Opie and Anthony Replace Roth on Northeast FM Stations

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Opie and Anthony begin their FM stint on April 26th

By Ian Rice
Arts and Lifestyle Editor


Renown radio personalities Opie and Anthony will be syndicating their popular XM satellite radio program back to terrestrial radio, as announced on their program this morning. This marks the first time the satellite radio talent pool has been used as a resource for the FM platform.


The announcement of the reportedly lucrative deal confirms a week's worth of Internet and industry speculation. "The Opie and Anthony Show" will appear on seven CBS-owned stations on the East Coast, including New York's 92.3 Free FM. For those keeping score, 92.3 Free FM was home to Howard Stern before his recent move to XM competitor Sirius this past January and currently features ex-Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth in its morning drive timeslot.


Interestingly, CBS also owns WNEW-FM, the New York City station that cancelled "The Opie and Anthony Show" in 2002 amidst controversy surrounding their much-publicized "Sex For Sam" promotion. The duo's contract kept them under CBS' watchful eye for two years and prohibited them from signing with another broadcasting company.


Rumors about Opie and Anthony's return to terrestrial radio began earlier this year, when talk concerning David Lee Roth's poor ratings and allegedly difficult demeanor surfaced within the industry. An official statement from Roth's camp has yet to surface concerning his quick dismissal from CBS, who reportedly inked a three-year deal with the singer that only began this past January.


According to the official press release put out by CBS's radio division, Opie and Anthony will broadcast on their airwaves from 6-9AM each weekday from Stern's former stomping grounds, a broadcast which will be simulcast on their XM home channel 202. CBS, being on commercial radio, are still subject to FCC guidelines, so the FM version of "The Opie and Anthony Show" will be under their editing practices. The simulcast on XM, however, will be broadcast unedited.


“With the combination of XM and CBS RADIO, we now have the best gig in the business. The 'O & A Show' is going to be bigger and better than ever,” said Gregg “Opie” Hughes this morning.


Fans concerned about their favorite show becoming "watered down" by terrestrial radio standards need not worry - "The Opie and Anthony Show" will continue to broadcast from its XM studio from 9-11, two hours that are exclusive to the satellite provider.


“We’ll now be able to reach millions of new fans and old fans with our new morning show on CBS while offering our loyal XM listeners an uncut show and two extra hours that will only be available on XM,” adds Anthony Cumia.


As another David Lee Roth replacement, Sammy Hagar, once said, it's the "best of both worlds."