Posted on 08/20/2002 2:29:40 PM PDT by GeneD
The WNEW/New York afternoon talkers and Westwood One syndicated personalities are off at least through the end of this week after news broke of their contest encouraging couples to have sex in the city's riskiest places; the couple who had their encounter in St. Patrick's Cathedral - just feet from worshippers - were even arrested. At press time, officials at Westwood One were unable to confirm if Opie & Anthony's time off was scheduled or an enforced vacation.
Incensed by a New York radio station's stunt, Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps demanded that the agency investigate complaints about a phoned-in account of a couple having sex in a vestibule of St. Patrick's Cathedral aired over WNEW(FM) Friday.
The incident was part of a contest concocted by producers of the "Opie and Anthony" show in which six couples were given a list of 54 different high-risk locations at which to have sex in New York.
The couple and show field producer Paul Mercurio were arrested.
"This act took place within a few feet of worshippers and visitors," Copps said in a prepared statement. "If these complaints and press accounts prove true, this commission should consider the strongest enforcement action possible against this station, up to and including revocation of the station’s license."
A spokesman for the agency's enforcement bureau said a formal inquiry would begin if the agency received complaints from individuals who actually heard the broadcast.
(From Broadcasting and Cable.com)
Opie and Anthony are still getting paid, even if their show is all reruns right now. It's their bosses who got suspended. Infinity Broadcasting announced yesterday that WNEW/102.7 FM vice president/general manager Ken Stevens and program director Jeremy Coleman are being punished because, on Thursday afternoon, their No. 1 pair of shock jocks broadcast a description of sexual intercourse supposedly taking place at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
A radio industry source indicated that Long Islanders Gregg ("Opie”) Hughes and Anthony Cumia were just doing their jobs, being outrageous and "pushing the envelope,” while it was management's job to keep them from going too far. Based on the ensuing uproar, Stevens and Coleman didn't know how far that was....
(From Newsday.com)
And here I thought this story was done and gone. Looks like Sumner and Mel aren't going to be so easily appeased.
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