where first possession was determined by placing the ball at midfield and having two opposing team-members attempt to get it. O&A did this as the Star-Spangled Banner began to play before a game. They said that the $100,000 cost of making each new show was the cause of its demise, though no official reason was given for its cancellation.
The duo also promoted "The Voyeur Bus," a mostly glass bus carting naked women through Manhattan. The stunt was harshly condemned by Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The FCC fined Infinity in June 2002 for three "patently offensive" O&A broadcasts, including one referring to incest between a man and his daughter. Another stunt, "W.O.W." ("Whip 'em Out Wednesday"), encouraged women to show their breasts in public.
Sex for Sam
One of O&A's stunts was "Sex for Sam," a yearly contest where the goal was to have sex in notable public places in New York City. Couples from various states would be selected to be followed by a comedian or member of the show, who would call in to the program to report the location. The contest was sponsored by Boston Beer Company, maker of Samuel Adams beer; prizes included trips to Boston concerts sponsored by Sam Adams. The contest was approved by the station and had no major problems for the first two years.
However, in "Sex for Sam 3," comedian Paul Mecurio encouraged Brian Florence and Loretta Harper, a Virginia couple visiting Manhattan, to have sex in a vestibule at St. Patrick's Cathedral on August 15, 2002. When a security guard ordered Mecurio and the couple to leave the church immediately, Mecurio began to argue with the guard, who then called police. The couple was arrested and charged with public lewdness. Intense media scrutiny led to the Catholic League demanding that the duo be fired. The Catholic League also threatened to get WNEW's license revoked.
The pair broadcast for one more week but were not permitted to refer to the incident for legal reasons. (O&A still talked about it on the air, calling it instead "pb&j" or "the peanut butter and jelly incident").
On August 22, Infinity fired Opie and Anthony and permanently canceled the show. However, it continued to pay the duo for staying off the air for the balance of their contract. The Catholic League immediately dropped its bid to revoke WNEW's license.
The repercussions of the incident were widespread.
- Infinity was fined $357,000 by the FCC--the maximum amount allowed by law, and the second-largest indecency fine in American radio history. It refused to pay the fine (McConnell, Bill (2003-11-24). "Infinity to FCC: We Won't Pay Fine". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved 2007-04-13.
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(help)) - Infinity later scrapped its plans to offer talk radio on its FM stations.
- WNEW's ratings, already dreadful aside from Opie and Anthony, dropped below even those of noncommercial stations and never recovered. The station returned to playing mostly music in January 2003, and has since changed its calls to WWFS.
- Florence died of a heart attack in September 2003; Harper pleaded guilty a month later to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to seven days' community service.
XM Satellite Radio
Opie and Anthony returned to the air on October 4, 2004 exclusively for XM after two years of being off the air. Initially, the show was offered to XM subscribers at a premium cost of $1.99 a month, to which they found some resistance. In April 2005, "High Voltage" became part of the basic XM subscription. There are no numbers available with respect to the number of premium subscribers. Hughes gave some indication, however, when he told the Long Island press in 2006, "we went from having a show that was syndicated in 17 major markets to having a few thousand.", which did not help to clear up the discrepancy.
On April 17, 2006, DirecTV ceased airing XM 202 (The High Voltage Channel) on their satellite TV service, citing subscriber requests for more music channels and less talk and sports channels. However, not even a week went by before inside sources stated that due to the overwhelming response demanding O&A's return to DirecTV that the channel would be restored on April 26, 2006.
The hosts mentioned frequently on the air that they hated the name "High Voltage", as it was picked by one of the company lawyers. They had been trying to get the name changed but were unsuccessful for the first 2 years until Eric Logan announced on their October 4, 2006 broadcast that High Voltage would be renamed "The Virus" because the pests demanded it starting November 20, 2006.
O&A's XM contract has been renewed until October 2010.
A big part of the XM show was the "Assault on the Media", led by The Pests to provide the show additional exposure. On May 19, 2005, show intern Nathaniel showed up behind Arthur Chi'en of WCBS-TV, and was coincidentally joined by Crazy Cabbie. The disruption caused Chi'en to shout "What the fuck is your problem, man?" while the cameras were still on. This incident got the show nationwide press. Chi'en was fired a few hours later.
