by 2Nu » Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:23 pm
I read in todays Newsday that it will likely be Stern proteges O & A (Opie & Anthony)
:: golf clap ::
<a href="http://www.newsday.com/features/printedition/ny-roth4710800apr21,0,5927184.story" target="blank">"Roth might as well jump to a new job
BY RAFER GUZMÁN
Newsday Staff Writer
April 21, 2006"</a>
The infamous shock jocks Opie and Anthony are set to replace the struggling David Lee Roth as morning hosts on WFNY and six other stations, according to Billboard.com and other news sources.
The move comes barely four months into Roth's tenure and puts two Long Islanders in the coveted time slot that Howard Stern, a Roosevelt native, occupied for 20 years.
The latest round of musical chairs at WFNY/92.3 FM, owned by CBS Radio, highlights the difficulty the broadcasting company has had since Stern left its airwaves Dec. 16 to join Sirius Satellite Radio. Soon after, CBS changed its name (it was formerly Infinity Broadcasting). It also switched Stern's flagship station, K-Rock, to an all-talk format called Free FM. Roth, the onetime singer for Van Halen, was hired to replace Stern.
Roth's show, which debuted Jan. 3 and is syndicated to six other stations, has fallen short of expectations. CBS touted Roth as a raunchy rock 'n' roller, but "Roth today is not that guy," says Tom Taylor, editor of the Web site InsideRadio.com. "He's now a guy who's moved past all that."
Roth's rambling, stream-of-consciousness style and quirky taste in background music failed to impress listeners. His show recently ranked ninth in the New York area, a steep drop from second place in fall 2005, according to Arbitron. After station executives pressured Roth to make changes, he insulted them-on air. Last month, his show was suspended for two days.
"I think it was always a stretch," Taylor says. "He had no experience doing this, and to ask him to come in fresh like that is very difficult."
By contrast, Roth's likely replacements, Greg "Opie" Hughes of Centerport and Anthony Cumia of Elwood, are seasoned shock-jock veterans. Ironically, they also know what it's like to be axed by CBS Radio, which owns their former station, WNEW/102.7 FM.
In August 2002, Opie and Anthony were permanently suspended from WNEW after broadcasting the sounds of a couple allegedly having sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral, a stunt that ran afoul of the FCC and outraged Catholic groups. A clause in their contract kept them from going to other stations until late 2004, when they joined XM Satellite Radio. Published reports indicated that the duo will continue to do their satellite show, in addition to their new terrestrial gig.
When Opie and Anthony will start at WFNY is unclear. CBS Radio declined to comment, and a call to XM Radio was not returned. CBS Radio is expected to make an official announcement next week.
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