Opie and Anthony

Opie and Anthony is an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001.[1][2] The show originated in 1994 when Cumia took part in a song parody contest on Hughes' nighttime show on WBAB on Long Island, New York. After subsequent appearances, Cumia decided to pursue a radio career and team with Hughes to host their own show.

Opie and Anthony
Genre
  • Talk
  • comedy
Running time3–5 hours
Country of originUnited States
StarringGregg Hughes
Anthony Cumia
Jim Norton (2001–2014)
Produced byRick Del Gado (1998–2002)
Steve Carlesi (2004–2009)
Ben Sparks (2004–2006)
Erik Nagel (2006–2014)
Sam Roberts (2009–2014)
Original releaseMarch 1995 (1995-03) – July 1, 2014 (2014-07-01)
Opening theme"The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone
"Street Fighting Man" by Rage Against the Machine

The first incarnation of the show was a three-year stint in afternoons at WAAF in Boston, from March 1995. After an April Fools' Day prank that led to their firing, Hughes and Cumia relocated to afternoons at WNEW in New York City in 1998. They gradually reduced the amount of music and adopted a talk format, incorporating "shock jock" humor and regular appearances by stand-up comedians. The show became the highest rated afternoon show in New York City, and became nationally syndicated from 2001 to a peak of 17 stations. In August 2002, the show was cancelled for a controversial incident during their annual Sex for Sam contest. Infinity Broadcasting kept the hosts off the air for two years, preventing them from being hired elsewhere.

In October 2004, Opie and Anthony returned to the air in mornings on the uncensored subscription-based XM Satellite Radio from New York City. From April 2006 to March 2009, the first half of the show was simulcast on as many as 24 terrestrial radio stations owned by CBS Radio and Citadel Broadcasting. On July 3, 2014, the show ended after SiriusXM abruptly fired Cumia for a series of tweets that it deemed controversial. Cumia started his own show, The Anthony Cumia Show, while Hughes and Norton remained at SiriusXM to host Opie with Jim Norton. In 2016, the pair split to pursue their own shows on SiriusXM. Hughes was fired from SiriusXM in 2017, and pursued his own podcast.

History

1994–1995: Origins and WBAB Long Island
Hosts Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia in 2007

In mid-1994, Gregg "Opie" Hughes was the host of The Nighttime Attitude, a late night music radio show on WBAB on Long Island, New York.[3] In an effort to capitalize on the extensive media coverage of the murder trial of O.J. Simpson, Hughes held a song parody contest for listeners to submit entries based on the trial. Among the thirty or so submissions that he received, one of them was "Gonna Electric Shock O.J." to the tune of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding, performed by Rotgut, a local band featuring Anthony Cumia, a construction worker, on vocals and his brother Joe.[3] The latter travelled to the station while Hughes was doing his show to submit a cassette tape of the parody, and only allowed Hughes to take it.[4] The parody became a hit with the audience, who asked for the song to be played each night. As a result, Hughes invited the Cumias to perform the song live in the studio in September 1994. Recalled Hughes, "Ant and I instantly had each other the rest of the show. I was like, 'Holy shit, dude. That went pretty well. Why don't you come in next week?' Slowly but surely, he started coming in every week".[3] Using the little funds available at the radio station, Hughes secured a small budget for Cumia to be paid for his appearances, though to Cumia, the money was not an issue as he "just wanted to get a foot in the door" in radio.[3]

"I knew Ant had talent the first day I met him. I couldn't fathom that he wasn't in radio or doing anything in the entertainment field. It just amazed me."

—Hughes on his initial meeting with Cumia.[3]

After Cumia made several more appearances on Hughes' show, the two entered discussions to become a full-time radio team. Hughes had wished to evolve his show to "more than just me on the radio", and knew it could be achieved with Cumia's on-air personality. Cumia accepted, and Hughes pitched the idea to WBAB management with the intent of moving to the morning or afternoon slot, but it was declined.[3][5] During this time Ron Valeri, the program director at rock station WAAF in Boston, Massachusetts, went to Long Island to visit family and heard the two on the air. He called Hughes and offered them a spot on WAAF.[6] Hughes then assembled an aircheck from tapes of their first shows together, and sent them to WAAF and another station in Dallas, Texas. Both stations wished to hire the duo, which led to their departure at WBAB.[7] WAAF general manager Bruce Mittman recalled that he "almost drove off the road laughing" from listening to them,[8] and subsequently hired them to take over afternoons from Liz Wilde.[3][9] Before they left WBAB, the station offered Cumia to take over Hughes' night shift, which the two later saw as "a scumbag move" as their bits (excerpts) were being played on the morning show without their permission.[10] Hughes was cautious about moving as he felt unsure if the show's success would translate to a new radio market.[11] Cumia ended his manual labor job, and threw his tools out of his car window while driving in hope of never returning to it.[12]

