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''Opie and Anthony'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and
Anthony Cumia Anthony Cumia (born April 26, 1961) is an American shock jock, podcast, podcaster and broadcaster. He is the host of ''The Anthony Cumia Show'' on WABC (AM), WABC's ''Talkradio 77'' and the List of online video platforms, online video platform, ...
that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001. The show originated in 1994 when Cumia took part in a song parody contest on Hughes' nighttime show on WBAB on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, New York. After subsequent appearances, Cumia decided to pursue a radio career and teamed with Hughes to host their own show. The show began with a three-year stint in afternoons at WAAF in
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
. In 1998, after an
April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. ...
prank led to their firing, Hughes and Cumia relocated to afternoons at WNEW in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. They gradually reduced the amount of music and adopted a talk format, incorporating "
shock jock A shock jock is a radio broadcaster or DJ who entertains listeners and attracts attention using humor or melodramatic exaggeration that may offend some portion of the listening audience. The term is used pejoratively to describe provocative or ...
" humor and regular appearances by stand-up comedians. The show became the highest rated afternoon show in New York City, and was 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 Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Don Im ...
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 XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable ...
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 Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...
. On July 3, 2014, the show abruptly ended after
SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...
fired Cumia for posting "racially-charged and hate-filled remarks" on social media. Cumia started his own show, '' The Anthony Cumia Show'', and Hughes and Norton remained at SiriusXM and hosted ''
Opie with Jim Norton ''Opie with Jim Norton'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Jim Norton that aired from July 2014 to September 2016. The show was broadcast from New York City and aired weekdays from 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 a. ...
'' until 2016, when the pair split to pursue their own shows. In 2017, Hughes was fired from SiriusXM for filming an employee as he defecated.


History


1994–1995: Origins and WBAB Long Island

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 Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. In an effort to capitalize on the extensive media coverage of the murder trial of
O. J. Simpson Orenthal James Simpson (July 9, 1947 – April 10, 2024), also known by his nickname "the Juice", was an American professional American football, football player, actor, and media personality who played in the National Football League (NFL) ...
, 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 Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
, performed by Rotgut, a local band featuring
Anthony Cumia Anthony Cumia (born April 26, 1961) is an American shock jock, podcast, podcaster and broadcaster. He is the host of ''The Anthony Cumia Show'' on WABC (AM), WABC's ''Talkradio 77'' and the List of online video platforms, online video platform, ...
, a construction worker, on vocals and his brother Joe. 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. 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". 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. 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. During this time Ron Valeri, the program director at rock station WAAF in
Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, went to Long Island to visit family and heard the two on the air. He called Hughes and offered them a spot on WAAF. Hughes then assembled an
aircheck Aircheck is the radio industry term for a recording that has dual meanings: a demonstration to show off the talent of an announcer or programmer to a prospective employer, and an archival record of content broadcast over-the-air made for legal ar ...
from tapes of their first shows together, and sent them to WAAF and another station in
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Both stations wished to hire the duo, which led to their departure at WBAB. WAAF general manager Bruce Mittman recalled that he "almost drove off the road laughing" from listening to them, and subsequently hired them to take over afternoons from Liz Wilde. 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. Hughes was cautious about moving as he felt unsure if the show's success would translate to a new radio
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...
. Cumia ended his manual labor job, and threw his tools out of his car window while driving in hope of never returning to it.


1995–1998: WAAF Boston

Hughes and Cumia launched their new weekday afternoon show, ''Opie and Anthony'', at WAAF in March 1995. 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. 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". 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. 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. 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". 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. A late 1997 broadcast where Hughes threatened to punch WBCN personality Nik Carter and encouraged listeners to harass Carter was subject to a complaint and reviewed by the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC), but no action was taken. In April 1998, Hughes and Cumia were fired from WAAF following their
April Fool's Day April Fools' Day or April Fool's Day (rarely called All Fools' Day) is an annual custom on the 1st of April consisting of practical jokes, hoaxes, and pranks. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fool " at the recipient. Mas ...
prank whereby Hughes and Cumia announced that Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three mont ...
had been killed in a car accident in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
in the company of a
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
an female prostitute. The prank included reports from a fake police officer and news reporter, the latter a friend of Hughes. The stunt and firing received national attention from the press, 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. Menino was made aware of the prank upon his arrival and responded with a letter of complaint to the FCC, pointing out the commission's broadcast regulations prohibit the broadcast of knowingly false information if it causes public harm. The FCC took no action against WAAF or Hughes and Cumia over the prank. 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. Shortly after their firing, Hughes called the prank "a stupid bit", 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. In addition, the pair had hired Robert Eatman as their new agent and entered secret negotiations to move to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the country's largest radio market, before going ahead with the prank. 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. The pair also had an offer to work at a station in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia which included a visit to the station, but they declined the offer.


