Media Talk: A New Breed of Trash Talkers on the
Radio


By CLEA SIMON

The announcement in early June that Gregg Hughes,
who is known as Opie, and Anthony Cumia of
WNEW-FM in New York had signed a syndication deal
with their station's parent company, Infinity
Broadcasting, was far from the most shocking item ever
heard on their four-hour "Opie and Anthony" afternoon
show.

That prize would have to belong to the sex jokes,
profanity or insulting of public figures that make up
their show's regular fare. But the three-year deal
(Infinity refuses to discuss salaries), will bring them to
at least 20 major markets, said an Infinity spokesman,
Dana McClintock. Such figures are the next generation
of "shock jocks."

Basing their shows in large part on the success of
Howard Stern, whose WXRK-FM morning show has
been syndicated since 1986, these new shock jocks are
part of a well-established trend.


The new generation takes the lack of inhibitions
further: Mr. Hughes and Mr. Cumia had their start at
WAAF-FM in Boston, from which they were fired in 1998
after publicizing a false report about the death of Mayor
Thomas M. Menino. That earned them a berth at
WNEW.

The syndication deal has put them ahead of such
competitors as Eric Muller of WKQX-FM in Chicago, who
is know as Mancow, and Todd Clem, a k a Bubba the
Love Sponge, of the Clear Channel-owned WXTB-FM in
Tampa, Fla., who also push the envelope with pranks
and trash talk.

Mr. Clem, whose morning show is carried on WXTB's
sister stations in Jacksonville and West Palm Beach,
Fla., faces animal cruelty charges for the Feb. 27
castration and killing of a boar for a promotional "road
kill barbecue." (A hearing has been scheduled for Aug.
23.)

The trend shows no sign of abating. "So far there's
been no negative audience backlash," said Paul Heine,
executive editor of the trade publication, Friday Morning
Quarterback, who adds: "They generate a significant
amount of revenue."

Sean Ross, editor of Airplay Monitor, another trade
publication, agrees, "In five years, if somebody comes
along to obsolete Opie and Anthony, they'll probably be
outrageous as well."

quote:

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Mr. Hughes and Mr. Cumia had their start at WAAF-FM in Boston

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From cowardice that dares not know the truth,
From laziness that is content with half-truth,
From arrogance that thinks it knows the whole truth,
Deliver me

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"I know I'm homophobic, but not about gay guys; they don't bother me at all. It's straight guys who don't know they're gay -- they fuck my shit right up."
-- King Missile - "Gay, not gay"

Adopted by danked. Nicey nice!