1995–1998: WAAF Boston

Hughes and Cumia launched their new weekday afternoon show, Opie and Anthony, at WAAF in March 1995.[3] To their surprise, Valeri left the station soon after their arrival, and the duo came to disagreements over their show with the new program director, Dave Douglas.[13] Cumia recalled the desire to ignore the rules and advice from management and began to play less music and talk more, which changed the dynamic of the show "within months".[14] One of their most notable stunts during their time at WAAF was 100 Grand, a staged giveaway of $100,000 which was hyped on the air for several weeks. When it was time for the duo to give away the prize, the "winning" caller instead received a 100 Grand chocolate bar instead of the money.[15] It was at WAAF where the show started its long running Whip 'em Out Wednesday segment that involves women flashing their breasts to drivers with a "WOW" sticker on their car.[3] In June 1997, nine weeks into the promotion, the show was suspended for two weeks after Hughes and Cumia read out a confidential memo written by the station's management about the campaign on the air. Mittman put an end to the promotion after police contacted him over public safety surrounding it, but claimed the suspension was unrelated and over an "internal matter".[16][17] In addition to their radio show, Hughes and Cumia hosted the television show Real Rock TV on WABU and released Demented World, a compilation album of their radio bits which was released in October 1997 and sold 40,000 copies.[18][19]

In April 1998, Hughes and Cumia were fired from WAAF following their April Fool's Day prank whereby Hughes and Cumia announced that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino had been killed in a car accident in Florida in the company of a Haitian female prostitute. The prank included reports from a fake police officer and news reporter, the latter a friend of Hughes.[20][21] The stunt and firing received national attention from the press,[3] and many listeners believed the story as Menino was on a flight during the prank, so he was out of contact while the event unfolded.[22] Menino was made aware of the prank upon his arrival and responded with a letter of complaint to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),[20] pointing out the commission's broadcast regulations prohibit the broadcast of knowingly false information if it causes public harm.[23] The FCC took no action against WAAF or Hughes and Cumia.[20] The station's management suggested the duo have pies thrown at them in a stunt held at the city's square, but the idea was dismissed by the Mayor's office. After WAAF faced the possibility of its broadcasting license challenged for removal, the station fired Hughes and Cumia within a week after the prank, and suspended Mittman for one month and Douglas for one week.[24]

Shortly after their firing, Hughes called the prank "a stupid bit",[25] but both later admitted that the prank was done on purpose so they could leave the station after management offered them a disappointing raise in their salaries.[26] In addition, the pair had hired Robert Eatman as their new agent and entered secret negotiations to move to New York City before the prank had aired.[20] Hughes maintained he never intended to leave Boston, citing the city's growth as a radio market, the show's rise in the ratings, and plans to release a second radio album and enter a national syndication deal.[25] The pair also had an offer to work at a station in Atlanta, Georgia which included a visit to the station, but they declined the offer.[27]

1998–2004: WNEW New York City and cancellation

Rise in popularity and Norton's debut

After their firing from WAAF, Hughes recalled that he and Cumia became "a wanted commodity" as they received offers from one station in Atlanta, Georgia, and WXRK and WNEW in New York City. As WXRK was already the flagship station of the popular syndicated morning program The Howard Stern Show, they chose WNEW to make it easier for them to build an audience.[3] They entered a deal with the station's newly hired program director Garry Wall, who wanted them for their talent and ability to attract ratings,[20] which required a meeting with management Infinity Broadcasting, the owner of WNEW, in Washington, D.C.[28]

By mid-June 1998, Hughes and Cumia had signed a three-year contract with Infinity Broadcasting,[29][30] and Opie and Anthony began in afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. later that month[31][32][33] with Rick Del Gado assigned as their new producer.[34] The show grew in popularity over the next two years to become a top 10 rated show.[35] In June 1999, the hosts received a Radio and Records Achievement Award for Rock Air Personality of the Year.[36] When WNEW switched radio formats from classic rock to talk in September 1999, the show held an on-air mock funeral to bury the records the station no longer played.[37] The show then changed its starting times from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.[33]

Show "third mic" Jim Norton made his debut appearance on Opie and Anthony in 2000.