On May 15, 2007, XM suspended Opie & Anthony for 30 days, in response to a broadcast that featured a homeless man rapping about having sexual intercourse with Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush. CBS radio (terrestrial radio) continued to air the show from 6am-9am (eastern time).
Fans have reacted to the news by canceling their XM Radio subscriptions. The day the suspension was announced, callers to XM Radio Customer service experienced lengthy hold times. In addition, some sponsors have pulled their advertising off XM, in protest of the suspension.
The duo's month-long suspension from XM ended on June 15th, 2007, and they returned to XM's airwaves on that date.
Return to broadcast radio
After an 18-month run on XM, The Opie & Anthony Show began simulcasting on XM Radio and various terrestrial radio stations from 6 am to 9 am EST. From 9 am to 11 am (and on some days up to noon), the show will be broadcast exclusively on XM Radio. XM listeners are able to hear the show uncensored the entire time (except when the main feed is "self censored" from the hosts), however from the 6-9 slot, the FM-only listeners will hear an FCC-compliant version of the show. In the initial Arbitron ratings released since their move to terrestrial radio, The Opie & Anthony Show doubled Free FM's ratings in the New York City market in the month of May. In Philadelphia O&A achieved a threefold increase in the month of May over David Lee Roth's April performance with listeners, ages 18-34. In Boston, they doubled the listeners of all ages and achieved an even larger increase in younger demographics.
Since the initial uptake, ratings increases have been tepid, leading on-air discussions of the topic. An unintended consequence of splitting time between FM and Satellite Radio has been a drop off of ratings in the shows following Opie and Anthony in the afternoon slot. One proposed solution has been to extend The Opie & Anthony Show an additional hour on FM stations.. The addition of the show did not immediately help XM subscriptions, with subscription targets falling since the simulcast began.
On July 17 2006, Opie and Anthony also signed a deal with Citadel Broadcasting in which the first three hours of the show would be broadcast on nine of Citadel's rock stations..
Rockstar Games gave the cast and crew of the show voice parts in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, including Club Soda Kenny as the voice of Derek the Dodo. The only exception was Jimmy Norton because he was given a voice role in another Rockstar game Bully.
Run-ins with the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission has twice fined O&A for broadcasting material deemed to be in violation of decency standards. The first fine involved several November 2000 - January 2001 airings of a jingle produced by Dru Boogie, a DJ who regularly appears on the show. This fine also found a segment of "Guess What's In My Pants," as well as a song entitled, "I'm Horny for Little Girls" to be indecent. The fine was for $21,000. O&A's second FCC violation - the "Sex for Sam" broadcast - set a precedent for being the first time that a fine was issued to each individual station that aired the alleged indecent material. The total was $357,500; $27,500 against each of the thirteen CBS Radio/Infinity-owned stations that broadcast the show. Infinity appealed both fines, and later, its parent company Viacom entered into a $3.5 million agreement which cancelled all indecency violations pending against it. The show has not been in trouble with the FCC since.
Program content
Opie and Anthony often comment on American sociopolitical and popular culture. Their popular "cringe" style of entertainment has earned them the sobriquet "shock jocks". Hughes, Cumia and Norton broadcast for approximately five hours per day. Generally speaking, Opie sets the daily flow of the show and introduces topics, while Cumia and Norton provide color commentary. The show has few limits, and covers a wide array of topics interactively, with a great deal of time devoted to callers, and sound bites sent in from listeners. With the re-emergence of terrestrial radio, however, the trio have been more conscious of what might be censored. This has led to the "dump report", a segment on XM where the specific content of censored bits is lamented. Some of the more hardcore O&A fans, nicknamed "Pests", have been known to go to extreme grassroots efforts to promote the show.
