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102-566: After a run in Tampa , Florida as part of The Ron and Ron Show , and then several other stints in Daytona Beach, Florida , New York City , and Washington, D.C. , and on Sirius XM Radio . In 1987, stand-up comedian Ron Bennington joined Ron Diaz to create a wildly popular and raunchy morning radio program, The Ron and Ron Show at Tampa Bay's WYNF-FM, 95ynf (now WWRM ). On December 21, 1994, Ron Diaz announced that his wife Debbie

204-420: A cake to a homeless person as a reward for a competition on his show. However, Opie decided to record himself stomping on the homeless man's cake after he offered Opie a part of the cake. On March 9, 2009, Opie and Anthony were heard on FM for the last time, and spent much of the time discussing the impending format change, and how their services were "no longer needed" at the station. Their executive producer for

306-409: A contract with Westwood One to develop a podcast and a traditionally syndicated radio show for the network. On May 2, it was announced that the podcast would debut the following week with the first episode airing on May 9. In June 2019, Hughes announced that although his relationship with Westwood One had ended, the podcast would continue. In February 2001, Hughes and Cumia hosted XFL Gameday ,

408-495: A degree in communications. During his time studying, Hughes worked air shifts at the university radio station. After graduating from college, Hughes landed a job in the promotions department at WCMF in Rochester, New York , but soon moved to work on the station's morning show then hosted by Brother Wease . Hughes credits Wease as a mentor in developing his on-air personality and furthering his career. Hughes left WCMF to work

510-478: A few Eastern European Jewish immigrants arrived starting in the late 1880s, opening businesses and shops that catered to cigar workers. By 1900, over 10,000 immigrants had moved to the neighborhood. Several thousand more Cuban immigrants built West Tampa , another cigar-centric suburb founded a few years later by Hugh MacFarlane. Between them, two "Latin" communities combined to exponentially expand Tampa's population, economic base, and tax revenues, as Tampa became

612-620: A few hours, and the Battle of Tampa caused little damage. During the Battle of Fort Brooke on October 16 and the Battle of Ballast Point on October 18, 1863, Union forces inflicted serious damage to Tampa's economy when, under the cover of another bombardment of the fort, troops landed and destroyed two blockade running ships that had been hidden upstream along the Hillsborough River. In May 1864, Union troops landed again and took Fort Brooke largely unopposed. They destroyed much of

714-565: A half-hour pre-game show for Vince McMahon 's startup football league that aired nationally on Saturday nights on select NBC affiliates prior to the evening's games. The show was taped on Wednesdays at the WWF 's theme restaurant in Times Square and was open to the public. It featured analysis by WNBC sportscaster Bruce Beck and New York/New Jersey Hitmen head coach Rusty Tillman , but also featured plenty of raunch. One segment featured

816-539: A one-hour midday show entitled The Fastest Hour in Radio , scheduled between Howard Stern and commentator Bill O'Reilly . This timeslot would supplement their evening duties, and would not be caller driven. Instead, Ron and Fez emphasized their own witty social commentary. When the nighttime show was syndicated in Baltimore, Maryland and Tampa, Florida in the summer of 2004, Ron and Fez focused on their evening show, with

918-589: A picture in Times Square. The tweets were described by Sirius XM as "racially-charged and hate-filled". At the time of Cumia's firing SiriusXM made no comment as to Hughes's possible future with the company. Cumia gave his blessing for the Sirius XM show to continue without him, acknowledging Hughes and Norton's obligation to fulfill their contract with SiriusXM. A relaunched Opie with Jim Norton Show resumed on July 14, 2014, with Hughes and Norton discussing

1020-412: A preshow kickoff party at B.B. King 's Blues Cafe in Times Square which doubled as a welcome back party to New York City for Ron and Fez. On November 9, 2005, May 9, 2007, and September 24, 2010, Fez suffered heart attacks. On January 16, 2009, Executive Producer Earl Douglas announced his resignation live on the air, which was not immediately believed due to his pathological lying . On May 18, 2009,

1122-472: A priority. Several residential and mixed-development high-rises have been constructed. Another of Mayor Iorio's initiatives was the Tampa Riverwalk , a mixed-use path along the Hillsborough River in downtown. Channelside was approved to undergo major renovations by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik along with Bill Gates and other investors. Several museums have opened, including new homes for

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1224-613: A small but loyal fan base in a late night timeslot. In November 2002, WJFK's evening radio show The Sports Junkies relocated to WHFS, opening a timeslot for Ron and Fez to syndicate their show live in Washington DC (7p.m.–11 p.m.), following The Don and Mike Show . After WNEW changed formats in early 2003, Ron and Fez began broadcasting the show on WJFK. Although heard only in Washington DC, Ron and Fez chose to remain in New York until June 2003, when they finally relocated to