December 1999 saw the show's first annual Homeless Shopping Spree, a segment that involved homeless people going on a shopping spree in a mall with money donated by listeners. The event was stopped by security, who had the twelve contestants removed from the building. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared the segment degraded and humiliated the contestants, and that it was immoral to hold such an event on the same day the city was to do a census count of the homeless townspeople. The 2008 edition of the spree was planned, but was shelved by lawyers who argued it could only take place if a mall gave permission.[38]

Opie and Anthony continued to grow in 2000, receiving increased industry exposure and became a top rated show in the 18–34 male demographic.[30] From January 2000, WNEW began to air a four-hour best of program, The Worst of Opie and Anthony, on Saturday mornings.[39] Also that month, the show won an award for Best Evening Show at the annual Achievement in Radio Awards held in the New York City area,[40] This was followed, in November 2000, by a Radio Music Award for Air Personality of the Year Award in the alternative rock category.[41]

In 2000, Hughes and Cumia had several comedians sit in on the show on a regular basis, which they had disliked at first during the show's early years as many would do their act on the air and not "hang out and talk".[42] Comedian Jim Norton made his first appearance on the show with Andrew Dice Clay, who had Norton open for him on his comedy tours. Norton was proved to be popular with the listeners and towards the end of 2000, the pair decided to have Norton sit in on the show for three or four days a week. Norton credits the radio show with boosting his career. "They already have a great show without me. I know that. I'm not like a third partner or anything, I just fire some lines in here and there".[43] On November 30, 2000, fifteen people, including Norton, Del Gado, and comedian Lewis Black, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct during an on-air segment on board the Voyeur Bus, a glass-enclosed bus that transported topless women around New York City.[44][45]

Stern feud, XFL show, and syndication

In July 2000, Howard Stern, the morning host at Infinity's WXRK, got the company to issue a gag order on their other personalities, preventing them, including Hughes and Cumia, from talking about Stern or other Infinity hosts. Three months earlier, Stern threatened management with his resignation if they did not go through with his request, after Hughes and Cumia blew the news of a surprise rock concert that Stern was to announce the following morning. Stern called Hughes and Cumia "imitators" who were "dying to get some attention from me".[46] In 2004, Hughes revealed a stipulation in their Infinity contract that fined Cumia and himself $100,000 if they talked about other Infinity radio personalities.[47] In 2006, Stern admitted to the gag order: "When I'm in business with a company and they hire Howard Stern imitators to go on in the afternoon... I don't want anyone knocking me ... I turned to Mel Karmazin ... 'Your two boys that you hired, who sound identical to me ... they're gonna go insane. Watch.'" Hughes and Cumia claim the feud was started by Stern, adding that he "saw there was potential for 'The Opie & Anthony Show' to get an audience and perceived it as some kind of threat."[48]

In February 2001, Hughes and Cumia began to host XFL Gameday, the pre-game show for Vince McMahon's startup American football league, the XFL, produced by NBC and aired in New York City. The show, taped weekly at the WWF restaurant in Times Square, featured analysis by sportscaster Bruce Beck and football coach Rusty Tillman and risque content; one such segment featured Hughes and Cumia as chefs inserting a cucumber in between two melons. The show was cancelled after four weeks; McMahon stated that he had no creative control, adding: "I heard it was horrible. Had I seen it, I would have shut it down."[49]

By mid-2001, Opie and Anthony ranked first place in New York City in the 18-plus demographic.[50] Among their success came the announcement in June 2001, following what Hughes described as a "tug of war" period of discussions with Infinity and competing radio network Greater Media,[51] that he and Cumia had renewed their contracts with Infinity to continue on WNEW. As part of their new deal, Infity agreed to have the show nationally syndicated to as many as 22 of its stations.[30] By the end of July 2001, the show was broadcast to nine cities,[52] and returned to Boston in August on WBCN, a long time rival of their former station WAAF.[50][53] By mid-August 2002, the number of affiliates had risen to 17.[54] Infinity took the show and the afternoon drive team of Don & Mike from WJFK-FM in Washington, D.C., off the air for two days in May 2002 following comments from both shows about their feud.[55]

FCC fine, Sex for Sam 3 incident, and cancellation

In June 2002, the FCC issued a $21,000 fine to Infinity broadcasting for the broadcast of content from Opie and Anthony it deemed in breach of its indecency regulations, following listener complaints. The cited segments included the November 15, 2000 airing of "Teen Week", a song that detailed incestual sex between a father and daughter, a November 16, 2000 segment of "Guess What's in My Pants" which involved a sexual discussion with a seventeen-year-old female, and a song parody played on January 8, 2001, titled "I'm Horny for Little Girls".[56]

On July 13, 2002, Hughes, Cumia and Norton hosted the T&A with O&A beach party in Angola, New York attended by an estimated 5,000 people. The event featured stripping contests, a volleyball tournament among nightclub dancers, which developed into "a rowdy event combining full nudity and lewd acts with foreign objects". The event was investigated by the police, who arrested drunk drivers and attendees for disorderly conduct.[57]