1998–2002: WNEW New York City


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 Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, 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 ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...
'', they chose WNEW to make it easier for them to build an audience. 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, which required a meeting with management
Infinity Broadcasting Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Don Im ...
, the owner of WNEW, in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
On June 17, 1998, Hughes and Cumia had signed a three-year contract with Infinity Broadcasting, and ''Opie and Anthony'' began in afternoons from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. later that month with Rick Del Gado assigned as their new producer. The show grew in popularity over the next two years to become a top-10 rated show. In June 1999, the hosts received a ''
Radio and Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
'' Achievement Award for Rock Air Personality of the Year. When WNEW switched
radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
s from
classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
to talk in September 1999, the show held an on-air mock funeral to bury the records the station no longer played. The show then changed its starting times from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 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 Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three mont ...
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. ''Opie and Anthony'' continued to grow in 2000, receiving increased industry exposure and became a top rated show in the 18–34 male demographic. In January 2000, WNEW began to air a four-hour best of program, ''The Worst of Opie and Anthony'', on Saturday mornings. 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. In November 2000, the show won a Radio Music Award for Air Personality of the Year Award in the alternative rock category. It was at WNEW when Hughes and Cumia started to have stand-up comedians sit in on a regular basis, something that later became a defining feature of the show. They had tried it several times before, but found some comics tried to force their act on the air and not "hang out and talk". In 2000, comedian Jim Norton appeared on the show with
Andrew Dice Clay Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the f ...
, who had Norton open for him on his comedy tours. Norton had a good rapport with the hosts and the audience, and he soon began to sit in for three or four days a week before he was hired as third-mic full time. He helped bring in future regulars on the show, including comedians Rich Vos, Patrice O'Neal, Robert Kelly, and Keith Robinson. 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". On November 30, 2000, fifteen people, including Norton, Del Gado, and comedian
Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion and cultural trends. He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis Black's ...
, were arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...
during an on-air segment on board the Voyeur Bus, a glass-enclosed bus that transported topless women around New York City.


Stern feud, XFL show, and syndication

In July 2000,
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American broadcaster and media personality. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1 ...
, the morning host at Infinity's WXRK, got the company to issue a
gag order A gag order (also known as a gagging order or suppression order) is an order, typically a legal order by a court or government, restricting information or comment from being made public or passed on to any unauthorized third party. The phrase may ...
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". In 2004, Hughes revealed a stipulation that would have fined Cumia and himself $100,000 if they talked about other Infinity radio personalities. When the pair renewed their contracts with Infinity in 2001, they added clause that allowed them to talk about Stern. 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." In February 2001, Hughes and Cumia began to host ''XFL Gameday'', the pre-game show for
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
's startup
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
league, the XFL, produced by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
and aired in New York City. The show, taped weekly at the WWF restaurant in
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
, 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." By mid-2001, ''Opie and Anthony'' ranked first place in New York City in the 18-plus demographic in afternoons and number two overall. 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 Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, was an American media company that specialized in radio stations. The markets where they owned radio stations included Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey. The comp ...
, the hosts renewed their contracts with Infinity to continue on WNEW. The media reported the pair were paid a total of $30 million for three years. As part of their deal, Infinity agreed to have the show nationally syndicated via
Westwood One Westwood One, Inc. is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1976. The co ...
to as many as 22 of its stations. By the end of July 2001, the show was broadcast to nine cities, and returned to Boston in August on WBCN, a long time rival of their former station WAAF. By mid-August 2002, the number of affiliates had risen to 17. Infinity took the show and the afternoon drive team of '' Don & Mike'' from
WJFK-FM WJFK-FM (106.7 Hertz, MHz "106.7 The Fan") is a commercial radio, commercial radio station licensed to serve Manassas, Virginia, and serving the Washington metropolitan area. WJFK-FM airs a sports radio, sports radio format and is owned and opera ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, off the air for two days in May 2002 following comments from both shows about their feud.


