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.
Well said, well said
i hope they do come back, but i also hope they learn their lesson: don't bite the hand that feeds.
they weren't suspended for talking crap on the air...they were suspended for telling XM mgt, in no uncertain terms, to fuck off and let them run their show their way.
they seemed to have forgotten that the only reason they were back on the air in the first place was by the invitation and good graces of XM.
Oh man, I see an O&A versus Howard comment argument coming!
I'm a Stern fan but don't want that to be any part of what I'm about to say... which is that XM and CBS Radio have to make whatever decisions their going to make based on $$$.
O&A didn't bring in many people as an extra buck a month service (42G people to be exact), and while 0.0 isn't an accurate measure of their terrestial radio audience, their ratings aren't very good there either. Now if that largely negative buzz is still considered good buzz, maybe they're worth keeping, but otherwise, they might not be worth having. After all, there are plenty of candidates who could possibly work out better.
Imus was clearly somebody who wasn't worth keeping. Big broadcasters know a thing or two about media, and Imus was strung loose to make some horrible apologies and appearances on his own when a thousand NBC execs could have told him how to smooth things over. His show wasn't profitable, he simply had staying power, and he was let loose.
I would let O&A loose, but hey, I'm a Stern fan.
Im hearing from people that called XM this week that they will start airing worst's of's on June 11th leading up to the live show on the 15th. Has anyone else heard about this happening?
I wouldn't be surprised if it was 2 hours of blueburry and almond eating with an occasional fart or newspaper rustle.
Ryan, the link for "level" points to a paris hilton story
R&F 24 hours? No thanks. But R&F, Lazlow, and a sports oriented show on another channel would kick ass! I enjoy R&F over O&A any day, as do many people i know. But i want more Lazlow damn it.
I'll be listening on the 15th.
Also, it would way to smart for XM to actually advertise O&A in the coming weeks. If they dont all that press will equal nothing. And R&F also, for the first time ever. Since they lost their gig on Free FM. At least advertise R&F on XM in NYC.
Their suspension was something about comments about XM management, not about race remarks , or the Don Imus issue . I think there's more to this story , than what's being told.
they will be back on the 15th. wackbag was doing a chicken little with fans about them not comming back.
Ryan, the link for "level" points to a paris hilton story
I wonder if he meant for the "buzz" link to point there.
I don't remember my morning drive ever being so miserable as it's been for the past month or so - 92.3 doesn't come in well enough for me until I get close to work - and by then it's usually 9am or later...
It's one thing not to have the show on at ALL, but it's ultimately worse to have it sitting on terrestrial radio ONLY (with no replays) & no reliable way to listen in the car live...
Hopefully the wackbag firing rumors are just that...
I think (like you care) that Ron and Fez having their own channel would be great.. I've grown to like their show in the absence of O&A, and I agree that if they had their own channel it would be "swell" but like XMScott think that there should be at least one other show on there (BIG ASS XM ---), but as things go at XM this won't happen, not right of way anyway..
I am in a market where their syndicated CBS show plays. I am a pretty big OA fan, and cancelled XM. That said, the CBS show has been weak, rote and uninspired since the brouhaha. I wonder if they have anything left, but I'll be curious about the 15th. RF have been fine but 24 hours of East Side Dave's wedding is getting a little old.
They are allready listing on wackbag the return of the Saturday Night Virius shows so thats a good sign. As for a 24/7 Ron and Fez channel I would love that(kind of have that now)but doubt XM will do that while the merger talks are still going thru. It will interesting to see what O&A have to say on the 15th.
I would resubscribe. But since The Virus is already on DirecTV, I don't have an incentive to re-up. BTW, I'm only using DirecTV to exploit XM's faulty business decision made at that time.
Only a brief reprieve before the heads roll. Enjoy it while you can.
I will download the XM show and will not resubscribe until I have the assurance that the XM show will be completely uncensored.
I would also like an apology from XM for removing the show for the last month, but I don't think that's going to happen.
First XM agrees to "merge" with Sirius, then they force talent to apologize for what a guest said on an uncensored show, then they "suspend" the hosts for "not taking the [obviously fake] apology seriously", and now they expect me to give them cash for a show that will mostly likely be as watered down as the CBS portion? In the words of little Jimmy, "Eat a bullet."
The boys sound just fine as an mp3.
I am a pretty big OA fan, and cancelled XM. That said, the CBS show has been weak, rote and uninspired since the brouhaha. I wonder if they have anything left, but I'll be curious about the 15th. RF have been fine but 24 hours of East Side Dave's wedding is getting a little old.
If you canceled XM, how are you listening to R&F?
I expect nothing but train-wreck radio at its very best. Full steam ahead to the next crash site, O & A. You've still got six lives to go.
Play it safe, and you'll end up like Hoo Hoo - has-been, ass-kissing sycophants.
I wonder when XM is going to stop advertising themselves as uncensored radio. They censored O&A and they censored R&F from talking about it or even mentioning thier names.
". They censored O&A and they censored R&F from talking about it or even mentioning thier names."
Did they?
Because Ron has said "Opie and Anthony" at least twice this week alone.