Friends and regular guests on the show include Adam Ferrara, Bill Burr, Patrice O'Neal, Brian Regan, Robert Kelly, Bob Saget and Rich Vos, all of whom have substituted for Norton when he has left New York to pursue his stand-up comedy and acting. Frequent guests include Colin Quinn, Stephen Lynch, Joe Rogan and Jay Mohr. Host Anthony Cumia does impressions of various personalities such as Charlton Heston, Don West, Sylvester Stallone, Sam Kinison, Popeye, Andrew Dice Clay, Tom Brokaw, Ronald Reagan, Mike Tyson, Tony Danza, Christopher Reeve, Robert Reed, Regis Philbin, Don Imus, The Greaseman and Howard Stern. O&A's style and jokes typically target males in the 18-49 demographic.
The song that is played at the beginning of both the FM & XM show is Rage Against the Machine's song "Street Fighting Man", a cover of the Rolling Stones's song of the same name.
Film references
O&A's show features many inside jokes that a new listener may not immediately understand. There are many references to films, The Shining being one of the most prominent. Other films referred to include The Silence of the Lambs, Pulp Fiction, The Accused, Boogie Nights, American Psycho, Blazing Saddles, Bad Lieutenant, Ed Wood, Jaws, Platoon, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Death Wish, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Schindler's List, Caddyshack, The Godfather, Mondo Topless, and anything starring Robert De Niro (most notably The King of Comedy).
Staff
- Steve Carlesi, Executive Producer (aka Martini Steve, Steve C, Steve Carr, Steve the Bear) - Steve has worked with O&A since 1998. He also runs FoundryMusic.com , which covers Opie and Anthony news, music (especially metal) news, and porn industry news. Steve was the lead singer of the band "Foundry", who had a song called "Pendulum". His acting ability is often showcased on the daily broadcast for humorous effect.
- "Club Soda" Kenny Feder, Security - 22-year retiree of the West Orange, New Jersey Police Department. Feder met O&A while working for Andrew Dice Clay. Feder was cleared of departmental charges for conduct unbefitting of an officer when a video tape of his off-color act was sent to his superiors. Feder faced losing his upcoming 25-year pension. Feder's defense was that he kept his real name and law enforcement ties secret while performing comedy. Was part-time member of O&A's security staff since the summer of 2004, and joined O&A full-time in 2006 following his fully-reinstated retirement. Is often ridiculed for his "oafish" demeanor.
- Erik Nagel, Senior Producer (aka E-Rock, Sex Bagel, iRock, or Hawk) - Hired from Day 1 of the show coming to XM Radio.
- Nathaniel Bryan, Senior Producer (aka Than) - Joined the show as an intern when it resumed airing in October 2004, and was hired full-time in July 2005. Also the co-host of The Than and Sam Show.
- Travis Tefft, Producer - Former intern who became a regular staff member.
- Danny Ross, Producer - Former intern who became a regular staff member. Danny originally started as a writer for Foundry Music and Carlesi brought him on board as an intern. Also produces the 'Saturday Night Virus'.
- Derek Blair, Producer - Former intern who became a regular staff member. Derek does not appear on the show to the same extent as the rest of the staff, as his primary responsibilities include finding and playing music clips and sound bites for the show.
- Sam Roberts, Associate Producer - Former intern who became a regular staff member. Also the co-host of The Than and Sam Show.
- Roland, Guest Booker - Books all of the guest stars on the show. Roland becomes extremely nervous in front of a microphone, so most of his statements made on the show are brief, muddled phrases. Best known for the phrase "It's out ... Friday. Wide."
"Characters" of the show
- Pat from Moonachie (Patrick Philbin) - A 42-year old, 340-pound self-employed courier with 9 toes (due to diabetes), who became a friend after winning O&A's first annual Eggnog Drinking Contest. Philbin consumed 70 double shots of egg nog and subsequently vomited. He is a competitive eater, ranked 20th in the world by the I.F.O.C.E and placed 10th in Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. The "Baby Bird" video which came about from the 2006 Eggnog Drinking Challenge earned him infamy and caused him to be barred from the I.F.O.C.E for his "effluvic interchange." This banning proved to be quite short, as the I.F.O.C.E. seemingly had enough of the onslaught of email and other communication from the O&A Pests. Philbin's banishment was rescinded and he was eventually re-instated on December 6, 2006. Pat also has an anus that appears red and open with lots of dead skin hanging around it, which made comedian Bob Kelly vomit for 15 minutes.
