XM Radio Suspends Opie & Anthony

[Scott Greczkowski]

XM Radio Suspends Opie & Anthony

WASHINGTON and NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Radio announced
today that the company has suspended Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia,
hosts of "The Opie & Anthony Show" and ceased broadcast of the show for 30
days, effective immediately.

XM Radio deplored the comments aired on "The Opie & Anthony Show" last week.
At the time, the company strongly expressed its views to Opie and Anthony, and
they issued an immediate apology.

Comments made by Opie and Anthony on yesterday's broadcast put into question
whether they appreciate the seriousness of the matter. The management of XM
Radio decided to suspend Opie and Anthony to make clear that our on-air
talent must take seriously the responsibility that creative freedom requires
of them.

As a company, XM provides customers with tools to control what they listen to
on XM. "The Opie & Anthony Show" appears on one of XM's explicit language
channels (XL). Whenever a radio is tuned to an explicit language channel, the
letters "XL" continuously appear on the screen. XM frequently mentions on its
explicit language channels that the content may be inappropriate for certain
listeners and tells how to "block" channels that feature this type of
content. Channel blocking is available through xmradio.com or by calling
1-800-XMRADIO.

About XM Satellite Radio

XM (NASDAQ: XMSR) is America's number one satellite radio company with more
than 8 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in
Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, the Country Music Hall of Fame in
Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2007 lineup includes more than 170
digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music,
premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment
programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the
automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai,
Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota, is available in 140 different
vehicle models for 2007. XM's industry-leading products are available at
consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM
hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/.


SOURCE: XM Satellite Radio

 

[Peter Parker]

Wow!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I dont agree with this. In fact I must say I am a little upset about this.

Did O&A say something off color? YES
Do they say something off color everyday? YES

Was the off color remarks aired on regular radio? NO

O&A Aired on their on channel on XM which was labeled as an adult content channel. In addition between commercial breaks they had commercials telling people how to block O&A from their Xm Radios.

America is supposed to be the land of free speach, but as of late Free Speach seems to be only things which Al Sharpton says are ok. And I am not ok with that. This was a ADULT COMEDY SHOW where people were joking around and make off color comments for the entire show.

What is happening to this country?

 

[navychop]

Theocracy is creeping in.

There was a time when the church's word was law and religion ruled the world. It's called the Dark Ages.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am hearing a rumor that when O&A come back channel 202 will no longer be listed on your radio, instead if you want to listen you will need to call XM and Opt In to hear their show.

How stupid is that.

 

[psumattDE]

This is F'ING rediculous. I listen to O and A every day.

This whole country is turning into a hypocricy.

This is almost enough to make me cancel XM and move to Sirius.

 

[chicagofilms]

I think it has more to do with their reputation and the fact that nobody wants to cause any waves with the merger in doubt. It is also a great way to set them up for being let go as a means to save money.

IMO, it disturbs me that any action would be taken on someone on satellite. It sets a very bad precedent.

Before anyone tries to say it is setting them up to fire them just to make Howard Stern happy, he's already said many times he would not want them fired if the merger goes through. Despite the fact he finds them unfunny, untalented, and they have said some very rude things about him and his girlfriend, he does not like to see anyone fired (since it happened to him so many times).

I think it's just a means of CEOs keeping things smooth to avoid any merger issues.

 

[Neutron]

XM is just afraid that if they didn't do anything to rectify this, their merger with Sirius wouldn't go through.

This should never have happened.

 

[Peter Parker]

We have a right to free speech but not a right to a particular platform. they went one step too far and in light of the merger and the Imus uproar XM decided that while O&A may ahve had the right to say that they have the right to suspend them too.

In this case I assume that they will be back. BTW they supposdly said something yesterday that made XM doubt the sincerity of the apology last week. What was that?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I dont think they went a step to far, if you listen to their show what was said was kind of tame compaired to a lot of what the show normally is.

Hell listen to anything that Lil Jimmy Norton says on the XM show and its worse than what the said that got them suspended.

I hate political correctness. Its a damn ADULT COMEDY SHOW.

 

[GweeDo767]

I have Sirius so I don't listen to O&A (yet), but this kind of stuff is just crazy. What did they even say?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Basically they asked a homeless guy what his fantasy was and he basically said (in clean terms for SatelliteGuys...) he would like to have sex with Condiliza Rice.

Whoopie.

Man I should sue XM next time I hear them play a COMEDY ROUTINE on their comedy channels that makes fun of FAT or UGLY people. (I fall into both categories)

 

[psumattDE]

I totally agree with you Scott. XM just lost a 3+ year customer.

As soon as I can get the XM receiver swapped out of my Murano I'll be cancelling.

 

[gcurbelo]

Freedom of Speech?
WOW! China sounds like a great place to live.

 

[Weezknight]

I am completely floored by all of this. I'm a Sirius subscriber, but I usually listen to O&A on Free-FM at work in the mornings.

XM has every right to suspend them for breaking any sort of rules or contractual agreements. However, those rules need to be made clear ahead of time. What was said was no different than many other comments they've made, and they've never had this type of reprimand before.

I am shocked beyond belief by the series of events that have occurred over the recent months from Imus, to JV & Elvis, to this. The ridiculousness has to end.

 

[BobMurdoch]

This is the merger talking....... Mel wants his merger and teh holy rollers from the red states can help derail it.

The problem is that 30 days won't placate Sharpton and his ilk..... The only thing saving O & A is that satellite radio is not sponsor driven.... The few they have could care less about the protected groups boycotting them... i don't think "Horny Goat Weed" was being bought much by them anyway (or other products of that type that they seem to have).

If CBS pulled them from free radio, it would hurt but not kill them..... They had XM before this and could go back to that easily....

We'll see what happens now..... Hey, get Imus on the line, he can take their slot for a month since he is free......

 

[Peter Parker]

Actually it was more than just someone saying that they would like to have sex with Condoleeza rice. they wound up describing a fairly violent sexual encounter with her


I don't know that the bit really called for this but in the midst of the merger approval XM's reaction is not all that hard to fathom. I would not have suspended them but let's discuss this rationally. no one is sying Xm or O&A. XM is taking an action against an on air act. It is what it is.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Meanwhile, they get to sit at home for a month still collecting their paychecks.....

How do I get one of those deals?

 

[DetFan]

Basically they asked a homeless guy what his fantasy was and he basically said (in clean terms for SatelliteGuys...) he would like to have sex with Condiliza Rice.

Whoopie.

Man I should sue XM next time I hear them play a COMEDY ROUTINE on their comedy channels that makes fun of FAT or UGLY people. (I fall into both categories)

Yea, umm, it was a little more harsh then that. Sex with rice is not even close, and did you forget about the other stuff they said?

No room for that stuff anywhere.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If you don't like it you have the option to block the channel.

What they said was kind of tame compaired to some of the things I have heard on that show.