01-12-2006, 05:56 PM
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EXCERPT
Raging Bulls
Opie and Anthony To Stern: Bring It On
Michael M. Martino Jr. - <!-- e --><a href="mailto:mmartino@longislandpress.com">mailto:mmartino@longislandpress.com</a><!-- e --> 01/12/2006 12:03 am
According to Opie and Anthony, stars of their own show on XM Satellite Radio, it's Howard Stern who had better watch his ass this time around. The launch of The Howard Stern Show on Jan. 9 on competing provider Sirius Satellite Radio set up high stakes—half a billion dollars high—and the weight of the world will sit on Stern's shoulders. Not so for Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia (O&A), who were the first to make the move from advertiser-supported terrestrial radio to the subscriber-funded world of satellite broadcasting, in October 2004.
"It's old hat for us already," says Anthony. "[Howard's] got a lot to prove."
Opie and Anthony don't really see a fight on their hands. In the past, Infinity Broadcasting, the management company of their non-satellite radio show, barred the two from engaging in any verbal jousting with or about Stern. But if a battle breaks out this time around, it will be an old-fashioned radio feud that will resemble a mid-1970s hockey brawl.
Although Stern will broadcast on Sirius, the two radio shows have an ugly backroom history. Stern has always accused the duo of being "clones," for ripping off his entire act, and that includes hosting strippers, lesbians and any other debauchery. But Opie and Anthony, who grew up in Centerport and Huntington, respectively, are not so upset with those accusations; they're upset because, they claim, Stern used all of his muscle to make the two shut up about him and his show. The duo was off the air for nearly two and a half years after being suspended for on-air high jinks, and then they moved to XM. They were also ordered to not talk about Stern—or else—while working for Infinity. Now, there is no fear of reprisal.
When you turn on The Opie and Anthony Show, it's like hanging around a bar or your friend's house, having a few beers and just saying what comes to mind, uncensored. It is a format that was innovated by Stern, and Opie and Anthony certainly acknowledge their roles as devotees. "Everyone listened to Stern back then," says Anthony.
But that was a long time ago.
"I was a big fan in the glory days, the late '80s and early '90s," says Anthony as Opie agrees. "The days of Jackie 'The Joke Man' Martling, Sam Kinison and Billy West. Before Hollywood Howie."
A huge shift in Stern's show—and his personal life—has taken place over the last six years. First, Stern, who touted himself as the model husband, and his longtime wife, Allison, divorced. Stern became single, dating celebrities and appearing in the gossip pages. For almost five years, though, he has had a steady relationship with model Beth Ostrosky. (Recent rumors of their marriage were put to rest on Jan. 9 when Stern announced they did not become Mr. and Mrs. Stern.)
He also lost Martling to a contract dispute and "Stuttering" John Melendez to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But Stern's show took on new people and continued to dominate morning drive time.
The many years on top, says Anthony, have bred complacency in Stern. "I think Howard feels like he doesn't need to put on a quality show anymore," he opines.
When O&A finally inked a multiyear deal with XM, there were fewer than a million subscribers to the XM service. Their biggest problem, says Opie, was that The O&A Show was on a premium channel, like the HBO premium television channel, and billed as a separate cost for each subscriber. The early days on XM were a bit discouraging.
"We went from having a show that was syndicated in 17 major markets to having a few thousand listeners. But we believed in the show," says Opie.
Today, XM outnumbers Sirius in subscriptions by almost 2-to-1. In January, XM reached its goal of six million customers. The O&A Show has long since been wrapped into XM's basic monthly fee. Stern's program is also part of the flat-fee service. The big difference between the two shows and the providers is that O&A are part of a larger picture.
O&A do their show every day from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Best of Opie and Anthony runs all weekend. Then another pair, Ron and Fez, take the airwaves. Stern is responsible for two channels of programming. One channel, Howard 100 News, airs reports about the Stern show and its characters, and in the future will branch out into other news about celebrities. The other non-news channel airs the Stern show each day from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and will broadcast other radio shows. Currently the only other show scheduled is Bubba the Love Sponge. The Stern show will also replay each night at 9 p.m.