- Stalker Patti - A 52-year old virgin who is often subjected to degrading humiliation on the show. She used to live in the studio at WNEW under the stairs for a period of time. Since then she got a job at Godiva Chocolates but was fired when new management decided to use her as a fall girl. She also appeared on the Maury show in November 2005. Recently she has pleasured herself on air.
- Big A (Andrew) - A tall, overweight Bronx cab driver with a speech impediment (he has a severe stutter, especially when trying to say words that begin with the "st" sound).
- Lady Di and Marian (AKA the Retarded Laverne and Shirley) - Fans of the show who call in frequently. Friends since high school, they have some of their own sayings that make sense to nobody else (ie, "Ying yang party!"). They do not have XM receivers and therefore their appearances have been intermittent recently. Lady Di has an alcohol problem she says she is trying to work on, despite the fact she has repeatedly failed to complete rehab programs. Recently homeless and living behind a supermarket in New Jersey, but as of October 2006, she is no longer homeless.
- No Filter Paul — A British man who works for Jimmy running his merchandising, claims to have "no decency filter." Notable for his original appearance with his wife, where they discussed many aspects of their sex lives. Was also one of the more successful 'Assaults on the Media' competitors, disrupting several live shots. Also known for taking a potent laxative and then walking up 57th Ave. to the XM studio wearing almost nothing but a diaper, then proceeding to excrete the contents in studio.
- Steve from Yellowstone - (AKA Ben from Boston, Danny from W-Town, Jimmy from New Jersey, Erik from Breathtown, Po from Jersey, etc.) Fake characters that are voiced by Norton. Occasionally used to mock and insult bad guests on the phone or in the studio.
- Tippy Tom - A homeless man from the streets of New York. Tippy Tom is a drunk homosexual, who once claimed to have AIDS, but has since retracted that statement. O&A once had him showered, given fresh clothes, a fresh haircut, and a shave. Currently, he is still homeless, he is "AIDS free" and has introduced Grey Wolf to the show. He is known to sing old songs and has been a part of "Homeless Radio" and the "Homeless Shopping Spree".
- Grey Wolf - Grey Wolf is primarily known for his song "Shelter Me", an improvised song about Tippy Tom's life. Combined with Dru Boogie's background music, the song has achieved moderate success, even receiving play on XM's Blues Channel and leaving fans demanding a longer, complete version. As of now, there is no complete studio version because, according to Dru Boogie, Grey Wolf has trouble hitting his notes.
- Louis "Twitchels" Centanni - A comic who has Tourette's Syndrome. Nicknamed "Twitchels" by Nicole Richie. He is compelled to jump when the word "jump" is spoken or written. Twitchels also has obsessive compulsive disorder. Has made appearances on The Tonight show with Jay Leno and was featured in a 2006 episode of MTV's series True Life.
- Andrew (Treat Yourself!) - Andrew is a homeless man from Goa, India who sits outside of the 92.3 Free FM studios in New York. Andrew, whose last name is unknown, is currently in the US "without papers". O&A, their staff, and fans have often extended their generosity to Andrew during the walk-over portion of the show by giving him money and food. Andrew's greatest claim to fame was an incident where he offered O&A a piece of a fresh cake he had obtained. Andrew magnanimously said "Treat Yourself!" (which later became an O&A catchphrase). Delighted by the look of the cake, but horrified at where it may have come from, they all politely refused. Shortly thereafter, Opie jumped an estimated half a foot off of the ground and landed dead center in the middle of the cake, squashing it. Andrew, lamenting, declared "I earned That Cake", thus creating yet another catch phrase which would be used on the show. After this incident, Andrew disappeared for several weeks and finally re-appeared on the show in November 2006 to the relief of many. However, despite the fact that his whereabouts and the cake squashing story and video were a much talked about topic on the show, he did not recall the incident at all. He was on good terms with O&A and was supposed to take part in the 2006 Homeless Shopping Spree, however he did not show up on time for the bus ride to the mall, even though he was reminded for weeks about the shopping spree. It is important to note, O & A never gave Andrew a specific time to meet for the show. He claims to have waited from 8:30am to 11am (the usual timeframe where he would normally meet O & A), but the show started at 1pm, later than usual, due to a protest march led by Al Sharpton. He hasn't appeared on the show since.
