O&A: The Aftermath – Duo’s Suspension leads to XM losing subscribers

FMQB reports that Opie & Anthony were pretty quiet about their XM suspension on their show on 5/16. Their 3-hour CBS Radio (including Pittsburgh’s WTZN 93.7) airshift continues as normal. Meanwhile XM maintains that they want the duo back after 30 days and that the time off isn’t about the segment last week in which a homeless man said he desired to have sex with Condoleezza Rice and others. A spokesman for the Satrad company told the industry insider that CEO Hugh Panero is an advocate for free speech that the suspension is for discussing the material several days later on their 5/14 program.

Meanwhile O&A fans have been cancelling their XM subscriptions. Several blogs like this one have even said that people have destroyed their XM receivers in protest. Although PBRTV cannot confirm it, there are rumors that XM is offering a few months of free service for those cancelling their subscription due to the suspension. Some other blogs and industry analysts suggest that the move was so XM would be in good graces of the law makers who will have the authority to approve a pending merger with Sirius.