Ron has, but Earl won't. No matter how much Ron eggs him on.
> If you canceled XM, how are you listening to R&F?
I dunno, Google and utorrent?
It's the torrents that bite........
I'd like a 24-hour R+F channel too, but only because EVERY time I'd turn on 202 at some odd hour it was them instead of O+A. Maybe if they did that I'd MAYBE consider coming back after weeks of monitoring. Either way this whole thing sucks, XM sold us out. FUCK XM.
Slacker Personal Radio is the fucking FUTURE, watered down corporate BULLSHIT is the past......
"Either way this whole thing sucks, XM sold us out. FUCK XM."
And O&A will be sellouts for coming back?
> And O&A will be sellouts for coming back?
That depends on how things end up. I think they are actually being smart adults (for once) right now. They love radio, they want to being doing it for years to come. Things could blow over, or they could get worse.
Bottom line: if the XM show is suffering because of gag orders, the pests will not let them off the hook. Then we see what happens. I'd almost like to see them come to a deal where they buy out the rest of the XM contract in exchange for rights to the shows. Reneg with CBS, and do the uncensored part online and then later online/download exclusive show. It's lame, I know - but it gives them control of their delivery and can be TRUE uncensored.
Plus, that way I get to do everything in my power to FUCK XM. I was such a great walking ad for them too. Their deep playlists, great hardware, etc. I've spent easily over $600 on hardware from this company and my earliest problem with the service became a reality. "Well, since it's ONE company (as opposed to a handfull on terrestrial) - if they go to shit what do I do, cancel and scrap the hardware?"
I guess I'll find out soon.....
there done with xm if they come back or not. they were never happy with the merger talk and with wackbag telling their fans to block the merger why have them on if the merger doesn't go through. the honeymoon was over between o/a and xm when o/a went to cbs radio.
and they said that they could do a radio show going around the cenorship of cbs radio and it sounds like their fans on this site are not too happy listening to it.
I hope they come back and are totally uncensored but I don't see that happening (uncensored part) I DO know that the backlash XM received played a huge roll in them ultimately not getting fired.
I for one won't be renewing my XM, based on the way they treated me as a customer alone(refusing to turn my radio off, even after numerous calls). What a fucking disgrace of a company.
> they said that they could do a radio show going around the cenorship of cbs radio and it sounds like their fans on this site are not too happy listening to it.
I didn't mind the cbs side before the XM BS, it allows them to get bigger interviews on the "safe" side - but you knew they could let it all out at XM.
Post XM BS their cbs show has been off (yesterday was better), and you can tell they miss the XM show and are akward keeping their mouths shut.
It's definitely no coincidence that the O & A suspension occurred at the same time that Xirius (anyone who knows anything knows that Hoo Hoo and Special K were involved) was courting the endorsement of several very important minority groups. Too bad that the Xirius management's racism prevented them from even considering the possibility that the National Black Chamber of Commerce doesn't care what a homeless black man said about Condolessa Rice on the Opie and Anthony show. (Thank you, Patrice O'Neal for letting some of the tidey whitey people know this.)
Preserving and increasing the diversity of programming on satellite radio is their primary objective. They aren't trying to make satellite radio the PC piece-of-shit that Xirius will make it.
Down with the merger. Long live O & A.
MeatF
R&Fez are available on the Audible download that I already paid for with O&A, Sorry I wasn't more clear.
lc
I have loved the 24/7 Ron and Fez. If XM offered a channel like that, it would be hard to choose. I did find myself listening to R&F in the morning over the O&A KRock show. I would probably be flipping back and forth with each break.
Will be nice to turn my XM radio back on, on the 15th. It's currently just gathering dust as while I listen to more then O&A, I refused to listen to XM at all for the 30 days.
Wow it is so nice to see the Stern fuckos haven't been spewing forth their usual 0.0 shit in the comments. As for O &A, I am definitely waiting to see what's going to happen on the fifteenth. I think what a lot of you guys are forgetting is that good radio is good radio, censored, or uncensored. Yes, I do agree that XM did a bullshit move by suspending them so I'm in no way defending that. However, if all you're focusing on is their ability to say "fuck" and "shit" all the time, you're missing the point. If you want raw uncensored comedy, buy yourself a Richard Pryor album and listen to that. O & A have the ability to do good radio even if they can't use language that regular radio won't let you use. If they couldn't, they would've been gone a very long time ago. I'll definitely be listening on the fifteenth when they come back, you bet. I wouldn't expect them to start swearing right away when they hit the XM airwaves either, they tend to like to start slow and get back into the swing of things. So if the first words out of their mouth aren't "fuck" or "shit", I wouldn't say they're being censored. Give it time, and give them time to get back into doing the XM show.
"However, if all you're focusing on is their ability to say "fuck" and "shit" all the time, you're missing the point."
If you think censorship is only about "fuck" and "shit", you're the one missing the point. Dump buttons make for dumb radio.
Can some O&A fans please explain why you are so anti-merger?
Wouldn't the possibility of expanding their possible audience be a good thing?
Wish you guys could understand the whole story. Things aren't nearly as simple as you think they are.
