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Reports Have O&A Replacing Roth "Within Weeks"
April 20, 2006 at 10:54 AM (PT)
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The NEW YORK POST's JOHN MAINELLI is reporting that OPIE AND ANTHONY will be returning to terrestrial radio "within weeks" to replace DAVID LEE ROTH as morning hosts at CBS' Talk WFNY-F (92.3 FREE FM)/NEW YORK and other ROTH affiliates.
MAINELLI reports that under the deal, the show will continue on XM SATELLITE RADIO in an uncensored shorter version; the POST report is echoed by a WALL STREET JOURNAL report that says ROTH is on his way out and O&A will replace him, also airing on XM and allowed to promote the satellite service on the terrestrial show. OPIE (GREGG HUGHES) and ANTHONY CUMIA were yanked from the air by CBS' predecessor INFINITY in AUGUST 2002 after the infamous "Sex for SAM III" incident in which a couple competing in the promotion tried to have sex in ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL; the show relaunched on XM on OCTOBER 4, 2004, with comic JIM NORTON as regular sidekick.
Read the POST report by clicking here and the JOURNAL report (subscription required) by clicking here.
On their show THURSDAY, OPIE and ANTHONY avoided mention of the stories, with CUMIA telling regular guest PATRICE O'NEAL "ixnay" when the comic raised the topic. "We can't address that," CUMIA told O'NEAL, while OPIE added "for once we're gonna be smart about our careers... make believe that's not happening."
The duo did register their displeasure with the headline placed on the story by the POST, "Dopey OPIE and Pervy Pal Back to Befoul Air," musing that the paper's headline writer may have been responding to their making fun of POST headlines in the past.
A scenario making the rounds would have the pair doing one show for terrestrial radio, airing on ROTH's present seven affiliates, and then doing a separate uncensored show for XM.
CBS RADIO VP/Communications KAREN MATEO is out of the office this week, but a CBS RADIO spokesperson did tell ALL ACCESS, "We are declining comment, at this time."
A well-placed source at XM told ALL ACCESS, "Contrary to what you're hearing, there is nothing signed at this time."

