UPDATE: Opie and Anthony fired from XM

[Mayonnaise]

timmy8271 said:

XM has the right but FCC can't fire them can they? I don't blame XM but If i'm paying for it, I don't want to government involved.

No, the FCC cannot do anything to them unless it was also on the CBS simulcast.

[I Like Your Poetry]

Opie and Anthony were cool in like 1999. I wouldn't realize they were still around if it wasn't for this news article...can't say I heard the skit, but I think it's in poor taste and they overstepped their ground.

[flea]

you're talking to the most hardcore O&A fan right here, and it f***ING SUCKS.


www.peopleagainstcensorship.com


join it

[Cranjis McBasketball]

So?? are the fired or not?

[Mayonnaise]

cdr said:

So?? are the fired or not?

Suspended is the official word. Fired is just a rumor.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Oh ok. I never listen to the show...just curious.

[Kevin Hamilton]

It's not censorship. This is not a freedom of speech issue.

[ThereIsNoAbsurdistOnlyZuul]

Okay.

Free speech isn't free. It isn't limitless. Harassment, libel, slander, and and a host of other laws limit it. You are responsible for the impact of your words (just as you are your actions).

Get off the high horse.

All these people are employees of companies, and what they say and do will reflect on their employer. If this reflection is poor than likely the contracts of employment include clauses that allow for the employer to terminate or suspend the individuals involved.

Think of it as a recall of defective product, because essentially the on air personalities are just that: product.

[Grendel]

Okay, I might as well throw my opinion in here as well. I've listened to O&A before, and I found some of their stuff to be amusing. Some of it not so much, but for the most part I was entertained.

I didn't hear the bit that got them suspended, but I'm actually surprised with everything else they had on their show they pick this bit to suspend them. Sure, this was in bad taste, but I don't know if it should have resulted in a suspension.

But then, since XM radio is trying to merge with Sirius, this can also be seen as a sacrificial lamb type thing. They can say to the powers that be, "Look, they said inappropriate things and we punished them." I think that if they weren't trying for this merger, this wouldn't have happened. After all, much worse has been featured on their show than this.

XM Radio knew from the get go what they were in for when they hired these two. They knew why they had been fired from terrestrial radio and it was that kind of thing that they were looking for. But now they suspend (or if you believe the rumor on the forums they have been fired) for exactly the kind of thing which XM hired them for. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's business.

But personally, I don't think Don Imus should have been fired for his statements either. Sure, it was a really dumb thing to say, but there is a local DJ from Minnesota on KQRS who has said much worse things on his morning show, and he's allowed to get away with it.

But that's America, I guess. They pick and choose when they will drop the hammer.

Eh, Ron and Fez are funnier anyway ...

I just wonder if XM does fire O&A, I wonder how many subscribers they will lose. I know many people who have XM just for O&A, and the pests are a rabid bunch, so I wonder what will happen in the long run ...

[paragon]

flea said:

you're talking to the most hardcore O&A fan right here, and it waxING SUCKS.


www.peopleagainstcensorship.com


join it

As people have pointed out already, this isn't censorship.

[EvilMasterBetty, Esq.]

grendel432 said:

Okay, I might as well throw my opinion in here as well. I've listened to O&A before, and I found some of their stuff to be amusing. Some of it not so much, but for the most part I was entertained.

I didn't hear the bit that got them suspended, but I'm actually surprised with everything else they had on their show they pick this bit to suspend them. Sure, this was in bad taste, but I don't know if it should have resulted in a suspension.

But then, since XM radio is trying to merge with Sirius, this can also be seen as a sacrificial lamb type thing. They can say to the powers that be, "Look, they said inappropriate things and we punished them." I think that if they weren't trying for this merger, this wouldn't have happened. After all, much worse has been featured on their show than this.

XM Radio knew from the get go what they were in for when they hired these two. They knew why they had been fired from terrestrial radio and it was that kind of thing that they were looking for. But now they suspend (or if you believe the rumor on the forums they have been fired) for exactly the kind of thing which XM hired them for. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's business.

