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United States Gregg Hughes, known as Opie, is a renowned radio personality and podcast host, recognized for his extensive career in terrestrial and satellite radio, engaging audiences with his distinctive on-air style.
Gregg Hughes and Jim Norton signed a new contract to continue their morning radio show on SiriusXM, rebranding the channel to Opie Radio. This partnership followed the departure of Anthony Cumia and ensured the continuation of Hughes's presence on satellite radio.
On May 8, 2018, Hughes launched his new podcast, 'The Opie Radio Podcast,' on the Westwood One network. This marked a significant transition for Hughes into the podcasting space following his departure from SiriusXM. The partnership concluded in June 2019 due to low listenership, though Hughes continued the podcast independently.
On April 24, 2006, Opie and Anthony announced a deal with CBS Radio (formerly Infinity Broadcasting) to have the first three hours of their show simulcast on seven of CBS's rock stations. This partnership expanded their reach beyond satellite radio to terrestrial broadcast.
In 2001, Opie and Anthony signed a syndication deal with Infinity Broadcasting to syndicate their show on 22 stations nationwide, including WBCN in Boston. This significantly broadened their audience across the country.
Gregg Hughes, professionally known as Opie, was born on May 23, 1963, in New York City and raised in Centerport, New York. His early life on Long Island led to the nickname “Opie” due to his childhood resemblance to the character Opie Taylor from “The Andy Griffith Show.” Hughes pursued his passion for radio, graduating from the State University of New York at Geneseo with a degree in communications. During his college years, he gained initial experience working air shifts at the university radio station and was a brother of the Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity. Following graduation, Hughes began his career in the promotions department at WCMF in Rochester, New York, before transitioning to an on-air role with Brother Wease, whom he credits as a mentor.
Hughes further developed his broadcasting style at WUFX in Buffalo, New York, where he hosted the midnight to 6:00 a.m. shift. This unsupervised environment allowed him to experiment with unconventional segments, such as broadcasting from the station’s roof. His career took a significant turn at WBAB on Long Island with “The Nighttime Attitude.” In 1994, a song parody contest led to a collaboration with Anthony Cumia, forming the “Opie and Anthony” duo. Their partnership began officially in 1995 at WAAF in Boston. Despite being fired from WAAF in 1998 due to an April Fool’s Day prank involving Mayor Thomas Menino, the duo quickly returned to New York’s WNEW-FM, achieving top ratings.
The “Opie and Anthony” show, which later included Jim Norton, expanded to national syndication with Infinity Broadcasting in 2001. Their career was marked by significant milestones and controversies, including a suspension in 2002 after a widely criticized segment involving St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The show found a new home on XM Satellite Radio in 2004 and later had a partial simulcast on CBS Radio stations from 2006 to 2009. After Cumia’s firing from SiriusXM in 2014, Hughes continued with “Opie with Jim Norton” until 2016, followed by “The Opie Radio Show.” After being let go from SiriusXM in 2017, Hughes launched “The Opie Radio Podcast” on the Westwood One network in 2018, continuing his work in digital audio after the network relationship ended in 2019.
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