On August 22, 2002, the show was suspended following its third annual Sex for Sam contest held on August 15 that encouraged listeners to have sex in risky places for prizes while a witness reported from the location.[58] Its name derived from the Boston Beer Company, producer of Samuel Adams beer that sponsored the contest and prize.[59] In the segment, comedian Paul Mecurio, on a cellphone, described Brian Florence and Loretta Harper, a Virginia couple visiting Manhattan, having simulated sex in a vestibule at St. Patrick's Cathedral, several feet away from a Mass service. The couple were arrested for public lewdness, and Mecurio for acting in concert.[58] The incident received widespread media attention, causing WNEW to issue an apology the following day, but it was rejected by the Catholic League that wrote to the FCC demanding Hughes and Cumia be fined and the removal of WNEW's license.[58] The Boston Beer Company also apologized.[60] The show aired live on the following day, but the hosts could not address the incident for legal reasons. WNEW aired a week of reruns while Infinity kept Hughes and Cumia off the air while the matter was reviewed. They were fired on August 22, in addition to WNEW's general manager and program director the day before.[54] Florence died from a heart attack in September 2003 and Harper and Mecurio pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2003.[61]

The incident attracted 523 e-mail complaints sent to the FCC which launched an investigation.[62][63] In October 2003, Infinity received a $357,500 fine which marked the first time a fine was totalled by issuing $27,500 for each station that aired the offending content and not the station cited in a complaint.[64][65] As a result, the Catholic League dropped its bid to rescind WNEW's license.[66] Infinity appealed both fines issued in 2002 until Viacom, its parent company, agreed to a $3.5 million settlement in 2004 which cancelled all pending indecency violations against the broadcaster.[62]

Following their firing, Infinity competitor Clear Channel Communications wished to hire Hughes and Cumia to host mornings on one of their stations.[67] However, rather than release the pair from their contract, Infinity continued to pay them until their deals expired in June 2004 to prevent them broadcasting on another network.[68][69] Despite their efforts to get out of their contracts, Hughes and Cumia remained off the air for two years, remaining largely out of the public eye apart from odd appearances.[70] Both found the hiatus frustrating as they wished to broadcast and comment on the news and current events but had no outlet or an audience.[71] In January 2003, the show's remaining support staff were fired from WNEW,[72] and the station switched formats from talk to music.[73] In June, Hughes and Cumia were spotted visiting the offices of Sirius Satellite Radio for a meeting with their agent.[74] Hughes later claimed the WNEW years as the show's "golden age".[75]

2004–2014: XM Satellite Radio

Signing, Assault on the Media, and Homeless Charlie incident

On August 5, 2004, Hughes and Cumia announced the signing of their contracts to broadcast on XM Satellite Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service exempt from the broadcasting regulations imposed by the FCC. The show began on October 4 from 6:00 a.m. on weekdays from a studio in the Steinway Building in New York City.[76][77] The pair had wished to return to mornings at WNEW, but they were prevented from doing so as management did not want them competing with Stern.[78] They later claimed that XM CEO Hugh Panero had signed them despite openly admitting his dislike for them in a meeting, but he understood they could attract subscribers.[79] Before their start on XM, Hughes, Cumia and Norton completed a media tour, visiting several radio markets to promote their return to the air.[80] Initially, the show was offered to XM subscribers on High Voltage, a premium channel at an additional $1.99 a month. From April 2, 2005, the channel became a part of the standard XM subscription.[81] In August 2005, the show became available on-line through a subscription to Audible.com.[82]

Shortly into their tenure at XM, they held Assault on the Media promotions led by the Pests, a group of fans of the show that helped to give the show additional exposure. One such incident took place on May 19, 2005, when show intern Nathaniel disrupted a news report by Arthur Chi'en on live television, making risque gestures while holding an Opie and Anthony sign, which caused Chi'en to shout "What the fuck is your problem, man?" on the air. Chi'en made a live apology, but was fired a few hours later. The incident brought the show nationwide press.[83] Hughes and Cumia announced the campaign's end in December 2005, after a fan disrupted a live report by Anthony Johnson with an air horn and a show sign. The two claimed the campaign had gone too far, and had run its course.[84]

On April 17, 2006, DirecTV ceased airing the High Voltage channel, citing its decision to steer its XM channels towards more commercial free music. However, the channel returned to the service on April 26 due to popular demand from listeners.[85] In November 2006, the High Voltage channel was renamed The ViRus as per Hughes and Cumia's long time request to have it changed.[86]

On May 15, 2007, XM suspended Opie and Anthony for thirty days in response to a May 9 broadcast featuring a homeless man, dubbed "Homeless Charlie", who talked about raping Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth II.[87] The one-minute segment went unnoticed until Drudge Report posted the audio online. Hughes and Cumia issued an apology at the start of the following broadcast.[87][88] During the May 14 show, the hosts discussed the incident further which led to XM ordering their suspension. The show continued to air on terrestrial radio.[89] Early reports that the hosts may have been fired caused some listeners to cancel their XM subscriptions.[90] XM offered a free month of service to those who complained about the suspension.[91] Some of the show's sponsors pulled their advertising in protest.[92] The show returned to XM on June 15, 2007.[89]

Terrestrial radio simulcast
Opie and Anthony walking to their XM studio from CBS Radio in New York City on July 25, 2006.

