Radio fiasco interrupted : DLR gets unplugged, O&A to take over Stern's CBS throne

Boston Radio Watch ^ | 04/20/06 | Mark Schnyder/Boston Radio Watch

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They're coming back by popular demand. Ok, make that corporate radio's desperate attempt to save its failing radio content and its stations' revenue after departure of the King. The one-time Boston radio bad boys Greg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia will return to Boston's WBCN 104.1FM airwaves as early as next Wednesday(4/26) morning. Meanwhile, after three long months former Van Halen lead man David Lee Roth is finally scheduled to wrap up his so-called 15-minute radio career tomorrow (Friday 4/21).

This afternoon, Billboard Magazine has provided details on Opie and Anthony's return to broadcast radio and a reunion with their former employer - CBS Radio - as the shock jock pair is being rehired after a four-year break in service. As some may recall, CBS (then Infinity) fired them following a rash of complaints that stemmed from their Aug. 15, 2002 broadcast of the show titled "Sex for Sam," which involved participants having sex in "risky locations" throughout New York City, including St. Patrick's Cathedral, The Bronx Zoo, Rockefeller Center, FAO Schwartz and the Disney Store. Their top-rated afternoon show was heard on 17 stations at the time, including WBCN 104.1FM in Boston.

After a two-year forced hiatus thanks to a non-compete in the CBS deal, the pair joined satcaster XM Radio in October 2004 where they've been enjoying a good deal of freedom as to how they express themselves on the air. The CBS arrangement brings them back to the highly sanitized and censored world of traditional media which will now will also cross into the pay-radio model.

Details from Billboard's report :

"The new XM-CBS arrangement will allow the pair to produce two shows between 6am and 11am every morning :

the agreement allows CBS to air a three-hour version of the O&A show that will originate from its WFNY studios. CBS will have control over this portion of the program, which will simulcast uncensored on XM.

After they wrap their CBS show, plans call for the pair to travel the block or so to XM’s midtown Manhattan studio and put in another two-hours that will air exclusively on XM."

As broadcast and satellite radio signals cross, some of O&A's listeners on XM may object to this new set-up. One O&A fan commented to BRW this evening : "I am upset that they would do three hours of a cleaned up show and then do two hours of an XM show! It will bring ratings back but it will destroy the XM show. I see this as a chance for O&A to get even fatter paychecks and of course shove it back in Howard's face! Its just another strange turn in the world of radio."

For WBCN locally, the return of Opie and Anthony also means less talk and more rock as music will now start an hour earlier, at 9am.

BRW Notebook :

Sox Radio Watch : The press box at Fenway Park was buzzing tonight, but not about anything that was going on the field. Word is that the Sox and Greater Media may be ready to announce a new radio deal to carry games on WBOS 92.9FM beginning next spring as was first reported by the Boston Globe last month. Come back here for all the details....