FCC fines, 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". Although a transcript or recording of the segments cited were not submitted to the FCC for review, the agency still issued the fine. On July 13, 2002, Hughes, Cumia and Norton hosted the T&A with O&A beach party in
Angola, New York Angola is a village in the town of Evans in Erie County, New York, United States. Located east of Lake Erie, the village is southwest of downtown Buffalo. As of the 2010 Census, Angola had a population of 2,127. An unincorporated community ...
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. 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. Its name derived from the Boston Beer Company, producer of
Samuel Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...
beer that sponsored the contest and prize. In the segment, comedian Paul Mecurio, on a cellphone, described Brian Florence and Loretta Harper, a
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
couple visiting Manhattan, having simulated sex in a vestibule at St. Patrick's Cathedral, several feet away from a
Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
service. The couple were arrested for public lewdness, and Mecurio for acting in concert. 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. The Boston Beer Company also apologized. 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. Florence died from a heart attack in September 2003 and Harper and Mecurio pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in 2003. The incident attracted 523 e-mail complaints sent to the FCC which launched an investigation. 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. As a result, the Catholic League dropped its bid to rescind WNEW's license. 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.FCC-04-268A1
fcc.gov order. November 23, 2004
Following their firing, Infinity competitor
Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
wished to hire Hughes and Cumia to host mornings on one of their stations. 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. 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. 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. In November 2002, the pair published an open letter to their fans on their website, vowing their return to the air. In January 2003, the show's remaining support staff were fired from WNEW, and the station switched formats from talk to music. In June, Hughes and Cumia were spotted visiting the offices of
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
for a meeting with their agent. Hughes later claimed the WNEW years as the show's "golden age".


2004–2014: XM Satellite Radio


Return to air and Homeless Charlie incident

On May 31, 2004, Hughes and Cumia's contracts with Infinity Broadcasting expired, making them free agents. On August 5, the pair announced their deal with
XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. (XM) was one of the three satellite radio ( SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable ...
, a subscription-based
satellite radio Satellite radio is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)'s ITU Radio Regulations (RR) as a '' broadcasting-satellite service''. The satellite's signals are broadcast nationwide, across a much wider geographical area than te ...
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. 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. 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. Before their start on XM, Hughes, Cumia and Norton completed a media tour, visiting several radio markets to promote their return to the air. ''O&A20: Unmasked'' at 01:07:22–01:07:43 Initially, the show was offered to XM subscribers on
High Voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant sp ...
, a premium channel at an additional $1.99 a month. From April 2, 2005, the channel became a part of the standard XM subscription. In August 2005, the show became available on-line through a subscription to
Audible.com Audible is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken-word content. This content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model in which the user re ...
. 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 then-
WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...
reporter 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. Hughes and Cumia announced the campaign's end in December 2005, after a fan disrupted a live report by then-
WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, WABC-TV maintains studios in the Hudson Square neighborhood ...
reporter Anthony Johnson with an air horn and a show sign. The two claimed the campaign had gone too far, and had run its course. On April 17, 2006,
DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...
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. In November 2006, the High Voltage channel was renamed The ViRus as per Hughes and Cumia's long time request to have it changed. 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 Condoleezza "Condi" Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist serving since 2020 as the 8th director of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served ...
,
Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (née Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American educator who was the first lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009 as the wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States. Bush was previously the fir ...
and
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
. The one-minute segment went unnoticed until ''
Drudge Report The Drudge Report (stylized in all caps as DRUDGE REPORT) is an American-based news aggregator, news aggregation website founded by Matt Drudge, and run with the help of Charles Hurt and Daniel Halper. The site prior to the 2020 United States p ...
'' posted the audio online. Hughes and Cumia issued an apology at the start of the following broadcast. 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. Early reports that the hosts may have been fired caused some listeners to cancel their XM subscriptions, and XM responded by offering a free month of service to those who complained about the suspension. Some of the show's sponsors pulled their advertising in protest. The show returned to XM on June 15, 2007. The hosts later believed that the developing merger between XM and
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
at the time played a role, as management were trying to get government officials on their side and needed to show some responsibility. Later in 2007, XM used revenue generated from the show to renovate the studio, which Hughes and Cumia helped to design. The new facility was split into two areas, one being a large roundtable with a typical console and the other had sofas and chairs for a lounge atmosphere. The desk was equipped with 12 flat screen televisions and six webcams for listeners to watch the show live on Paltalk.