"That's too much programming," says Opie.
EXCERPT
Raging Bulls
Opie and Anthony To Stern: Bring It On
Michael M. Martino Jr. - <!-- e --><a href="mailto:mmartino@longislandpress.com">mailto:mmartino@longislandpress.com</a><!-- e --> 01/12/2006 12:03 am
According to Opie and Anthony, stars of their own show on XM Satellite Radio, it's Howard Stern who had better watch his ass this time around. The launch of The Howard Stern Show on Jan. 9 on competing provider Sirius Satellite Radio set up high stakes—half a billion dollars high—and the weight of the world will sit on Stern's shoulders. Not so for Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia (O&A), who were the first to make the move from advertiser-supported terrestrial radio to the subscriber-funded world of satellite broadcasting, in October 2004.
"It's old hat for us already," says Anthony. "[Howard's] got a lot to prove."
Opie and Anthony don't really see a fight on their hands. In the past, Infinity Broadcasting, the management company of their non-satellite radio show, barred the two from engaging in any verbal jousting with or about Stern. But if a battle breaks out this time around, it will be an old-fashioned radio feud that will resemble a mid-1970s hockey brawl.
Although Stern will broadcast on Sirius, the two radio shows have an ugly backroom history. Stern has always accused the duo of being "clones," for ripping off his entire act, and that includes hosting strippers, lesbians and any other debauchery. But Opie and Anthony, who grew up in Centerport and Huntington, respectively, are not so upset with those accusations; they're upset because, they claim, Stern used all of his muscle to make the two shut up about him and his show. The duo was off the air for nearly two and a half years after being suspended for on-air high jinks, and then they moved to XM. They were also ordered to not talk about Stern—or else—while working for Infinity. Now, there is no fear of reprisal.
When you turn on The Opie and Anthony Show, it's like hanging around a bar or your friend's house, having a few beers and just saying what comes to mind, uncensored. It is a format that was innovated by Stern, and Opie and Anthony certainly acknowledge their roles as devotees. "Everyone listened to Stern back then," says Anthony.
But that was a long time ago.
"I was a big fan in the glory days, the late '80s and early '90s," says Anthony as Opie agrees. "The days of Jackie 'The Joke Man' Martling, Sam Kinison and Billy West. Before Hollywood Howie."
A huge shift in Stern's show—and his personal life—has taken place over the last six years. First, Stern, who touted himself as the model husband, and his longtime wife, Allison, divorced. Stern became single, dating celebrities and appearing in the gossip pages. For almost five years, though, he has had a steady relationship with model Beth Ostrosky. (Recent rumors of their marriage were put to rest on Jan. 9 when Stern announced they did not become Mr. and Mrs. Stern.)
He also lost Martling to a contract dispute and "Stuttering" John Melendez to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But Stern's show took on new people and continued to dominate morning drive time.
The many years on top, says Anthony, have bred complacency in Stern. "I think Howard feels like he doesn't need to put on a quality show anymore," he opines.
When O&A finally inked a multiyear deal with XM, there were fewer than a million subscribers to the XM service. Their biggest problem, says Opie, was that The O&A Show was on a premium channel, like the HBO premium television channel, and billed as a separate cost for each subscriber. The early days on XM were a bit discouraging.
"We went from having a show that was syndicated in 17 major markets to having a few thousand listeners. But we believed in the show," says Opie.
Today, XM outnumbers Sirius in subscriptions by almost 2-to-1. In January, XM reached its goal of six million customers. The O&A Show has long since been wrapped into XM's basic monthly fee. Stern's program is also part of the flat-fee service. The big difference between the two shows and the providers is that O&A are part of a larger picture.
O&A do their show every day from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Best of Opie and Anthony runs all weekend. Then another pair, Ron and Fez, take the airwaves. Stern is responsible for two channels of programming. One channel, Howard 100 News, airs reports about the Stern show and its characters, and in the future will branch out into other news about celebrities. The other non-news channel airs the Stern show each day from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and will broadcast other radio shows. Currently the only other show scheduled is Bubba the Love Sponge. The Stern show will also replay each night at 9 p.m.
"That's too much programming," says Opie.