- Big Kev - Big Kev is the "Resident Geek" of the show. Occasionally interviews B-list celebrities by asking them very dull or geeky questions. Interviews usually take less than a minute and include just a single question trying to encompass as much as possible.
Other enterprises
Demented World
A CD released in November of 1997 which includes a compilation of bits done on WAAF.
The Opie & Anthony Traveling Virus
Main article: Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour (2006) Main article: Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour (2007)The Traveling Virus was a comedy tour headlined by Opie and Anthony, as well as friends of the show, that began in 2006. In its first year, it spanned several locations in the eastern United States during the summer. The tour will happen again in 2007 and is expected to visit 10 cities through the spring and summer. It was an event they had talked about for many years, but were never able to bring to fruition until they made their latest deal with CBS radio.
Cringe autobiography
Opie and Anthony have long talked about the possibility of being involved in writing an autobiography called "Cringe". Although Amazon.com has a listing for the book, this still remains a hypothetical project.
Controversies
- April Fool's Day: On April 1, 1998, while still on WAAF in Boston, O&A, over the course of their show, announced that the mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, had been involved in a car accident in Florida and died. Things came to a head after Menino's daughter called the station believing the story to be true. They were fired the next week.
- W.O.W.: During their WAAF years, O&A established "W.O.W.", short for "Whip 'Em Out Wednesdays", which encouraged women to flash their breasts to anyone with a W.O.W. sign. As a result, it was common around Massachusetts to see cars with stickers, signs and even painted on letters.
- Voyeur Bus: Several members of their crew, including frequent guest Lewis Black, third member Jim Norton, and then-producer Rick Delgado were arrested for being on the transparent "Teen" Voyeur Bus, where six young teenage women were flashing all over Manhattan in 2000. Mayor Rudy Giuliani called the Voyeur Bus stunt "stupid".
- Homeless Shopping Spree: In late 1999, shortly before Christmas, O&A held the first "Homeless Shopping Spree". It has since become an annual event. This bit consists of a dozen of New York's homeless, each given several hundred dollars by the show and much more by the fans, and are taken to a wealthy mall, most notably the posh Mall at Short Hills in Short Hills, New Jersey. They are allowed to buy whatever they want including warm clothes and other items they would not normally be able to afford while being cheered on by the thousands of listeners who show up. During the first Homeless Shopping Spree, the mall's reaction was to close down many of the nicer stores and eventually force the twelve homeless men out of the mall. The event returned to the Mall at Short Hills on December 16, 2006. Boston mayor Thomas Menino claimed outrage of the event. He stated that the Homeless Shopping Spree degraded and humiliated the homeless contestants, and that it was immoral to hold such an event on the same day the city was to count the homeless.
- "100 Grand": Early in their radio career together, O&A declared a contest one afternoon at WAAF that the 107th caller would receive "100 Grand". They continued this bit throughout the show, careful of never saying "$100,000", only "100 Grand". When the 107th caller got through, he was ecstatic, thinking he had really won $100,000. He shouted happily that he was planning on buying a new truck and could barely speak, due to his shock in winning. He was furious when Opie told him it was only the 100 Grand candy bar and proceeded to shout and curse on air.
- The Eggnog Drinking Challenge: An annual challenge where contestants have to drink as many shots of eggnog as possible before vomiting. On December 1, 2006, during the Challenge, Pat from Moonachie drank 76 double-shots of egg nog and subsequently vomited all over prospective intern Pat Duffy's mouth. This has been dubbed the "Baby Bird," and became a popular hit on both the O&A website as well as Break.com due to Youtube's initial refusal to carry the video.