Terrestrial radio simulcast

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 Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
. 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. 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". As part of their deal, CBS allowed the duo to own their old WNEW broadcasts. 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. In July 2006,
Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...
announced it would simulcast the show on nine terrestrial radio stations nationwide, increasing the number of affiliates to 20. In September 2006, the number of stations rose to 24. 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. In the same month, following insufficient ratings, WYSP in Philadelphia dropped the show in favor of a rock music format. Following the introduction of the
portable people meter The Portable People Meter (PPM), also known as the Nielsen Meter, is a system developed by Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) to measure how many people are exposed to individual Radio broadcasting, radio stations and television stations. This also ...
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.Hinckley, David. (2008-08-17
On the Radio: Listen up, WLTW's still leader of pack
Nydailynews.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-11.
On December 1, 2008, the show was dropped on WBCN in Boston and WKRK-FM in Cleveland. Following the broadcast on March 9, 2009, the show was dropped from WXRK and the station switched to a Top 40 format. The producer for the FM portion, Mike "Stuntbrain" Opelka, was fired the following day.


Final years

In April 2009, the show relocated from the Steinway building to the SiriusXM studios at the McGraw-Hill Building. 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". During an appearance on June 8, 2011, Andrew Breitbart showed Hughes and Cumia a photograph of what he claimed to be
Anthony Weiner Anthony David Weiner ( born September 4, 1964) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1999 until his resignation in 2011. A member of the Democratic Party (United States) ...
's nude genitalia. One of the Paltalk cameras in the room caught his cell phone's display, and the hosts subsequently leaked the photo by publishing it on Twitter. Breitbart stated that the photo was published without his permission, and later told KFI radio, "These people have admitted that they did this surreptitiously and illicitly and they lied in the process saying that they didn't even have a camera in the place." Weiner's spokesperson issued the following statement: "As Representative Weiner said on Monday when he took responsibility for his actions, he has sent explicit photos." On October 13, 2011, The ViRUS was relaunched as The Opie and Anthony Channel. The pair renewed their contracts in October 2012. 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. In August 2013, footage of a 2006 segment that involved Hughes stomping on a cake belonging to a homeless man went viral. The segment occurred during The Walkover whereby the man, known as Homeless Andrew, had fished out a stale cake from a dumpster which Hughes proceeded to stamp on. The video was posted on Reddit which attracted widespread criticism, after which Hughes uploaded the video to YouTube with an explanation of the incident. He pointed out that he did it to see Cumia and Norton "cringe and get uncomfortable", and that he gave $100 to Homeless Andrew, "and everyone else gave him at least another $100. Now you know the story." On July 3, 2014, two days after the show started a vacation, SiriusXM fired Cumia for posting "racially-charged and hate-filled remarks" on Twitter. It followed an incident with a black woman on the street, whereby Cumia was allegedly punched by her after he attempted to take a picture in
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
. He referred to her as, among other things, a "savage, violent animal".SiriusXM Host Claims "Cuntrag" Assaulted Him in Racist Twitter Rant
''
Gawker ''Gawker'' was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month in 2015. Fo ...
''. Retrieved on September 29, 2018.
Cumia refused to apologize for his tweets, and gave his blessing for Hughes and Norton to continue broadcasting as their contracts with Sirius remained intact.Anthony Cumia confirms he'll launch new Internet-based show from his home after SiriusXM firing
''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
''. Retrieved on July 9, 2014.
Cumia deleted the tweets after being fired.


