Ron and Fez Heading to Satellite Radio?

By Ian Rice
Arts and Lifestyle Editor


Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley, hosts of their own successful talk-based program The Ron and Fez Show on Washington, D.C.'s legendary WJFK-FM station, concluded their Friday night show with a fond farewell to the broadcasting outlet that has been their home since January of 2003. After months of apparent attempts to release themselves from their contract with Infinity Broadcasting, Ron and Fez were finally successful and bid adieu to their commercial radio home to move to...well, that part of the story still remains a mystery.


According to comments made by Bennington during the Friday evening broadcast, the terms of their release from Infinity Broadcasting include an agreement on their part to remain quiet about where the next phase of their career will take them. But the long-running speculation is that Bennington and Whatley will be taking their show to the burgeoning satellite radio market, joining former co-workers Opie and Anthony on their popular XM channel, "High Voltage."


Both shows are remaining cryptic about the possibility of their reteaming, but fans and industry insiders seem to think the rumor will be revealed as a truth very soon. Both The Ron and Fez Show and The Opie and Anthony Show shared a home at New York City's infamous WNEW-FM prior to Opie and Anthony's dismissal from the station over a controversal broadcast in August of 2002. The Ron and Fez Show continued on WNEW-FM until January of 2003, when the station flipped formats and terminated their "Extreme Talk" platform.


During the final moments of Friday night's edition of The Ron and Fez Show, Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" played out with clips of John Belushi (a la The Blues Brothers) uttering "We're putting the band back together." Opie and Anthony have both used this same sound clip recently when discussing the future programming of their "High Voltage" channel, something that has fueled the reunion rumor most prominently.


Fans will have to wait at least a month to find out whether the rumors are true, though. During the final moments of the Friday evening broadcast, Bennington did note that he and his partner would be taking "a month, month and a half" to regroup and get their new show in order before returning to the airwaves. So for now, audiences will have to wait with baited breath.


Story Update: August 3, 2005 On Monday morning's edition of The Opie and Anthony Show, it was confirmed that Ron Bennington and Fez Whatley will be bringing their talk program to the "High Voltage" platform. The show is not slated to begin its satellite radio broadcasting schedule until September 12, but both Ron and Fez will appear on The Opie and Anthony Show on August 9 to answer questions and spend time in their new surroundings.


"High Voltage" can be accessed on the XM Satellite Radio network on Channel 202.