On April 24, 2006, Hughes and Cumia announced their deal with CBS Radio, formerly Infinity Broadcasting, to have part of their show simulcast on seven CBS terrestrial radio stations nationwide from April 26. The decision came after The David Lee Roth Show was cancelled four months after its launch as it failed to attract an audience for CBS following Stern's departure from WXRK for Sirius Satellite Radio.[93] CBS agreed to pay XM a license fee to carry the program and allowed XM's advertisements to air on its stations. From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., the show aired on WFNY, formerly WXRK, that was compliant with FCC regulations but uncensored for XM listeners.[94] From 9:00 a.m. Hughes and Cumia continued the show from XM. As XM and CBS could not agree to have the show broadcast from a single studio, the hosts had to walk two blocks during breaks in the program to continue broadcasting. For a period they also had microphones to broadcast live during the walk which became known as "The Walkover".[95][80] As part of their deal, CBS allowed the duo to own their old WNEW broadcasts.[96]

The show's initial ratings were promising; in May 2006, Opie and Anthony gained a 4.2% market share in the 18–34 demographic in New York City, about one-third of what Stern drew in the same market and demographic prior to his departure. In Philadelphia and Boston, the show attracted shares of 7.7% and 6.7% in the same demographic, respectively, although their share of total listening audience was lower.[97][98] In July 2006, Citadel Broadcasting announced it would simulcast the show on nine terrestrial radio stations nationwide, increasing the number of affiliates to 20.[99] In September 2006, the number of stations rose to 24.[100]

In October 2007, their share of the 18–34 demographic in New York City slipped, ranking second in the mornings overall with a 2.1% share.[101] In the same month, following insufficient ratings, WYSP in Philadelphia dropped the show in favor of a rock music format.[102] Following the introduction of the portable people meter ratings system in 2008, Opie and Anthony failed to reach top 10 in morning drive in New York City, with WXRK ranked 20th out of 24 stations overall and fell outside the top 10 in the coveted 25–54 demographic.[103] On December 1, 2008, the show was dropped on WBCN in Boston and WKRK-FM in Cleveland.[104] The final Opie and Anthony broadcast on WXRK aired on March 9, 2009.

Final years and aftermath

In April 2009, the show relocated from the Steinway building to the SiriusXM studios at the McGraw-Hill Building.[105]

In the first week of October 2010, Hughes and Cumia renewed their contract with SiriusXM to continue their radio show for an additional two years. They expressed disappointment with their new deal; Hughes described it as "mediocre", noting the company "got all their points, we got nothing".[106] On October 13, 2011, The ViRUS was relaunched as The Opie and Anthony Channel. The pair renewed their contracts in October 2012.[107] In April 2014, Hughes, Cumia, and Norton celebrated the show's twentieth anniversary with a special live edition of Ron Bennington's radio show Unmasked, at Carolines on Broadway comedy club.[108]

On July 3, 2014, two days after the show started a vacation, SiriusXM fired Cumia for a series of tweets which they claimed were "racially-charged and hate-filled", following his alleged off air incident with a black woman on the street whereby Cumia was punched by her after he attempted to take a picture in Times Square, and he referred to black people as "savage, violent animals".[109][110][111] Cumia refused to apologize for his tweets,[112] and gave his blessing for Hughes and Norton to continue broadcasting as their contracts with Sirius remained intact.[113] Cumia deleted the tweets after being fired.[113] On July 14, Hughes and Norton became hosts of Opie with Jim Norton and the channel was renamed SiriusXM Talk.[114] In October 2014, Hughes and Norton renewed their contracts for two more years,[115] and the channel was re-branded once more to Opie Radio.

In 2015, Hughes and Cumia were involved in a public feud on Twitter regarding their growing strained relationship over the years. The two expressed a wish to never work together again.[116][117] In October 2016, growing differences between Hughes and Norton led to Hughes hosting afternoons with The Opie Radio Show and Norton staying in mornings on Jim Norton & Sam Roberts with former Opie and Anthony producer Sam Roberts.[118] On Hughes' first day in afternoons, he and Cumia spoke for the first time in over two years in a phone call that aired live during their respective shows. Several additional on-air calls followed.[119][120][121] On July 6, 2017, Hughes was fired from SiriusXM over an alleged incident where he filmed a colleague using the bathroom.[122][123][124]