Aftermath

On July 14, 2014, Hughes and Norton returned to the air under a new title, ''
Opie with Jim Norton ''Opie with Jim Norton'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Jim Norton that aired from July 2014 to September 2016. The show was broadcast from New York City and aired weekdays from 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 a. ...
'', and the channel was renamed SiriusXM Talk,'Opie & Anthony' Co-Host: 'I Absolutely Do Not Believe That Anthony Should've Been Fired'
''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''. Retrieved on July 14, 2014.
before it changed once more to
Opie Radio Faction Talk is a subscription-based channel on the satellite radio service Sirius XM Radio. The channel first aired on XM on August 6, 2004, as xL High Voltage in preparation for the launch of the American radio show '' Opie and Anthony'' sev ...
.Gregg 'Opie' Hughes and new partner Jim Norton sign deal to maintain morning radio show on SiriusXM
''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
''. Retrieved on October 6, 2014.
In the following month, Cumia launched his own show, '' The Anthony Cumia Show'', on his own subscription-based service
Compound Media Compound Media (formerly The Anthony Cumia Network) was an American subscription-based platform for audio and video podcasts. It was launched as The Anthony Cumia Network in 2014 by radio personality Anthony Cumia, who began hosting '' The Anth ...
. In October 2016, growing differences between Hughes and Norton led to Hughes moving to afternoons with '' The Opie Radio Show'' and Norton staying in mornings to host '' Jim Norton & Sam Roberts'' with former ''Opie and Anthony'' producer Sam Roberts. On July 6, 2017, Hughes was fired from SiriusXM over an alleged incident where he filmed a colleague using the bathroom. In April 2015, Hughes and Cumia were involved in a public feud on Twitter regarding their growing strained relationship over the years, and both addressed their differences on their respective shows. Later that month Hughes, Cumia, and Norton agreed to separate interviews for ''Newsweek'', which revealed that the hosts had not been on friendly terms since 1999, and spats over their former relationships and contract negotiations. Cumia said he had growing resentment towards Hughes for not doing more to save his job, after he learned that Hughes did not threaten to quit while negotiating a new contract with SiriusXM to keep him on board. Hughes felt the pair were no longer on the same page, and told Cumia that management were in favour of his new show with Norton, which Cumia took as a personal insult. In October 2016, during Hughes's first day on his new afternoon show, he and Cumia spoke for the first time in over two years in a phone call that aired live during their respective shows. Several on-air calls followed. In January 2018, Cumia offered $5,000 to anyone who could shut down a
Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
message board dedicated to the show. He claimed that members of the forum had constantly harassed him, his friends and family, and former guests on the radio show. In March 2021, the show gained attention when video of a
Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Hilton was born in New York City and raised there partially; shuttling between Los Angeles and New York City; she is a great-grandda ...
appearance from 2011 went viral. The footage showed an uncomfortable Hilton unwilling to answer questions and leaving the studio, feeling she was wasting time being "berated" by the hosts. After the appearance Norton said Hilton was "a spoiled human being" and had "bit istongue for the better half of the interview." In 2023, the show was featured on the
Vice TV Vice TV (also known as Vice on TV, or simply Vice, and formerly known as Viceland) is an American basic cable television channel that launched on February 29, 2016. It is a part of the Viceland family of television channels programmed by Vice Me ...
docuseries '' Dark Side of the 2000s'' in an episode about Stern's rise in popularity and his rivalry with ''Opie and Anthony''. In March 2025, Cumia returned to terrestrial radio for the first time since 2009, hosting '' The Anthony Cumia Show'' on WABC-AM in New York City.