"
Can some O&A fans please explain why you are so anti-merger?
Wouldn't the possibility of expanding their possible audience be a good thing?
"
Because, in my opinion and i think O&A's they are done once Mel/Howard take over. My honest thought, i refuse to pay Howards contract. That and the fact i refuse to lose my XM music channels to cheaper more favorable repeated play lists. Its all about me.
lol @ wbl and the link.
I oppose the merger because I do think it reduces competition.
Ron and Fez have the ability to be funny. They were hilarious when they were on O&A. But their own show, the Eastside Dave and Friends Show, just sucked. It got to the point where I'd change the channel on the radio BEFORE I got out of my car in the morning so that I wouldn't even hear a moment of their show accidentally when I got back into the car at lunch. God that show sucked! Eastside Dave is just a male (and I use that term loosely) hole.
I listen to O & A on 97.1 here in Detroit and the show is fine. Of course it would be better uncensored. ANY SHOW is better uncensored.
By the way; I think the decision to do the cbs show in addition to xm was a great idea. Basically, the cbs show was like a preview show for the xm show. Sorta like an O&A lite, and if you like it, go to xm and get the full strength. Of course now the full strength will be watered down to 3.2 .
I canceled both my subs the day the suspension started. I turned on the show to hear the replay and the Eastside Dave and Friends Show was on so I called xm to find out what was going on.
I was/am willing to PAY for radio service that is commercial free and uncensored. When the boys needed to take a break, they played commercials and I let it slide. Now xm is censoring them, and make no mistake, if this is a suspension over things they said, regardless of whether it was about xm management or the homeless guy, it IS STILL CENSORSHIP. I can hear censored, commercial filled radio for free.
But I’m a reasonable man. xm can get me back - for a price. $5.00 a month for the main sub, $2.50 for each additional sub. That’s my final answer Regis.
I'm sorry, but ESD is NOT just a 'male hole' - he certainly plays that part now & then, but for the most part it's tongue & cheek.
The guy cracks me up and he *obviously* wouldn't be around if he wasn't generally entertaining - think about how quickly R&F dispose of interns on a regular basis, and their purpose isn't even to be funny...
O & A are just a couple of Howard Stern wannabe's. They're hacks. How could anyone stomach these two copy-cats. Aren't you ashamed to be listening to a cheap, unfunny imitation of Howard Stern? XM should just dump O&A and welcome the day when they get to be part of Sirius and revel in their association with the Howard Stern, the original.
Everyone who owns XM should cancel their subscription immediately and start listening to Howard 100 and Howard 101 on Sirius. It is so much better and funnier.
Oh gee look, a new record. Only took 2 whole days worth of posts before irrelevant stupidity revealed itself.
I'm not a Stern fan by any stretch of the imagination and i think he is full of it; but at the same time he should speak out against all this censorship because who nows; his head might be on the block next.
It's past time that everyone grew up, got a thicker skin and let it go. Free speech is free spech no matter who it offends we have the right to say what we want and if people don't like it don't listen.
The government and these special interest groups are turning this country into a police state. Thhink about it. The smoking ban is going spreading like wildfire, "Shock-Jocks" are being silenced for speaking their minds and giving their opinions. No one is duct taping us down and making us listen to O & A we can change the channel if we're offended.
I may be wrong but women have the right to choose abortion shouldn't we have the right to listen to raunchy, politically incorrect, occassionally sexist radio for entertainment. They never claimed to a "News" channel. Why is this such a big deal? Do you really think Ms. Rice; the first lady or anyone mentioned on the fateful day really listens to O&A?!?
If XM & sirius merge the consumer will be Siriusly screwed!
I'm a bit behind as I was in Jacksonville, FL all week and unable to check Orbitcast. The hotel's WiFi didn't work for shit with my braille device, so...
It'll be interesting to see if the rumor about Worst-Ofs starting on Monday is true...I certainly hope so; about five seconds of Ron and Fez is about all I can take before I won't to hurt someone...Though, I agree with XMScott, that an R&F/Lazlow/sports show thing on another channel would be cool. Through in Patrice's Black Phillip and Bill Burr's "Uninformed", and it could be a really cool thing...Take 202 back to being exclusively O&A with replays and various worst-ofs throughout the day. Maybe once CC gets their hands off XM, 152 could be turned in to Virus 2 or Buddy Nation for R&F or something.
Pete wrote:
"I don't remember my morning drive ever being so miserable as it's been for the past month or so - 92.3 doesn't come in well enough for me until I get close
to work - and by then it's usually 9am or later...
It's one thing not to have the show on at ALL, but it's ultimately worse to have it sitting on terrestrial radio ONLY (with no replays) & no reliable way
to listen in the car live...
Hopefully the wackbag firing rumors are just that..."
I agree...It's even worse living on the west coast, three hours behind NYC, with no terrestrial affiliate...I've taken to downloading MP3's of the show from various sources and loading them to my iPod...Otherwise, my wife just wants to listen to either a Harry Potter book or Flight 26 on our way in to work...God, the 15Th (or even worst-ofs this week) can't come soon enough.