"Beyond AM. Beyond FM. It's XM Satellite Radio." Those words were all a part of the sales pitch that drove XM to the top of the satellite radio food chain. The product was advertised as an all new radio experience where the old rules and standards would not apply. Commercials weren't a part of the mix because subscribers signed up directly. FCC regulations didn't apply for the same reason that HBO was allowed to have graphic sex and violence on their TV shows. As of yesterday, when XM management decided to suspend controversial talkers Opie and Anthony for 30 days, all the promises and sales pitches started to ring hollow.
How did this situation get to this point? Last week, Opie and Anthony had a homeless gentleman in the studio who was riffing semi-coherent craziness. As the jocks have done many times in the past, they really stayed out of the guest's way to let him ramble right on through to see what kind of entertaining pearls of nuttiness they could bring out of him in order to entertain numerous fans on the show that XM has proclaimed in the past is the most popular original show on the platform, excluding syndicates like ESPN and MSNBC. As the homeless man named Charlie continued to ramble, he made a comment about how he would like to have sex with Condoleezza Rice.
Now, as most of you have read, Anthony followed that up by saying something really outlandish. He wondered what it would look like to see the horror on Rice's face as Homeless Charlie was on top of her and punching her in the face. I know how that looks in print. There is no way in the world that that could possibly be funny, right? I can understand those thoughts. It makes sense to me. The thing is that people who are reading this quote in print from their newspaper or on The Drudge Report have no idea what the context truly was.
Earlier on during Homeless Charlie's ranting, Opie asked him what he did for money. Charlie said that he panhandles, or sometimes he would "punch an old bi*** in the face." Keep in mind that these are the ramblings of a homeless crazy person. Opie and Anthony were running with it and taking it to whatever limits they could find to take it in order to keep the crazy talk coming. And it worked for the most part.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - tony rumore
XM facing huge subscriber losses over suspension and possible firing of Opie & Anthony
XM satellite radio has suspended and is rumored to have fired shock jocks Opie & Anthony over comments that a homeless man made during his appearance on their program towards Condi Rice, Laura Bush and the Queen of England. Fans are showing their support in large numbers for the show by canceling their subscriptions. The angry subscribers are being offered an average of 3 free months of XM satellite radio .The vast majority of the fans are turning down that offer and canceling their subscriptions. Many of the fans had multiple XM units on their accounts. The average wait time to cancel is 1-2 hours due to the large volume of cancellations by dissatisfied customers.
LINKS to Opie and Anthony message boards that have a thread with a list of cancelled subscribers.
2 - Brian
I canceled 2 radios this morning. I'll support my local FM station that re-broadcasts the show in the afternoon.
3 - Chris Townsell
Good article. Thanks for being fair and having the facts which most of the other outlets do not.
4 - Helio Muro
Finally a fair article that shows the whole story and how XM is failing its subscribers, and shareholders.
I cancelled my XM service yesterday until they bring back O&A. Their cancellation department was so hammered yesterday it took over 80 minutes to get someone on the line to cancel my subscription.
5 - Prozac
Very happy to see fans of the show fighting back and letting XM know that this is spinless of them. This is far from over.
6 - chris scafiro
finally someone who will tell the truth. the funnt thing with xm is they suspend opie and anthony but they let a gang member,murderer, drug dealer and whatever else snoop dog is stay on the air. when is snoop going to get suspended or maybe even fired? yeah i wont happen
7 - Gary Morgan
XM has really blew it here. I had 5 radios in my name and have encouraged a dozen other buys for them in the last year. Whether O & A are your cup of tea or not... ADULTS should have a place to express themselves and find humor where they choose. It would be one thing if the duo spewed religious rantings or political rebel rousing... but nah... it is silly humor and talk amongst a group of men. I am afraid this is a call made my MEL and the SIRIUS gang. If the merger goes through XM will be the one's raped and the bones picked for scraps. I was fearing cancelling over that scenario anyway. I had Sirius and the choices they off did not work for me. Sooooo... what now? I like Imus, I like O & A, I must be a threat to society...