But personally, I don't think Don Imus should have been fired for his statements either. Sure, it was a really dumb thing to say, but there is a local DJ from Minnesota on KQRS who has said much worse things on his morning show, and he's allowed to get away with it.

But that's America, I guess. They pick and choose when they will drop the hammer.

Eh, Ron and Fez are funnier anyway ...

I just wonder if XM does fire O&A, I wonder how many subscribers they will lose. I know many people who have XM just for O&A, and the pests are a rabid bunch, so I wonder what will happen in the long run ...

This bit was pretty bad though. What they did was way worse than what Imus said.

And for the last time, as someone who's going to law school to study constitutional law, this is NOT censorship. It's the same principle as to why the WWE can take down signs at events. You're dealing with a private company that wants to maintain a certain image. It doesn't matter that they hired O&A knowing what they do. If you were to hire a someone who spent time in prison for assault, you don't expect them to go beat the crap out of someone again. XM didn't think that O&A would go as far as they did. If they had fired O&A for stating a particular view on a subject, then it would more than likely be censorship. What they said was vulgar and obscene and they would have absolutely no case if they tried to go to court.

Again, I'm a staunch believer in the first amendment, but this situation has nothing to do with that.

[ThereIsNoAbsurdistOnlyZuul]

It is canning people.

Censorship was if they had actually edited the broadcast.

Or at least that's what the dictionary tells me. But then what does it know?

[Grendel]

evilmasterbetty said:

grendel432 said:

Okay, I might as well throw my opinion in here as well. I've listened to O&A before, and I found some of their stuff to be amusing. Some of it not so much, but for the most part I was entertained.

I didn't hear the bit that got them suspended, but I'm actually surprised with everything else they had on their show they pick this bit to suspend them. Sure, this was in bad taste, but I don't know if it should have resulted in a suspension.

But then, since XM radio is trying to merge with Sirius, this can also be seen as a sacrificial lamb type thing. They can say to the powers that be, "Look, they said inappropriate things and we punished them." I think that if they weren't trying for this merger, this wouldn't have happened. After all, much worse has been featured on their show than this.

XM Radio knew from the get go what they were in for when they hired these two. They knew why they had been fired from terrestrial radio and it was that kind of thing that they were looking for. But now they suspend (or if you believe the rumor on the forums they have been fired) for exactly the kind of thing which XM hired them for. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's business.

But personally, I don't think Don Imus should have been fired for his statements either. Sure, it was a really dumb thing to say, but there is a local DJ from Minnesota on KQRS who has said much worse things on his morning show, and he's allowed to get away with it.

But that's America, I guess. They pick and choose when they will drop the hammer.

Eh, Ron and Fez are funnier anyway ...

I just wonder if XM does fire O&A, I wonder how many subscribers they will lose. I know many people who have XM just for O&A, and the pests are a rabid bunch, so I wonder what will happen in the long run ...

This bit was pretty bad though. What they did was way worse than what Imus said.

And for the last time, as someone who's going to law school to study constitutional law, this is NOT censorship. It's the same principle as to why the WWE can take down signs at events. You're dealing with a private company that wants to maintain a certain image. It doesn't matter that they hired O&A knowing what they do. If you were to hire a someone who spent time in prison for assault, you don't expect them to go beat the crap out of someone again. XM didn't think that O&A would go as far as they did. If they had fired O&A for stating a particular view on a subject, then it would more than likely be censorship. What they said was vulgar and obscene and they would have absolutely no case if they tried to go to court.

Again, I'm a staunch believer in the first amendment, but this situation has nothing to do with that.

I don't believe that I said this was censorship. I just said that they've done alot worse on their show (as I have listened to them on and off for around a year, and some of the bits I've heard have gone far beyond this one), but nothing was done about it. And I pondered if they were suspended because of the pending XM/Sirius deal that XM is trying so desperately for.

[ThereIsNoAbsurdistOnlyZuul]

grendel432 said:

evilmasterbetty said:

This bit was pretty bad though. What they did was way worse than what Imus said.