Program content

Opie and Anthony combined humor with commentary on American sociopolitical and popular culture. Some categorized them as shock jocks,[125] despite their disagreement with the term.[126]

Friends and regular guests on the show included Jim Florentine, Dan Soder, Joe Rogan, Patton Oswalt, Dave Attell, Joe DeRosa, Louis C.K., Bill Burr, Brian Regan, Jay Mohr, Stephen Lynch, Doug Stanhope, Robert Kelly, Otto & George, Marc Maron, Bob Saget, Gallagher, Penn Jillette, Ricky Gervais, Tom Papa, Amy Schumer, Jim Jefferies, Bonnie McFarlane, George Carlin, Rich Vos,[127] Colin Quinn, Nick DiPaolo[128] Greg Giraldo and Patrice O'Neal,[129] many of whom substituted for Norton when he was absent due to stand-up or acting commitments.

Other enterprises

Demented World
Main article: Demented World

The duo released a compilation of segments from the show that aired on WAAF on a CD entitled Demented World in November 1997.[130]

Opie and Anthony Traveling Virus
Main article: Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus Comedy Tour

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. In 2007, it visited eight cities through the spring and summer. It was an event they had discussed for many years, but were never able to bring it to fruition until they made their 2006 deal with CBS radio.[131][132]

The 2008 Traveling Virus Tour was canceled in favor of one show, held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 2, 2008.[133]

Search and Destroy

On the morning of March 26, 2008, Opie and Anthony revealed they had taped a pilot for Comedy Central. The show was titled Search & Destroy and features teams of comedians performing various tasks throughout New York City.[134] Opie and Anthony believe that it may have been too graphic even for cable television.[134] Although Opie and Anthony considered the pilot a success, Comedy Central did not pick the show up.

Other appearances

Through the show's friendship with Lazlow Jones, the hosts as well as show staff have appeared in several Rockstar Games releases including Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Red Dead Redemption.[135]

The Opie and Anthony Show Pests

The Opie & Anthony Show Pests, also known as "The O&A Army" were names used to describe fans and listeners of Opie & Anthony who took a proactive approach to the show's content and promotion. As opposed to just casually listening, these fans were involved in listener events, promoting the show, on-air segments, and listener stunts/pranks. They are jokingly known by the hosts as a collection of "computer nerds" and "failures", with the implicit recognition that these devotees relate well to the hosts themselves. Forbes Magazine has recognized "The Pests" as a major source of viral marketing for the show, facetiously suggesting that Anthony Cumia be nominated as CMO of XM Satellite Radio for his role in encouraging and leading the Pests.[136]

History of the O&A Army

While Opie & Anthony had a strong fan base during their early days on WAAF-FM in Boston, there is little, if any, knowledge of such avid activities until O&A's arrival to 102.7 WNEW-FM in New York in 1998.

To counter critics and other radio jocks, Opie & Anthony turned to their more enthusiastic fans, nicknaming them "The O&A Army" (or "Pests"). The late 1990s saw the rise of the internet, allowing for good coordination of the Pests, who would often take over rival chat rooms and message boards, while disruptively calling-in to rival radio station's shows. In the beginning, there wasn't a structure of power. The fans took their orders mainly from O&A, but would independently promote the show in a grassroots viral marketing effort, an approach they continue to use today.

It was not until O&A's 2004 debut on XM Satellite Radio that the O&A Pests took their efforts to another level, with some fans assigning themselves titles like "General" to coordinate their efforts, and adopting tactics reminiscent of flash mobs.

Examples of activities

"Assault on the Media" contest (2005)

An outgrowth of O&A's response to the reputed fearmongering mentality of today's American media was the Assault on the Media campaign, whose main premise was not to physically assault anyone, but to pester a live broadcast in some way to promote The Opie and Anthony Show. The campaign's methods typically involved the use of large signs emblazoned with the show's logo, with Pests shouting "Opie and Anthony, XM Satellite Radio!", or a show phrase, typically "O&A Party Rock!" The initial AOTMs led to coinage of the term "Pest", as it was "the only way to describe [the participants] in a way that really fit", as co-host Anthony Cumia recounted.

The AOTM campaign "unofficially" began in the summer of 2000 when a young woman named Suzie flashed the camera live on NBC's Today Show for Opie and Anthony. Over time, more fans inserted themselves into live shots, and in July 2005, O&A officially began an AOTM contest. Every month, they would provide prizes for the best "Assault on the Media".