- Condoleeza Rice, Laura Bush & Queen Elizabeth II: A homeless man making a guest appearance on the XM version of the show described how he would like to have sexual intercourse with the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, First Lady Laura Bush, and Queen Elizabeth II. In the wake of the Don Imus firing there has been speculation that O&A may be fired following the bit aired on their program May 9, 2007 which featured the actual homeless person "Homeless Charlie" saying of Condoleeza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth that he'd "love to fuck that bitch." On their Friday show, Opie and Anthony apologized for the bit by saying, "We apologize to the public officials for comments that were made on our XM show on May 9. We take very seriously the responsibility that comes with our creative freedom and regret any offense that this segment has caused." On May 15, 2007, XM suspended Opie and Anthony for 30 days.
Station listings
The show's first three hours air from the WXRK studio in New York City. Markets are arranged from largest to smallest.
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. |
Calls | Freq. | Branding | Format | Market/Market Rank | Timeslot | Group Owner |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Satellite Stations | ||||||
XM | 202 | The Virus | Uncensored Talk | United States, Canada | Live 6A-12P ET Adjust for time zone |
XM Satellite Radio |
DIRECTV | 879 | United States | ||||
BELL | 202 | Canada | ||||
TELUS | 202 | Canada | ||||
Terrestrial Stations | ||||||
WXRK | 92.3 MHz | 92-3 K-Rock | Rock | New York NY / 1 | Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WCKG | 105.9 MHz | Chicago's FM Talk Station | Hot Talk | Chicago, IL / 3 | Live 5A-8A | CBS Radio |
KYCY | 1550 kHz | KYOURadio | Talk | San Francisco, CA / 4 | Tape 10A-1P | CBS Radio |
WYSP | 94.1 MHz | FREE FM 94-1 WYSP | Hot Talk/Rock | Philadelphia, PA / 7 | Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WJFK-FM | 106.7 MHz | 106.7 FREE FM | Hot Talk | Washington, DC / 8 | Tape 10A-1P | CBS Radio |
WKRK-FM | 97.1 MHz | Live 97.1 FREE FM | Hot Talk | Detroit, MI / 10 | Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WBCN | 104.1 MHz | WBCN 104.1 The Rock of Boston | Active Rock | Boston, MA / 11 | Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WTZN-FM | 93.7 MHz | 93.7 The Zone | Hot Talk | Pittsburgh, PA / 23 | Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WKRI | 92.3 MHz | K-Rock | Alternative | Cleveland, OH / 25 | Tape 3P-6P | CBS Radio |
KXTE | 107.5 MHz | Xtreme Rock Radio | Modern Rock | Las Vegas, NV / 32 | Tape 10A-1P | CBS Radio |
WSKO-FM | 99.7 MHz | The Score | Sports Talk | Providence-Warwick- Pawtucket, RI / 38 |
Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WSKO | 790 kHz | |||||
WPBZ | 103.1 MHz | File:Triangle-red.gif103.1 The Buzz | Alternative | West Palm Beach- Boca Raton, FL / 46 |
Live 6A-9A | CBS Radio |
WEDG | 103.3 MHz | 103.3 The Edge | Active Rock | Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY / 52 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WZNE | 94.1 MHz | The Zone | Alternative | Rochester, NY / 53 | Tape 2P-5P | Entercom Communications |
KHYT | 107.5 MHz | ROCK 107.5 | Classic Rock | Tucson, AZ / 61 | Live 4A-7A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WKLQ | 107.3 MHz | Pure Rock | Hard Rock | Grand Rapids, MI / 67 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
KBZU | 96.3 MHz | 96.3 The Buzz | Hot Talk | Albuquerque, NM / 70 | Tape 3P-6P Replay 2A-5A |
The Last Bastion Station Trust, LLC |
WAQX-FM | 95.7 MHz | 95X | Active Rock | Syracuse, NY / 82 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
KRDJ | 93.7 MHz | Rock 93-7 | Classic Rock | Lafayette, LA / 102 | Live 5A-8A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WTRX | 1330 kHz | Sports Xtra 1330 | Sports Talk | Flint, MI / 125 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WCYY (WCYI) | 93.9 MHz | Portland's New Rock Alternative | Alternative | Portland, ME / 167 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting |
WMOS | 104.7 MHz | File:Triangle-red.gifThe Wolf | Classic Rock | New London, CT / 171 | Live 6A-9A | Citadel Broadcasting (LMA: Mohegan Sun) |
WPXC | 102.9 MHz | Pixy 103 | Rock | Cape Cod, MA / 189 | Live 6A-9A | Nassau Broadcasting |
WCYI | 93.9 MHz | Portland's New Rock Alternative | Alternative | Lewiston-Auburn, ME / 280 | Live 6A-9A | The Last Bastion Station Trust, LLC |
File:Triangle-red.gif - Show is NOT streamed via the internet.
