XM Radio Suspends Opie & Anthony (for rape comments about the First Lady/Condi)

XM Radio ^ | 15 May 07 | dcbryan1

[Sue Perkick]

Some people honestly don’t get this & that’s downright scary.

[misterrob]

Those two morons combined couldn’t muster up the intellect that Condi lets loose when she farts in the morning. Yes, they get paid to push the envelope but there has to be a line somewhere for a business owner. We both know that they took some heat for dumb and dumber’s antics and I am glad that they did. No one threw them in jail or took them out back and whipped them for what they did but they were certainly put on notice that their post adolescent behavior went too far.

[Grunthor]

Thank you

(steps down off soapbax)

[raccoonradio]

Howie Carr just said he heard that Sharpton claimed he was gonna go to the FCC or something (though I thought the
Justice Dept. would be who’s overseeing this) to try and
stop the XM/Sirius merger...that was yesterday, Howie said,
and look what happened today.. anyone have more info?

Sharpton doing this despite Condi and the First Lady
NOT being liberals? wow.

[Malsua]

O&A did not start the conversation that got them fired. Not fired, yet anyway and they didn't start the topic, true.

It was a crazy homeless guy ranting and raving in the studio. True. The media would have you believe they were condoning it, brought up the subject and were commenting on how cool and fun it would be. Totally NOT the case

If they were guilty of anything it was laughing at the absurdity of what the guy was saying. True. The guy was ranting on everything, he's insane. They were laughing AT him, not about the subject, about his depravity.

That warrants a suspension? Hardly That's not why they were suspended. They were suspended because they apparently signed a contract that they wouldn't talk about the incident and did.

[P-Marlowe]

I thought radio and specifically sat radio was the last bastion of broadcast free speech.

You thought wrong. As long as someone is paying you to speak, they have a right to tell you what you can and can't say. Speech may be "free" but free speech carries with it responsibilities and repercussions.

XM has a duty to its stockholders to ensure that they don't lose customers because some of their paid commentators piss off a large portion of their subscribers. Opie and Anthony engaged in the kind of speech that will ultimately cost XM a lot of money. As long as XM is paying their salaries, XM can tell them what they can and can't say. They crossed the line.

[Silly]

Oh, a “guest”. I wonder how often this guest appears on their show.

I already knew what it was all about. I thought it rather, well, funny that the press release wouldn’t mention the details, that’s all.

[newzjunkey]

The comments were crass and inappropriate. Perfect for what I understand their programming to be.

Shame on XM for freaking out. I thought the point of satellite radio was to be free of FCC restrictions for paying adults who wish to hear such things.

It's ridiculous to suspend them for 30 days. This might be a wake-up call to subscribers who think they are hearing "talent" un-filtered and talent who believe they are being paid to be un-filtered.

[Bogey78O]

This is the first time the guest was on the show in several years. He had never been on the XM show before.

He really is a homeless guy they plucked off the street a few years back.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I don’t know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway —
Whatever it is, I’m offended!
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I’m offended.

Your proposition may be good
But let’s have one thing understood —
Whatever it is, I’m offendedi!
And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it,
I’m offended.

I’m offended —
On general principles I’m offended!

Chorus: He’s offended!
In fact, in word, in deed,
He’s offended!

For months before my son was born,
I used to yell from night till morn,
Whatever it is, I’m offended!
And I’ve kept yelling since I commenced it,
I’m offended!

[wolfcreek]

“Did you hear the comments or did the mass media tell you what they said?”

I heard what they said and saw how they acted. If you said those things on FR and the Mods didn’t catch it, I would do my best to have you permanently banned.

No offence to you but, that’s how bad it was!

[over3Owithabrain]

their paid commentators piss off a large portion of their subscribers.

Probably nobody who has listened to the O & A show was pissed off about the original segment, because they understand the show and the context.

Only people pissed are those who are knee-jerk reacting for political reasons without knowing anything else but the headlines and the audio clip that was played all over.
So once again, the ill-informed mob wins again. "Yay, we won't "have to" hear a show we never listened to for the next 30 days. Who's next?"

[Wright Wing]

Go Patrice..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjIuPSuYSOY

[over3Owithabrain]

XM has the right to suspend or fire of course but their hypocrisy is amazing. Have you ever heard their all-comedy adult channel (150)? It rivals anything ever said on the O and A show. Both channels have the adult warning which implies there will be offensive things said.

[Albion Wilde]

It's about time.

[Albion Wilde]

People need to lighten up.

You've never been raped, have you?

[Volunteer]

You are 100% correct.

I just canceled 3 subscriptions. Did I like the comments of their guest? No, I did not. But, as repugnant as they were, I find censorship worse. I will not pay for it.

[VegasCowboy]

XM has a duty to its stockholders to ensure that they don't lose customers because some of their paid commentators piss off a large portion of their subscribers. Opie and Anthony engaged in the kind of speech that will ultimately cost XM a lot of money. As long as XM is paying their salaries, XM can tell them what they can and can't say. They crossed the line.

I generally agree with your line of reasoning, but ever since the Imus affair I've begun having a change of heart. I actually listen to O&A on XM everyday on my way to work. Some of their stuff is too cringe-inducing so I change the channel. However, they do a lot of very funny and spot-on social commentary, especially in regards to race relations and politics. During Imus it became apparent that anyone who didn't toe the PC-line was putting their head on a chopping block. Let's face it: if you listen to any of these DJs on a regular basis, you will not be offended enough to cancel your subscription as their kind of humor doesn't bother you.

What's happening is that there are "victims groups," primarily Sharpton and his crew, monitoring talk radio of all types and waiting to pounce. When something off-color or racially-insensitive is said, the PR machine immediately springs into motion and begins pressuring the employers to fire or suspend the offending radio host.

The bit on Condi was deplorable; however, they are on the air for 6 hours a day, trying to come up with edgy humor. The law of averages says some of it will cross the line. It just sickens me that people who don't listen and never will listen can pressure a company to take something off the air because they don't like it. So what's next? What crosses the line for Al Sharpton is much different than what crosses the line for me. So why not let me decide for myself what is appropriate?

Sorry for the long post, but this stuff is getting out of control. Conservatives should know that we will be the next to feel the sting from this.

[SampleMan]

I suppose XM has a right to be as inconsistent as they desire when it comes to their business model.

[SampleMan]

Where are the subscribers threaening to cancel if they don’t fire them? It’s non-XM listeners threatening XM.

Apparently XM doesn't agree with you.