On May 19, 2005, WCBS-TV reporter Arthur Chi'en was doing a remote when O&A intern Nathaniel Bryan approached him, holding up a poster for the show. Bryan and another man, later identified as Crazy Cabbie[137] who happened to be nearby, made gestures at the camera and repeated the show's name. When Chi'en finished his introduction, he promptly turned around and loudly asked Bryan, "What the fuck is your problem, man?" Chi'en may have thought that his director at the station had already cut off his broadcast to start playing the recorded report, but this was not the case, and the audio went out live over the air. Chi'en apologized after the report, but was fired by the station later that day, as WCBS-TV has a zero-tolerance policy for obscenity. The utterance that got Chi'en fired became a popular saying on the show, and is repeated frequently, usually with a juvenile emphasis on the word "man." Chi'en resurfaced on WPIX-TV in August 2005 and remained a field reporter.[138]

On the morning of December 6, 2005, a fan attempting an AOTM sounded an air horn during a New York City television station's live news remote report in New Jersey. Ocean Township police questioned the man, whom they would not identify, but no charges were filed; however, the man did face a possible assault charge if the WABC-TV reporter, Anthony Johnson, suffered hearing damage. Johnson filed a lawsuit in December 2007, alleging that his hearing had been permanently damaged in the incident, listing the air horn wielder, the two radio hosts, and XM Satellite Radio, which broadcasts the show, in his claim.[139]

Following the harassment, Acting Governor Richard J. Codey issued the following statement: "Encouraging fans to intervene in live news shots is inappropriate and dangerous. Today a fan sounded an air horn in a reporter's ear and this action may result in permanent hearing damage for the reporter who was harassed. Reporters are professionals who provide a great service to the public by delivering news. They should be treated with respect and not antagonized as part of a radio show gag. I won't tolerate anything less in our state. The person who committed this act should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I wish Mr. Johnson a speedy and healthy recovery."[140] In the wake of the incident (and a personal request from WABC meteorologist Bill Evans, said to have feared for his and his family's safety should a fan "go too far"), O&A officially ended the AOTM contest.

"The Philips Phile" feud (2005)

One of the most successful Pest attacks occurred on Jim Philips of The Philips Phile July 2005. Philips attempted to steal and take credit for the Assault on the Media bit and boasted that he had "the #1 talk show of its kind on XM." O&A responded by calling for an attack on his show. For days, the phonelines to Philips' show were jammed, with the flow of his show noticeably disrupted. Talk of O&A dominated Philips' show for several days as he brazenly attempted to retaliate, poking fun at O&A's names and physical attributes. He even interviewed a fictitious XM executive named "Derick Foinster" to echo Philips' claims of success on XM, and to feign a homosexual attraction to "Mr. Cumia". Fans of O&A interpreted Philips' response as so arrogant that it motivated them to continue the attack.

After several days of constant calls from Pests, Philips started taking fewer calls, and quizzed callers before allowing them to speak, claiming his fans were "smarter" than O&A's fans. The quizzing backfired, since the Philips' questions were so difficult that no one, Philips fans or O&A fans alike, could answer them. Philips threatened legal action, saying "My lawyers are better than yours." His efforts did not deter the attack, so Philips eventually stopped taking calls, ceased all mention of "Mr. Hughes" and "Mr. Cumia", and no longer claimed that his talk show was the most successful on XM.

Eventually, O&A stopped mentioning Philips and the attack ceased shortly thereafter. Several weeks later, O&A fans raised enough money to purchase a billboard on his projected route to and from his radio station that read, "Mr. Philips, The Pests Win. You Lose. Good Day, Sir! - The Opie and Anthony Army, Commemorating the Pat Battle of O-Town."[141]

Howard Stern feud (2000–2014)

On November 18, 2004, shortly after announcing his move to Sirius Satellite Radio, Stern organized a rally in Union Square, New York City to distribute free Sirius units to his fans. O&A sent a contingency of Pests holding large O&A signs to infiltrate the crowd.[142]

A year later, on November 17, 2005, the Pests coordinated an attack on Stern's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, holding up large O&A signs and banners, while shouting O&A chants upon Stern's arrival.[143]

On December 16, 2005, the Pests organized 'The Million Pest March' in order to "protest" Howard Stern's rally celebrating his final day on terrestrial radio. They arrived holding large Opie & Anthony signs but were denied entry to the cordoned-off rally area by the NYPD. A handful of Pests did make it through, but were promptly removed from the crowd upon revealing their O&A signs and banners.[144]

Denied access to the rally, the Pests marched the streets surrounding the rally, chanting O&A references and harassing Stern fans. After the rally, the Pests followed Stern's bus to the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, where Stern was holding a luncheon for a small group of fans. The Pests continued to march outside the Hard Rock Cafe and performed a "funeral dirge" for Howard's career, carrying a makeshift coffin made of cardboard through the Stern crowd.[145]

On January 9, 2006 'war' was officially declared by O&A in order to compete with Howard Stern due to his arrival on Sirius XM. The show was opened with a live feed of rival Howard Stern's first show on Sirius Satellite Radio. On March 14, 2006, when Stern was arriving for a Letterman appearance, a group of Pests shouted "O&A Party Rock!", and chased after his limousine.[146]

DirecTV campaign (2006)

As part of XM's deal with DirecTV, many XM channels are simulcast on DirecTV channels, including Opie and Anthony's High Voltage. On April 17, 2006, O&A's High Voltage channel was removed from DirecTV's lineup. DirecTV claimed the reason for removing High Voltage from their lineup was customer feedback favoring more music channels over talk and sports channels. A major campaign was organized, consisting of phone calls, e-mails, voice mails and other such petitions to get O&A back on the lineup. In less than one week, the show had reappeared.[147] DirecTV and XM Radio have since parted ways.