Content

''Opie and Anthony'' combined humor with commentary on American
sociopolitical Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how p ...
and popular culture. Some categorized them as
shock jock A shock jock is a radio broadcaster or DJ who entertains listeners and attracts attention using humor or melodramatic exaggeration that may offend some portion of the listening audience. The term is used pejoratively to describe provocative or ...
s, despite their disagreement with the term. Cumia was known for his impressions of various celebrities while Hughes was the one who steered the program and operated the control board, feeding ideas. The show was often described as a "hang" or a place for "regular guys to hang out". It was at WNEW and on XM where the show was known for its cringe style of humor, which the ''Times Herald-Record'' described as material that "aimed to make you laugh while simultaneously feeling really uncomfortable", as exemplified by guests being verbally lambasted, awkward situations, self ridicule, and roast style comedy. In 2001, ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' described the show "as a cultural nightmare of sexism, racism, and homophobia", which Cumia defended as dark humor. "Sometimes we find things that are wrong funny. Sometimes we find tragedy funny, and that's the way we've always been." ''
Talkers Magazine ''Talkers Magazine'' is a trade-industry publication related to talk radio in the United States. Its slogan is "The Bible of Talk Radio and the New Talk Media". In addition to radio, it also covers talk shows on broadcast and cable television, a ...
'' editor Michael Harrison said Hughes and Cumia "do lowbrow radio in a very professional manner".


Comedians

The show became known for the frequent appearances by stand-up comedians who would sit in on the show. Initially Hughes and Cumia disliked having them on as it presented a "fake environment", but Hughes credited Norton's arrival in 2000 as a turning point in the show's evolution. While at WNEW the show's regular comedians included Rich Vos, Colin Quinn, Patrice O'Neal, Brian Regan, Otto & George, and Paul Mecurio. At XM this expanded to Robert Kelly,
Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...
, Bill Burr,
Jay Mohr Jon Ferguson "Jay" Mohr (born August 23, 1970) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and radio host. He is known for playing film producer Peter Dragon in the television comedy series '' Action'' in 1999, Professor Rick Payne in the television ...
, Louis C.K.,
Dave Attell David Attell (born January 18, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer best known as the host of Comedy Central's '' Insomniac with Dave Attell.'' Early life Attell was born in the New York City borough of Queens to a Jewish fa ...
, Joe DeRosa,
Doug Stanhope Doug Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, author, actor, political activist and podcast host. His stand-up material consist of profane and confrontational observations of life. Early life Stanhope was born in Worcest ...
, Nick Di Paolo,
Marc Maron Marc David Maron (born September 27, 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, writer, actor, and musician. In the 1990s and 2000s, Maron was a frequent guest on the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' and appeared more than forty times ...
, Bob Saget,
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget buddy comedy film ''Clerks (film), Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted i ...
, Jim Jefferies, and Bonnie McFarlane. Kelly praised the hosts in allowing comics to be themselves, and Burr noted "a lot of sharp really smart observational humor" on the show. Rogan has cited the open discussion style of ''Opie and Anthony'', and the live
Ustream IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to the IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest office ...
show that Cumia did from his basement, ''Live from the Compound'', as a particular influence for his own podcast ''
The Joe Rogan Experience ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It was initiated on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who was its sole co-host and produce ...
''.