8 - Michael Reynolds
I too have cancelled my XM account that i have had over 5 years. I expressed my disbelief and anger @ XM over this ridiculous suspension. 98% of my listening time was for Opie & Anthony. I cannot believe XM let all the subscribers down with their lies of CH# 202 being 'Uncensored'? What a joke.
Michael Reynolds
Oakhurst, CA.
9 - steiner76
Great to see someone telling the truth. I was disgusted when I heard the news. It's amazing what the media has come to. I hope the merger falls through and XM is left with nothing. Keep supporting the boys.
10 - Frunkus
Great article, at least honest and to the point. Opie and Anthony will definitely be fired I don't believe XM will keep them, they are such bastards that I have cancelled my XM account and my brother cancelled three of his XM accounts, nice going XM for ruining freedom of speech, bunch of pussies.
11 - Chris McGee
This was a very good article. As everyone else has said, it is good to see that someone can stick to the facts and still write an informing article. Thank you again for your fairness.
12 - Jimmy
Great article. The truth is told. Word is that this is not just a suspension so tomorrow there is a protest in front of the free fm studio in NewYork. Spread the Virus!
13 - skam
I am cancelling 2 units as soon as I finish typing. Xm lied to us. Thanks again to the racist Al Sharpton for starting these with hunts.
I'll wait for the opie anthony and jimmy podcasts.
14 - Sterfish
I can't say that I'm a fan of Opie and Anthony or a subscriber to XM. However, as an outsider, this incident is really disappointing. I mean, wasn't the whole point of satellite radio was to avoid things like this happening? Isn't the freedom to say what they want the reason why people like Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern moved there in the first place?
This is a major faux pas for the company and it instantly makes it less attractive for consumers. Nobody is going to want to pay for radio if it's no better than what they can get for free.
However, I wonder if the loss of subscribers could be a boon to XM's plan to merge with Sirius. The potential merger would look a lot less like a monopoly if XM's subscriber base keeps dropping.
15 - Greg Brady's Leftovers
Very well written, Craig!
16 - K ross
I have 3 xm radios and intend on keeping all of them. For most subscribers XM is about the music
17 - Vinny
Beyond Am, Beyond FM, its still the political extortionists world of radio.
18 - 420greg
Don't cancel. Just change the channel in the morning to 152 and listen to the Monsters. They are funnier then O and A anyway.
19 - Phillip Winn
This sounds ridiculous. Sure, O&A are often in poor taste. That's why they're on satellite radio! If I were a subscriber, I'd cancel. ;-)
20 - FilteringCraig
Well, Phillip, it looks like you missed your opportunity. I guess we will all have to sit back and wait to see what O&A really have to say about this. They were live on FreeFM today and they didn't say a single thing about the suspension.
21 - Connor Petersen
Glub Glub,
I cancelled my subscription
Then flushed my unit down the toilet and kissed my mommy lacy.
22 - Dan
Thank you. Kudos. You my friend are in the minority. Thank you for reporting FACTS and not using your ability to speak to others as a forum for irresponsibility. I have two subs that I will be cancelling if O&A are indeed fired. The only reason I have XM is for O&A. Hopefully the pests make XMers lives a living hell for this.
23 - J.J. Hunsecker
While I understand you O&A fans are bitter, you are too myopic. If the execs don't show some self regulation, the government will move in and make things much worse. You know, the same people you helped drive O&A and Stern to pay radio in the first place.
24 - Connor Petersen
" If the execs don't show some self regulation, the government will move in and make things much worse."
The difference is it is a pay subscription. Just like HBO or pay per view porn on your cable tv. If you want it, you pay if not you dont want it then you dont pay.
25 - Shawn
Kross,
I also subscribed to XM for the music. However, the situation with Opie and Anthony makes me very nervous. I like to listen to XM's metal channels (Boneyard and Liquid Metal). Like 202, both channels are labeled "XL" because of the content. What happens when someone decides they are offended and complains to XM about those channels? They already took Liquid Metal away once (until the fans made enough noise to have it brought back). And given what's happened to O&A, there's little reason to doubt they can do it again.