While fans were well aware of the return of Opie and Anthony yesterday, many questioned whether the shock jocks would be censored by XM following their suspension.

DCRTV reported earlier this week that XM would impose a 3-second delay following the duo's return. Their sources said that the delay was supposed to allow XM to dump out of "overly offensive" subject matter - something the XM vehemently denied.

Opie and Anthony directly addressed the subject on yesterday's XM show, saying that it's "business as usual" and they will be "allowed to do the show that we know and love."

"They have given no content restriction," added lil' Jimmy Norton. "XM, they really do stand by being uncensored."

Read a full transcript of the conversation after the jump...

With the return of Opie and Anthony live to XM Satellite Radio coming this Friday, there has been wide speculation that XM will be looking to control the show's content in a post-Imus radio environment.

Yesterday, sources told DCRTV that XM is planning to implement a 3-second delay for the Opie & Anthony show when the duo returns following a month-long suspension.

"That way if they go into a rant about a particular subject that XM may find overly offensive, (XM management) can dump it. F-bombs, live sex, and the like will still be allowed, but no more rants regarding political leaders," sources told DCRTV.

But XM vehemently denies these reports.

"That is not accurate," XM spokesman Chance Patterson said yesterday. "We will not be censoring Opie and Anthony."

[Washingon Times] 

XM Satellite Radio has sent out an email to subscribers, as well as posted a message on their website, about the return of the Opie & Anthony show on XM, starting tomorrow. 

During Opie and Anthony's suspension, they continued broadcasting live on CBS Radio - something that the XM Nation didn't get to hear. Starting tomorrow, XM will begin broading a compiled "Best of" for O&A's CBS shows from the last few weeks.

Starting on Monday, June 11th through early morning Friday, June 15th, XM air these “Best of” O&A CBS shows at multiple times throughout the day. Ron and Fez also air live, and with encores broadcast throughout the day as well.

The on Friday, June 15th at 6am ET, the Opie and Anthony show will return live to XM, and the regular schedule will resume.

For any fans pests that canceled their subscriptions as a result of the suspension, XM will waive the reactivation fee (by calling 1-800-XMRADIO) through June 30th.

Check out this week's revised schedule for The Virus (ch 202), after the jump...

[The Virus]
Thanks Plum! 

In less than 10 days, Opie and Anthony's suspension will be lifted and they'll be back on the air. That's the assumption of course, even amid rumors of their impending firing (rumors I was never able to validate myself).

The question remains as to the "state" of the show following the suspension. Will O&A be neutered as a result of the suspension? In a post-Imus world of radio scrutiny, it's hard to say. Sources at the company have said that the suspension was actually not a result of the pending Sirius-XM merger. Afterall, Howard Stern's high profile show, and contract, has more than enough reputation with conservative regulators that suspending O&A over "indecency" is a moot point. Regardless, a neutered show is just not the right approach.

Will XM throw O&A fans pests an olive branch with a 24-hour Ron & Fez channel? Now that XM has had the chance to test the waters of the popularity of an R&F-only channel (minus is mind numbing replays), it may be a good effort to regain some of the disenfranchised - not to mention offer an alternative to O&A for that demo. The hardest of hardcore fans may never return to XM, but Ron & Fez now have had exposure to the morning drive audience, and this is a good opportunity to gain some additional traction.

All in all, there really is no such thing as bad PR (especially for O&A, who can now can lay claim to being the only "shock jocks" who went too far in unregulated territory). The level of online buzz driven by the suspension of Opie and Anthony was astounding last month, and it would be silly not to maintain the momentum.

Either way, on June 15th, the XM Nation will be listening.