Scott Ferrall feud (2006)

Scott Ferrall was a friend of Opie & Anthony at WNEW. He was fired for supporting them after the "Sex for Sam" debacle. In February 2006, Ferrall was on Stern's show promoting his own spot on Howard 101 from 8 pm – 11 pm EST. "The Pests" soon took over Ferrall's show after receiving reports of him badmouthing Opie and Anthony, and he did his last Sirius show on February 17, 2006, indicating that he was very busy with other projects, but promised to be back on Sirius soon. On March 28, 2006 Ferrall was hired to fill the 8-12 spot on Howard 101.[148]

"Wake Up with Whoopi" feud (2006)

On July 31, 2006, Whoopi Goldberg's new radio show "Wake up with Whoopi" debuted on KTU-FM in New York opposite O&A's show. The Pests were called in to "attack" Whoopi's show. The attack was not prompted by anything Whoopi had said about them, but O&A have expressed disgust in the recent trend of radio stations hiring celebrities to host shows in a form of "radio stunt casting", rather than hiring experienced radio personalities. O&A have remarked that the general public perceives radio as an "easy job", so they targeted her show to prove to newcomer Whoopi the difficulties of hosting a radio talk show.

At least four Pest calls got through to the show, with Whoopi vowing to "screen [calls] better." She also mentioned she was a good friend of Howard Stern and that "those other guys aren't worth the dust he Howard walks on." On August 3, 2006 Whoopi surprised Opie & Anthony with a drop-in visit to their studio during a show, which earned her respect from the show and a truce in the Pest onslaught.[149]

Tyra Banks Incident (2007)

Former supermodel and current talk show host Tyra Banks became an Opie & Anthony target, often criticizing her for what they deem her self-centered demeanor on her show. When Banks publicly responded to tabloid photos and allegations that she had gained weight, O&A condemned her angry response, suggesting that were it not for her insecurity, she would not have responded so strongly to the paparazzi photos and allegations.

O&A challenged their listeners to find ways of getting Tyra's attention in order to "let her know how we feel." On February 3, 2007, Pest mainstay No Filter Paul infiltrated the background of SNY's news program, holding up a sign that read "Tyra is a Big Fat Pig." Two days later on February 4, 2007, Jewish Monkey of the P.O.W.'s ("Pests Out West" or "Pests of the West") hung a large banner reading "Opie & Anthony P.O.W.'s, Tyra Banks is a Fatty Pig Fatty" outside the CBS Television City studio where Banks' show is taped.[150]

Reaction to suspensions

After the fallout from the firing of fellow broadcasters Don Imus and JV & Elvis, as well as XM's suspension of Opie and Anthony due to politically incorrect remarks, several Pests formed the group People Against Censorship to defend the right of free speech in broadcast media. The group's primary leader, Debbie Wolf, has been interviewed on various cable news outlets and other radio shows.[151] People Against Censorship has organized rallies to protest O&A's suspension and the firings of Imus and JV & Elvis, and have also successfully lobbied advertisers on XM, such as Nashville Coffee, to cease their advertising in response to XM's censure of Opie and Anthony.[152]

Moreover, the organization spearheaded a subscription cancellation campaign that purportedly resulted in the ending of an unknown number of XM subscriptions in the wake of O&A's May 15 suspension. XM has not released any cancellation figures, so an exact number is unknown.[153][154] Some fans even went so far as to smash their XM radios (and post videos of the destruction) on YouTube.

Mention on The People's Court

Joseph Cumia (brother of Anthony Cumia) appeared on an episode of The People's Court,[155] where he unsolicitedly mentioned accusations by the Pests of him being a pedophile. In this same episode, Cumia referred to the Pests as "online terrorists."

gollark: Yep.
gollark: I think a mod which really did it right was ReactorCraft.
gollark: Hmm. Looking at this, *hydrogen* at least is widely available, so just pipe your boron into a reactor with that and it runs energy-positive.
gollark: Ah, the difficulties in combining balance and realism...
gollark: I mean, fusing the boron is energy-negative, but DO IT ANYWAY!

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