Shock Jocks Muzzled in Sex Incident

AP ^ | 8-20-02 | Larry McShane

[Pharmboy]

NEW YORK –– In the almost-anything-goes world of radio, home to Howard Stern and Don Imus, a pair of New York shock jocks discovered what goes too far: sex inside St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Opie and Anthony, co-hosts of WNEW-FM's popular afternoon drive-time program, remained off the air for a second day Tuesday while a 350,000-member Catholic group pushed for their station to get its license revoked. The pair allegedly broadcast a live, eyewitness account of a couple having sex in the landmark Manhattan church.

"Nothing would make us happier than for WNEW's license to be revoked," said William Donohue, head of the Catholic League, which has also demanded a hefty fine for WNEW's parent company. The station is one of 180 owned nationwide by Infinity Broadcasting.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, saying he had received hundreds of outraged phone calls and e-mails, promised that the complaints were "on the fast track" for consideration by his agency.

If they prove true, he said, "this commission should consider the strongest enforcement action possible against this station, up to and including revocation."

The incident occurred last Thursday, when a Virginia couple was arrested after allegedly having sex in a vestibule just a few feet from worshippers in the church. The encounter was described as it happened during the "Opie and Anthony" show.

It was part of a regular feature where couples can win prizes for having sex in risky places.

Brian Florence, 37, of Quantico, Va., and Loretta Lynn Harper, 35, of Alexandria, Va., were arrested on charges of public lewdness. Show producer Paul Mercurio, 42, who called via cell phone and described their actions, was charged with acting in concert.

The Virginia pair was due back in court Wednesday. Their attorney, Miranda Fritz, has said they were only simulating sex. Click on Source for rest of article (since it is AP via Wash Post)

[Pharmboy]

As someone noted, what if these people had sex in Temple Emanuel (the big synagogue on Fifth Ave.) on Yom Kippur? Would there be outrage in the media. You betcha. They would be called nazis--just what these WNEW "people" are.

[Leper Messiah]

This is even too much for me.

[mlocher]

they should have done this in the confessional.

[victim soul]

It seems like every day I wake up -- after listening to or reading the news -- I ask myself this question: how low can you go --- These guys must go and so should their sponsors' license.

[Pharmboy]

Can you imagine if they did this in a mosque?

[F.J. Mitchell]

Considering the revelations we have been exposed to, over the last several months, that were covered up over the last several decades, we can only ask: What's the beef?, other than the couple being heterosexual?

[F.J. Mitchell]

"THese guys must go."

Fair enough, and when will the church cut their perverts loose?

[neutrino]

WNEW is a station owned by Infinity Broadcasting....which is a subsidiary of Viacom.

Public information on Viacom:

Viacom Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company. The Company owns and operates advertiser-supported basic cable television program services through MTV Networks and BET: Black Entertainment Television and premium subscription television program services through Showtime Networks Inc. in the United States and internationally. The Television segment consists of the CBS and UPN television networks. Infinity's operations are focused on the out-of-home media business with operations in radio broadcasting. The Entertainment segment's principal businesses are Paramount Pictures, which produces and distributes motion pictures. The Company operates in the home video retail business, which includes both rental and sale of videocassette and DVD products. The Company also publishes and distributes consumer hardcover books.

Contact information for Viacom:

1515 Broadway
New York,NY 10036

(212) 258-6000
(212) 258-6358

http://www.viacom.com

[Antoninus]

Good. I hope these dirtbags get their license pulled. Opie and Anthony were forbidden by management to ridicule Howard Stern, but staging a sex act in St. Patrick's is apparently ok? Just when you think pop culture can't get any lower...

[Pharmboy]

They are finally dealing with it...you do make a good point. But, as they taught us in school, two wrongs don't make a right.

[F.J. Mitchell]

"Can you imagine if they did this in a Mosque?"

Her stoned-him de-stoned? But.....Islam is defined as a religion of peace!

[Jonathon Spectre]

The world is full of idiots.

[mikeb704]

It's only about sex. Let's move on.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[Freeper 007]

Maybe because they were both over 18 and consenting?

[Aquinasfan]

WNEW is a station owned by Infinity Broadcasting....which is a subsidiary of Viacom.

Which is owned by Sumner "MTV" Redstone who is a sleazeball.

[IncPen]

Fair enough, and when will the church cut their perverts loose?

My understanding is that the rate of 'perverts' in the Catholic Church is about 2%, or roughly equivalent to that of the general population.

That the Church has done a poor job of dealing with their problem does not mitigate this nor does it invite an attack such as the one perpetrated by these two morons.

Rather than equivocate, you ought to consider why they chose a church (to humiliate and degrade the church and its members) and what other 'targets' they might have chosen (the lobby of CBS headquarters in New York perhaps, or a mosque?).

[Joee]

I'm sure they will be guests on the Howard Stern Show.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Let me see if I fully understand what you are saying: Powerful figure in position of authority, rapes (staturarily or otherwise) minor placed in his trust-shame on minor for seducing same sex man of the cloth. Bad boy! bad boy! Same church, next Sunday, Hormone driven young people of opposite sexes, cave in to temptation and scratch their itch while the afore mentioned Padre is preaching his hypocritical sermon-shame on both! taken out and stoned to death or whatever. Sounds like the Islamites twisted version of justice to me.

Patiently awaiting a rational response.

[Ann Archy]

I'll cut you some slack, as I'm sure you aren;t a Catholic, but how would you like this done in your place of worship on a Holyday with services going on?? Or if you are an athiest, what if they did it in front of your house with your children 10 feet away.

It's End Times.

[F.J. Mitchell]

The perverted two percent are not the problem-it's their superiors, Sexually, mentally and spiritually sound we hope, who rather than removing the small minority of perverts and getting treatment for their victims, chose instead to demonize their victims and send the perverts off to more fertile pastures of unsuspecting victims and their unsuspecting parents.

It's not the sick sonovabitches in society that creates the problem, the most evil of all are the ones who for whatever reason, cover their crimes.