Removal of Opie and Anthony leave the Edge a bit more dull

As I got in the car this morning, I did the same thing I’ve done every morning for some time – tune my car radio to 103.3 The Edge to catch Opie and Anthony.

Imagine my shock – SHOCK – when I instead heard Def Leppard droning away on “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

I’m not sure which development made me more sour – the lack of O&A or the song – but then my brain began clicking. I recalled an off-hand comment made at the end of an O&A broadcast last week in which they said, “and this may be goodbye, Buffalo.”

I thought it was odd then but dismissed it. Seems they were right.

For reasons not entirely clear, The Edge no longer carries the show from 6-9 a.m. weekdays, instead playing more music. I’d normally be in favor of this, as most morning talk shows lack for entertainment value (I’m looking at you, Janet Snyder), but O&A was refreshingly funny even as the boys suffered daily to avoid further FCC trouble.

O&A were booted from radio several years ago for a bit they did involving people having sex in public places; one couple ended up in a New York City church, which no one took kindly to. They returned after several years to satellite radio then began doing a half-and-half satellite/terrestrial broadcast, with Buffalo among the Citadel-owned stations carrying the duo. The Edge even juggled its lineup to accommodate the move, as the long-standing morning duo of Shredd and Ragan was moved to the 3-7 p.m. slot they still occupy.

It worked out great – two solid shows to get me to and from work. Now this.

The Edge hasn’t yet responded to my request for comment as to why this happened; if they get back to me, I will update the situation on this blog. It could have been a move by Citadel – several other Citadel stations nationwide also switched their O&A status – or it could have been a local decision. Seeing as the ratings were solid (The Edge has long been a top-10 station in the Buffalo market), it seems curious nonetheless.

Perhaps the show was too costly to continue airing, or maybe someone making the decisions just had enough of how O&A pushed the envelope. Either way, a disservice has been done to the public. O&A are perhaps the last great original thing on radio, and their elimination will only serve to push that many more listeners to the satellite airwaves.

Just as we got them back, O&A are gone again.

Their removal from Buffalo isn’t quite Armageddon, but it does leave myself and many other fans in a minor state of hysteria.

Win free movie tickets!

You local newspaper is giving away free passes to see “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, at the Walden Galleria Mall.

Being given away are three passes, with each one admitting two people. Note that holding a pass does not guarantee admission due to space constraints.

To enter, e-mail lanep@gnnewspaper.com with an e-mail header of “Pants Contest” and include your name, address and phone number (cell phone if applicable). Winners will be drawn at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 30.

Winners MUST be able to pick up their pass at the Tonawanda News, 435 River Road, North Tonawanda, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday or Thursday; tickets will NOT be mailed out. Employees of the Tonawanda News, Niagara Gazette, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal and their family members are not eligible to participate.

This film sequel stars Amber Tamblyn and America Ferrara and is about a group of young women whose friendship and destiny is partially defined by a magical pair of pants.