- This station is pending a sale from its group owner.
Former affiliates include WXYT, KLLI, WAZU and KIFR.
References
- Robert Eatman Enterprises
- http://www.foundrymusic.com/braincandy/displaymedia.cfm/id/6990
- Deitz, Corey. "Radio Bloopers, Screwups, Outtakes and Embarassments - Series 2". Your Guide to Radio. About.com. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
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(help) - FCC hoax policy
- http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10F15FB39550C708DDDAE0894D0494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fM%2fMenino%2c%20Thomas%20M%2e
- XM Satellite Radio Media Room
- http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/07/cathedral.sex.ap/index.html
- http://www.longislandpress.com/?cp=40&show=article&a_id=7091
- Opie & Anthony Return To DirecTV
- wackbag.com post
- ^ XM Radio press release announcing Opie and Anthony suspension
- Listeners shocked by XM hosts' suspension
- Sponsors pull advertising over O&A suspension
- http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=206195
- http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=232699
- http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-06-22T222655Z_01_N22386482_RTRIDST_0_MEDIA-OPIE-ANTHONY.XML
- http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--opieampanthony0623jun23,0,7406949.story
- http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/06/24/opie_and_anthony_give_bcn_a_boost?mode=PF
- http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=290858
- Motley Fool - Sanjaya, Sirius, Sinatra, and Stern
- Opie and Anthony Ink Deal With Citadel
- http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2002/DA-02-1336A1.html
- http://www.cwfa.org/articles/4685/CWA/pornography/index.htm
- http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2003/FCC-03-234A1.html
- http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/FCC-04-268A1.html
- C, Steve (2004-11-30). "REQUIRED VIEWING: ESSENTIAL FILMS FOR THE OPIE AND ANTHONY SHOW". Foiundry Music. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
- A full list of Movie Quotes and References
- http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/newjersey/story/5909846p-5924041c.html
- "Patrick Philbin Eater Profile". Retrieved January 26.
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suggested) (help) - "Eater Review Panel Recommends Philbin Reinstatement". Retrieved January 26.
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suggested) (help) - http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=3136
- No holiday humor in radio pair’s jollies over degrading homeless Boston Herald
- Deitz, Corey. "Radio Bloopers, Screwups, Outtakes and Embarassments - Series 2". Your Guide to Radio. About.com. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - http://www.foundrymusic.com/opieanthony/displayheadline.cfm/id/10805/div/opieanthony/headline/2006_EGG_NOG_CHALLENGE__Photos_and_Videos.html
- "Outrage as guest on 'Opie' show sez he'd rape Condi & Laura". Retrieved May 11.
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ignored (|access-date=
suggested) (help) - Shock Jocks "Opie And Anthony" Still To Air On Monday After Broadcasting Homeless Man's Remarks About Raping Public Figures, AHN, May 14, 2007
- Market Rank according to Arbitron Market Rankings
External links
- Official Sites
- OpieandAnthony.com The Opie & Anthony Show official site.
- XM Satellite Radio (XM 202 "The Virus" - The Virus Homepage)
- 923KRock.com - Opie and Anthony on WXRK 92.3 FM's official site.
- MySpace.com/OpieandAnthony Opie and Anthony's official Myspace site.
- Youtube.com/user/OAvideos Opie and Anthony's official Youtube account.