Here Today... Gone To Hell!

O&A Get All 7 Roth Markets (http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/digital/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002383413)
April 20, 2006
By Paul Heine and Mike Boyle


In one of the first satellite-to-terrestrial radio syndication deals, XM Satellite Radio has an agreement in place to license its Opie & Anthony Show to CBS Radio in seven markets.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the duo, whose terrestrial radio career went up in flames in 2002, will bring David Lee Roth?s short-lived CBS morning show stint to a screeching halt within a few weeks.

Opie and Anthony will air on all seven stations where Roth replaced Howard Stern in January: WFNY New York, WYSP Philadelphia, WBCN Boston, KLLI Dallas, WNCX Cleveland, WRKZ Pittsburgh and WPBZ West Palm Beach.

Coming days before Winter 2006 Arbitron results will document Roth?s morning ratings disaster, 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.

Since CBS is beholden to FCC indecency regulations, the first three hours of the morning show will be cleaner than the anything-goes environment the pair enjoy at XM.

Signatures are still being applied to the multi-year agreement, which gives CBS a morning lifesaver that previously paid ratings dividends for the company in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. It gives XM the right to have its star hosts plug the uncensored version of their show on CBS airwaves and further validates satellite radio as a content provider.

The hosts of one of XM?s 10 most-listened-to shows, Greg ?Opie? Hughes and Anthony Cumia previously did afternoons for CBS predecessor Infinity Broadcasting at WNEW-FM New York and were simulcast on WYSP and WBCN. Fired after their infamous ?Sex For Sam? broadcast, where a couple allegedly had sex in St. Patrick?s Cathedral at their urging, the pair sat on the beach for two years before XM hired them in August 2004.

Roth replaced Stern in seven markets in January, when Stern began a new 5-year deal at Sirius Satellite Radio.

CBS Radio and XM officials declined comment.

In addition to inciting anti-indecency crusaders, the deal will generate more fodder for Stern and his legal team. One issue at the center of CBS Radio?s lawsuit against Stern was how he gained financially from plugging Sirius on CBS? airwaves for more than a year.

I don't listen to them anymore.  But do you think their show will suffer when they have to deal with the censorship thing again?

I dont think so.  During the peak of negotiations a few weeks back, they assured their listeners that the show wont be compromised by the deal.  They made several key conditions and refused to bend. 

Its obviously too soon to tell how this will work out exactly, but I can picture them toning down some of the show to their prior terrestrial level and letting loose during those long FreeFM commercial breaks and of course the 2 exclusive XM hours (totaling 5 hours - theyve only done 4-hour shows on XM thus far). 

As a big fan of the show, Im incredibly excited about this.  Its a huge deal and quite amazing considering where they were only 2 years ago.  After getting kicked off of regular radio, they were completely silent for 2 whole years.  Now theyre not only doing a great show (better than ever, in my opinion) on the #1 satellite radio company, but theyre back on their old regular radio company in the spot in which everyone thought theyd be - Howard Sterns morning drive slot.  Although they love XM and have trashed the state of regular radio, theyve made no secret about wanting to be back on the terrestrial air.  Its the best of both worlds, and is being described as a "historic deal."  And if you know anything about their feud with Howard, its safe to say that their incredibly happy with how things are panning out.  They not only have his old spot, but theyre now free to talk about him as they please and will have a significantly greater audience (although its been speculated that they already do on XM alone).  To top it off, theyre free to promote XM radio.  An amazing turn of events.

Between this and GNR, its been a hell of a week.

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From Radio & Records (http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2006_04_20/streettalk.asp):

The official Opie & Anthony can of worms that was opened yesterday by ST Daily was followed quickly by the mainstream press, as the rumblings grow louder that the once-banished team will be welcomed back to CBS Radio ? perhaps as early as next week ? to replace the rapidly unraveling David Lee Roth science experiment. We hear DLR's last day could be as early as tomorrow, with O&A starting next Wednesday.

The current scenario, as we understand it, has O&A cutting an unprecedented deal to broadcast on both terrestrial and satellite radio -- working early in the morning from CBS Radio's WFNY (92.3 Free FM)/New York studios and simulcasting on XM's High Voltage as well as on several or all the following DLR affiliates: WBCN/Boston, WYSP/Philadelphia, KLLI/Dallas, WRKZ/Pittsburgh, WNCX/Cleveland and WPBZ/West Palm Beach. Later each morning they will walk down the street to XM's New York studios do another few hours of XM-only, non-FCC-regulated radio.

Here are several interesting factors to consider: Is it safe to assume that CBS is shelling out major dollars to XM for the privilege of "borrowing" the talents of O&A to consummate this historic, cross-platform deal? Here's something else: The duo will reportedly be able to freely cross-promote their XM show on CBS. If true, it's a factor that should nicely irritate their longtime nemesis (and soon-to-be head-to-head competitor) Howard Stern, who's currently being sued by CBS for allegedly doing something similar for Sirius when he still worked for CBS.

As of Thursday evening, no official announcement has come from either CBS Radio or XM. CBS spokesmodel Karen Mateo is apparently on vacation this week and XM's own lovable Eric Logan would offer us no on-the-record comment. Meanwhile, sources close to the office of Opie & Anthony's longtime superagent Robert Eatman would neither confirm nor deny that such a deal is pending. We suggest you stay tuned -- this thing is going down at any moment.

It definitely sounds like a good deal for them.  And they have a better chance of snagging Howard's old audience than anyone else does.  I find it interesting that they will be able to promote XM.  I wonder if that will damage their lawsuit against Stern at all?  I wish I could hear Stern's take on it tomorrow morning but I will be busy having a baby instead.  I guess I can get filled in later. 

I believe he discussed it today.  Check MarksFriggin.com for a summary.

To add insult to injury, theyre taking over his old studio.

As for CBS' lawsuit against Stern, Im sure they checked this deal from all angles before approving it and the main point may be "We made a working deal with XM, we made no such deal with Sirius."  Of course Im only speculating, who knows what role, if any, it may play in the lawsuit?