Opie & Anthony

[NoDownTime@gmail.com]

I had an opportunity to listen to most of O&A today, and once again,
the show was just excellent. I'm surprised, but I actually think they
are set to give Stern a run for his money.

They played several taped segments of Stern bashing XM, as well as the
O&A show. I usually think this kind of bashing is a pretty good
indicator that Stern realizes he isn't quite the draw he once was.

With Stern having no more than 1,000,000 listeners & O&A probably
having a substantial fraction of that, it has become a pretty good
battle.

[db]

The occasional jab & bash is funny. But when they ramble on & I have to turn
to FOX NEWS for a breather, then turn back to 202 a halh-hour later & they
are STILL rambling about Stern, I get pissed.

[Doug]

Life must suck for you if you have to switch to Fox News when you get tired
of O&A.

[NoDownTime@gmail.com]

Yes, I've heard that a few times -- but I think they're cutting back on
it a bit. But it speaks volumes that Howard is doing the same sort of
crap. I think it is unbecoming of both.

I would say, however, that O&A have a committed following of people who
thrive on this crap.

[db]

True. They do have a vast audience.
I don't expect to enjoy all four hours. I was just venting.

But I recall they WAAF days when I was pissed that I couldn't hear the whole
show.
I guess I take for granted that I can record it now.

[SINNER]

* NoDownTime@gmail.com wrote in alt.radio.satellite:
> Yes, I've heard that a few times -- but I think they're cutting back on
> it a bit. But it speaks volumes that Howard is doing the same sort of
> crap. I think it is unbecoming of both.

Howard doing the same? If he has spent 30 minutes ALL WEEK talking about
O&A it would be a lot.

--
David
If I knew what brand [of whiskey] he drinks, I would send a barrel or
so to my other generals.
-- Abraham Lincoln, on General Grant

[Larry]

NoDownTime@gmail.com wrote:
> I had an opportunity to listen to most of O&A today, and once again,
> the show was just excellent. I'm surprised, but I actually think they
> are set to give Stern a run for his money.
>
> They played several taped segments of Stern bashing XM, as well as the
> O&A show. I usually think this kind of bashing is a pretty good
> indicator that Stern realizes he isn't quite the draw he once was.
>
> With Stern having no more than 1,000,000 listeners & O&A probably
> having a substantial fraction of that, it has become a pretty good
> battle.
>
Well ... let me say this. Stern's bashing of O&A (or anyone else, for
that matter) has nothing to do with any kind of admission that he is
vulnerable. If you have listened to Stern for any length of time, you
would know that he does this all the time. He's done it many times to
people on terrestrial radio that he turned out to make mincemeat out of.
Will that be the case this time? Who knows. I dunno ... I keep thinking
that there may be room for both XM and Sirius. Wouldn't be the first
industry where there are 2 or 3 big players who dominate it.

Larry

[NoDownTime@gmail.com]

> Well ... let me say this. Stern's bashing of O&A (or anyone else, for
> that matter) has nothing to do with any kind of admission that he is
> vulnerable.

Oh, I absolutely agree with you -- his arrogance, while appreciated by
many, is a turnoff to many, as well.

But he *IS* vulnerable. His power was in the huge number of listeners
he had, and he doesn't have them anymore.

Sirius shareholders have funded the creation of the "Howard Stern Big
Media Company". If/When Howard decides to retire in 4 yrs. 10.5
months, his company will continue and will continue to demand a massive
paycheck from Sirius.

[Larry]

NoDownTime@gmail.com wrote:

>>Well ... let me say this. Stern's bashing of O&A (or anyone else, for
>>that matter) has nothing to do with any kind of admission that he is
>>vulnerable.
>
>
> Oh, I absolutely agree with you -- his arrogance, while appreciated by
> many, is a turnoff to many, as well.
>
> But he *IS* vulnerable. His power was in the huge number of listeners
> he had, and he doesn't have them anymore.
>
> Sirius shareholders have funded the creation of the "Howard Stern Big
> Media Company". If/When Howard decides to retire in 4 yrs. 10.5
> months, his company will continue and will continue to demand a massive
> paycheck from Sirius.
>
Oh ... and you're saying that O&A aren't vulnerable? And they have a
HUGE number of listeners? Gimme a break.

Look ... Satellite is a risk. Stern knew it going in and so do O&A. No
one who had an audience of 20-30 million ever expected to have all of
them be willing to pay and be willing to subscribe to Sirius. Remember
when cable TV first came out? Did everyone on the block subscribe?

Larry

[NoDownTime@gmail.com]

> Oh ... and you're saying that O&A aren't vulnerable? And they have a
> HUGE number of listeners? Gimme a break.

I'm not saying that at all. But obviously, they aren't facing the
challenge Stern is. And XM is not vulnerable from an O&A failure the
way Sirius is from a Stern failure.

> Look ... Satellite is a risk. Stern knew it going in and so do O&A. No
> one who had an audience of 20-30 million ever expected to have all of
> them be willing to pay and be willing to subscribe to Sirius. Remember
> when cable TV first came out? Did everyone on the block subscribe?
>

It was a huge risk -- a much bigger risk for Sirius than for Stern,
though. Which is the reason I believe the deal shouldn't have been
made, not at that price.

Satellite radio will be fine. But Stern will be long gone before
Sirius recovers from the $750M they're paying him.

[db]

> Satellite radio will be fine. But Stern will be long gone before
> Sirius recovers from the $750M they're paying him.

Don't forget the 3.3M they spent on adverts.

Anyhoo...I don't get the war effort. Stern has a tough enough time without
the pests. I prefer to give people enough rope to hang themselves. Its more
gratifying than edging them along. But thats just me.

[yqf@my-deja.com]

NoDownTime@gmail.com wrote:
> I had an opportunity to listen to most of O&A today, and once again,
> the show was just excellent. I'm surprised, but I actually think they
> are set to give Stern a run for his money.
>
> They played several taped segments of Stern bashing XM, as well as the
> O&A show. I usually think this kind of bashing is a pretty good
> indicator that Stern realizes he isn't quite the draw he once was.
>
> With Stern having no more than 1,000,000 listeners & O&A probably
> having a substantial fraction of that, it has become a pretty good
> battle.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Less than 100,000 O&A listeners is hardly what I'd call a "substantial
fraction" of Stern's audience. More than a million people subscribed
to Sirius specifically for Stern in October through January alone.
Stern's current audience is conservatively at least 1.5 million. Opie
and Aunt Bee with an insignificant fraction of that aren't even a
factor. If you are one of the few who listen to them, enjoy, but spare
us the bull---- fantasy about them getting set to "give Stern a run for
his money". They had a one year head start and failed miserably. They
couldn't even get 60,000 of their old fans to subscribe to their show
and XM was quickly forced to drop their doomed plan to sell them as a
premium channel.

[yqf@my-deja.com]

NoDownTime@gmail.com wrote:
> Yes, I've heard that a few times -- but I think they're cutting back on
> it a bit. But it speaks volumes that Howard is doing the same sort of
> crap.

BULL----. Stern has NEVER spent more than a minute or two of air time,
less than 5 times total in the last year talking about Opie and
Anthony.

According to reports like the one from the O&A fan above, they
literally spend HOURS per week takling about Stern. It's pathetic, but
I guess I understand their bitterness after failing so spectacularly to
get any significant number of listeners at XM.

What's even sadder is that Hugh Panero thought that hiring O&A, was
going to help XM compete against Stern on Sirius. No wonder there are
rumors that Panero's days at XM are numbered.