And for the last time, as someone who's going to law school to study constitutional law, this is NOT censorship. It's the same principle as to why the WWE can take down signs at events. You're dealing with a private company that wants to maintain a certain image. It doesn't matter that they hired O&A knowing what they do. If you were to hire a someone who spent time in prison for assault, you don't expect them to go beat the crap out of someone again. XM didn't think that O&A would go as far as they did. If they had fired O&A for stating a particular view on a subject, then it would more than likely be censorship. What they said was vulgar and obscene and they would have absolutely no case if they tried to go to court.

Again, I'm a staunch believer in the first amendment, but this situation has nothing to do with that.

I don't believe that I said this was censorship. I just said that they've done alot worse on their show (as I have listened to them on and off for around a year, and some of the bits I've heard have gone far beyond this one), but nothing was done about it. And I pondered if they were suspended because of the pending XM/Sirius deal that XM is trying so desperately for.

Which leads me to a question, what the wax does it matter if you apologize?

Hell, were they even serious about it?

I mean, if I were to daydream outloud over someone getting raped, with me in the inferable pro-rape stance... what the hell does it matter to that person, or anyone else that I apologized?

There are time when a mea culpa doesn't fix it.

And neither does them having done worse.

I get that XM is a private service, however people should... no scratch that, people MUST be accountable for what they say and do. Regardless of the medium. Right waxing thought, right waxing action, right waxing word.

And Grendel, you're likely right to some degree or another.

[Timmy8271]

This might not be censorship but it will lead to censorship. Especially if a republican wins the white house in 08.

[ThereIsNoAbsurdistOnlyZuul]

timmy8271 said:

This might not be censorship but it will lead to censorship. Especially if a republican wins the white house in 08.

Well if they were a traditional pre-Neocon Republican how would you respond then?

[Timmy8271]

Probably the same.

[amsiraK]

spandauballetmark said:

timmy8271 said:

This might not be censorship but it will lead to censorship. Especially if a republican wins the white house in 08.

Well if they were a traditional pre-Neocon Republican how would you respond then?

A - No Politics

B - This isn't censorship, it won't LEAD to censorship, it's something that broadcasters have done since the advent of public airwaves

C - is for Cookie

D - NO POLITICS

[EvilMasterBetty, Esq.]

grendel432 said:

evilmasterbetty said:

This bit was pretty bad though. What they did was way worse than what Imus said.

And for the last time, as someone who's going to law school to study constitutional law, this is NOT censorship. It's the same principle as to why the WWE can take down signs at events. You're dealing with a private company that wants to maintain a certain image. It doesn't matter that they hired O&A knowing what they do. If you were to hire a someone who spent time in prison for assault, you don't expect them to go beat the crap out of someone again. XM didn't think that O&A would go as far as they did. If they had fired O&A for stating a particular view on a subject, then it would more than likely be censorship. What they said was vulgar and obscene and they would have absolutely no case if they tried to go to court.

Again, I'm a staunch believer in the first amendment, but this situation has nothing to do with that.

I don't believe that I said this was censorship. I just said that they've done alot worse on their show (as I have listened to them on and off for around a year, and some of the bits I've heard have gone far beyond this one), but nothing was done about it. And I pondered if they were suspended because of the pending XM/Sirius deal that XM is trying so desperately for.

That wasn't meant to be directed at you, but rather the people still saying it was censorship. I should have made that clearer.

[Grendel]

evilmasterbetty said:

grendel432 said:

I don't believe that I said this was censorship. I just said that they've done alot worse on their show (as I have listened to them on and off for around a year, and some of the bits I've heard have gone far beyond this one), but nothing was done about it. And I pondered if they were suspended because of the pending XM/Sirius deal that XM is trying so desperately for.

That wasn't meant to be directed at you, but rather the people still saying it was censorship. I should have made that clearer.

And I should have been more diligent in reading what you had to say. I should have realized that, but it was late at night and all ...