Hypocrites

To show that the Salem-like policing of our airwaves doesn't stop at terrestrial radio, XM has suspended radio personalities Opie & Anthony for comments made on their show last week, by a homeless guy who was a guest, about having sex with Condi Rice, Laura Bush, and Queen Elizabeth. Would the reaction have been different if the people mentioned were, say, Paris Hilton or Angelina Jolie?

This is another example of how the real villains here aren't the shock jocks, or the people who cry out against them, but the guys at the top who sign these guys up, knowing what they talk about (and likely encourage them) because it draws a diehard audience, until it goes too far; then they subject the DJ's to a public flogging and suspension and/or termination.

I always looked at satallite radio as the last bastion of people who can speak freely and have the freedom to offend, without worries of losing advertisers or corporate sponsorship. That expectation is now shattered. XM wants to merge with Sirius, so they need to keep things friendly with FCC. So O & A had to be sacrificed. It's always about the dollars. At least we still have Howard. And he's been around much, much longer than O & A. Sirius isn't going to fuck with him.