Midnight Mike
2006-08-04, 09:24 PM
Radio morning show hosts Opie and Anthony yesterday escalated their verbal attack - some might say publicity stunt - against Howard Stern by daring him to get them kicked off CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman."
Monday, on his Sirius Satellite Radio show, Stern said he had a chance to stop Opie and Anthony (who are heard on WFNY-FM and XM Satellite Radio) from appearing on Letterman later this month - but didn't.
Stern said he got a call from someone at Letterman's show three weeks ago, and suggested if he wanted, they wouldn't be booked. He said he didn't care, and would continue to go on Letterman whether O&A did or not.
However, Opie (Gregg Hughes) and Anthony (Cumia) yesterday challenged Stern to actually stop their appearance.
"Howard does this all the time," Cumia said. "He says things that can never be confirmed, there's no accountability. We are telling Howard, go ahead, put his foot down, if he can get us taken off Letterman, do it."
"We dare you," Hughes added. "He's so full of crap."
A Letterman spokeswoman confirmed the radio duo would be on the show Aug. 31. She could not confirm Stern's claims, saying Letterman's show is not in production this week or next.
There's no doubt Stern is a friend of the Letterman camp, having drawn huge ratings every time he's appeared on the show during the past 20 years. As such, it's not inconceivable that someone may have tipped him off ahead of time to the O&A booking.
That said, it would be highly unlikely Stern would meet O&A's challenge to upend their booking now, for a variety of reasons, notably, he'd look like a power-hungry creep. And to engage in the dialogue only plays into his competitors hands.
A spokesman for Stern declined to comment.
As for Stern, during a general discussion of morning radio yesterday, he said the one time he listened to O&A, they were ragging on him.
Perhaps in the best assessment of the situation, Stern noted on his show yesterday that if Opie and Anthony wanted to talk about him, fine, it keeps his name top of mind.
And by challenging him, Opie and Anthony also keep their names out there, too.
Monday, on his Sirius Satellite Radio show, Stern said he had a chance to stop Opie and Anthony (who are heard on WFNY-FM and XM Satellite Radio) from appearing on Letterman later this month - but didn't.
Stern said he got a call from someone at Letterman's show three weeks ago, and suggested if he wanted, they wouldn't be booked. He said he didn't care, and would continue to go on Letterman whether O&A did or not.
However, Opie (Gregg Hughes) and Anthony (Cumia) yesterday challenged Stern to actually stop their appearance.
"Howard does this all the time," Cumia said. "He says things that can never be confirmed, there's no accountability. We are telling Howard, go ahead, put his foot down, if he can get us taken off Letterman, do it."
"We dare you," Hughes added. "He's so full of crap."
A Letterman spokeswoman confirmed the radio duo would be on the show Aug. 31. She could not confirm Stern's claims, saying Letterman's show is not in production this week or next.
There's no doubt Stern is a friend of the Letterman camp, having drawn huge ratings every time he's appeared on the show during the past 20 years. As such, it's not inconceivable that someone may have tipped him off ahead of time to the O&A booking.
That said, it would be highly unlikely Stern would meet O&A's challenge to upend their booking now, for a variety of reasons, notably, he'd look like a power-hungry creep. And to engage in the dialogue only plays into his competitors hands.
A spokesman for Stern declined to comment.
As for Stern, during a general discussion of morning radio yesterday, he said the one time he listened to O&A, they were ragging on him.
Perhaps in the best assessment of the situation, Stern noted on his show yesterday that if Opie and Anthony wanted to talk about him, fine, it keeps his name top of mind.
And by challenging him, Opie and Anthony also keep their names out there, too.