The Pests

The Pests (originally known as the O&A Army) were a group of listeners who took a proactive approach to the show's content and promotion. 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. In 2006, ''Forbes'' recognized the Pests as a source of viral marketing for the show, facetiously suggesting that Cumia be nominated as CMO of XM for his role in encouraging and leading the Pests. The group came into early prominence when the show aired from WNEW, where fans posted on rival chat rooms and message boards or disruptively calling into rival radio stations. At XM, however, the Pests took their efforts to another level, with some assigning themselves titles (i.e. "General") to coordinate their efforts, and adopting tactics reminiscent of flash mobs. In 2005 the show ran Assault on the Media, a contest encouraging listeners to pester a live broadcast in some way to promote the radio show. Typically this involved large signs with the show's logo with Pests shouting show phrases "Opie and Anthony!" or "O&A Party Rock!". A notable incident involved
WCBS-TV WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...
reporter Arthur Chi'en, when show intern Nathaniel Bryan approached him during a live report holding up a poster for the show. Bryan and another man, later identified as Crazy Cabbie, made gestures at the camera and repeated the show's name. When Chi'en finished his introduction, he loudly asked Bryan, "What the fuck is your problem, man?", which went out live over the air. Chi'en apologized, but was fired later that day. In December 2005, a fan sounded an
air horn An air horn is a pneumatic device designed to create an extremely loud noise for signaling purposes. It usually consists of a source which produces compressed air, which passes into a horn through a reed or diaphragm. The stream of air cau ...
during a remote report in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. Ocean Township police questioned the man, who faced a possible assault charge if
WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, WABC-TV maintains studios in the Hudson Square neighborhood ...
reporter Anthony Johnson suffered hearing damage. Johnson filed a lawsuit in 2007, alleging that his hearing had been permanently damaged in the incident, listing the fan, the two hosts, and XM in his claim.Salazar, Carolyn
"Teaneck couple sue radio shock jocks"
''
The Record (Bergen County) ''The Record'' (also called ''The North Jersey Record'', ''The Bergen Record'', ''The Sunday Record'' (Sunday edition) and formerly ''The Bergen Evening Record'') is a newspaper in New Jersey, United States. Serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson and ...
'', December 4, 2007. Accessed December 4, 2007.
Acting Governor Richard J. Codey addressed the seriousness of the situation in a statement, which prompted Hughes and Cumia to end the contest. Between 2004 and 2006, the Pests appeared at several gatherings organized by
Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American broadcaster and media personality. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from 1 ...
. In November 2004, a group held large "O&A" signs during his rally to promote XM's rival service
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
. In 2005 and 2006, the Pests coordinated an attack on Stern's appearance on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'', holding up large signs and banners while shouting chants upon Stern's arrival. Later in 2005, the Pests organized the Million Pest March to protest Stern's rally celebrating his final terrestrial radio broadcast, arriving with large signs but were denied entry to the cordoned-off area by the police. A handful of Pests did make it through, but were promptly removed from the crowd upon revealing their signs and banners. When Stern moved the broadcast to the Hard Rock Cafe, some Pests performed a funeral dirge for Stern's career, carrying a makeshift coffin made of cardboard through the crowd. In 2006, the Pests were involved in the show's feuds with Scott Ferrall and
Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...
, calling into the respective shows. Goldberg made a surprise visit to the show which led to a truce in the Pest onslaught. In 2007, two Pests held signs attacking
Tyra Banks Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first Black A ...
.


Jocktober

In 2008, the show began an annual segment named Jocktober, where clips from other radio shows across the country were mocked and criticised during the month of October, particularly those of the
morning zoo Morning zoo is a format of morning radio show common to English-language radio broadcasting. The name is derived from the wackiness and zaniness of the activities, segments, and overall personality of the show and its hosts. The morning zoo conce ...
format in small radio markets. Early editions saw ''Opie and Anthony'' listeners and Pests used social media for mischief, for example posting shocking or pornographic messages on the radio station's Facebook page or by e-mail, and calling into the station in droves. On some editions, Hughes and Cumia mocked past segments from their own show. The final Jocktober segments aired in 2014.


Other enterprises


''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.


''Opie and Anthony'' Traveling Virus

The Traveling Virus was a comedy tour headlined by Hughes and Cumia, as well as friends of the show, that began in 2006. In its first year, it spanned several locations in the eastern
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
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. The 2008 tour was cancelled in favor of one show, held at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey on August 2.


''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.Lafayette, Jon. (2008-03-12
Opie & Anthony, 'Krod Mandoon' on Burgeoning Comedy Central Slate – TVWeek – News
TVWeek. Retrieved on 2011-11-11.
Opie and Anthony believe that it may have been too graphic even for cable television. 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 Jeffrey Crawford "Lazlow" Jones (born September 4, 1973) is an American writer, producer, director, voice actor, and radio personality. He is best known for his work with Rockstar Games, with which he has worked on the ''Grand Theft Auto'', '' ...
, the hosts as well as show staff have appeared in several
Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...
releases including '' Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'' and ''
Red Dead Redemption ''Red Dead Redemption'' is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. A successor to 2004's ''Red Dead Revolver'', it is the second game in the ''Red Dead'' series. ''Red Dead Redemption'' is se ...
''.


References

;Citations ;References * {{Authority control American talk radio hosts American comedy radio programs 1995 radio programme debuts 2014 radio programme endings American comedy duos Radio duos Radio programs on XM Satellite Radio Shock jocks Anthony Cumia