1326-564: A song followed by " North American Scum " by LCD Soundsystem . For a brief period in early 2010, the show opened with a brief introduction that cuts to Ron in the studio speaking in medias res . By the mid-summer of 2010, the LCD Soundsystem intro to the program returned with the Cassidy/Hicks-style intros used from time to time. Tampa Tampa ( US : / ˈ t æ m p ə / TAM -pə )

1428-512: A syndication deal with Infinity to syndicate their show on 22 stations nationwide, including WBCN in Boston, longtime rival of WAAF. On August 15, 2002, during "Sex for Sam 3", comedian Paul Mecurio encouraged Brian Florence and Loretta Harper, a Virginia couple visiting Manhattan, to have anal sex in a vestibule at St. Patrick's Cathedral . Intense media scrutiny led to many demanding that Opie and Anthony be fired. Opie and Anthony broadcast

1530-497: A term that is still sometimes used to refer to their descendants living in the area, and potentially, to all residents of Tampa regardless of their ethnic background. The shores of Tampa Bay have been inhabited for thousands of years. A variant of the Weeden Island culture developed in the area by about 2,000 years ago. Archeological evidence suggests that these residents relied on the sea for most of their resources, as

1632-619: A vast majority of inhabited sites have been found on or near the shoreline, with little evidence of farming. At the time of European contact in the early 16th century, several chiefdoms of the Safety Harbor culture dominated the area. Early Spanish explorers interacted most extensively with the Tocobaga , whose principal town was at the northern end of Old Tampa Bay near today's Safety Harbor in Pinellas County . While there

1734-611: Is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida . Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the county seat of Hillsborough County . With an estimated population of 403,364 in 2023, Tampa is the 49th-most populous city in the country and the third-most populous city in Florida after Jacksonville and Miami . Tampa

1836-727: Is a substantial historical record of the Tocobaga, and the Calusa , who lived to the south, there is less surviving documentation describing the Pohoy , who lived near the mouth of the Hillsborough River near today's downtown Tampa. Evidence suggests that the language and culture of the Pohoy and other lesser-known groups around the bay were very similar to that of the Tocobaga. Expeditions led by Pánfilo de Narváez and Hernando de Soto landed near Tampa, but neither conquistador stayed long. There

1938-482: Is an American radio personality and podcast host best known as the former co-host of the Opie and Anthony radio show that aired from 1995 to 2014 with Anthony Cumia and comedian Jim Norton . From 2014 to 2016, Hughes and Norton stayed at SiriusXM as co-hosts of Opie with Jim Norton . In October 2016, Hughes became the host of his own show, The Opie Radio Show , which lasted until his firing, for filming an employee in

2040-412: Is no natural gold or silver in Florida, and the native inhabitants repulsed Spanish attempts to establish a permanent settlement or convert them to Catholicism . The fighting resulted in a few deaths, but the many more deaths were caused by infectious diseases brought from Europe, which devastated the population of Native Americans across Florida and the entire Western Hemisphere. The indigenous cultures of

2142-475: Is only 48 ft (15 m) above sea level. Tampa is bordered by two bodies of water, Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay , which flow together to form Tampa Bay , which flows into the Gulf of Mexico . The Hillsborough River flows into Hillsborough Bay, passing directly in front of Downtown Tampa and supplying Tampa's main source of fresh water. The Palm River is a smaller river, flowing from just east of

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2244-687: Is the largest in the state, responsible for over $ 15 billion in economic impact. Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area , which is a four-county area composed of roughly 3.1 million residents, making it the second-largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state and the sixth largest in the Southeastern United States , behind Dallas-Fort Worth , Houston , Washington D.C. , Atlanta , and Miami . The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents, and generally includes

2346-477: The Tampa Bay Times suggest that "Tampan" was historically more common, while "Tampanian" became popular when the former term came to be seen as a potential insult. A mix of Cuban, Italian, and Spanish immigrants began arriving in the late 1800s to found and work in the new communities of Ybor City and West Tampa . By about 1900, these newcomers came to be known as "Tampeños", or "Tampeñas" for females,

2448-474: The Fastest Hour in Radio scheduled 7:00–8:00 pm. Until 2003, Ron and Fez were not known for political commentary. But their move to the nation's capital, their experience on The Fastest Hour of Radio , and the 2004 presidential election seemed to make their discussions more political in nature. In 2003, before becoming the cornerstone for Air America Radio , Al Franken did an interview. Shortly after

2550-572: The Ron and Fez show. These shows were known as "AFRO Shows" (AFRO being an acronym for A nthony, F ez, R on, O pie). Jeremy Coleman ( PD of New York's WNEW in 2000) became aware of Ron and Fez when he was a program director for WJFK-FM , the sister station he nurtured. He originally intended to bring the show to DC, but instead became WNEW's program director. One month later, on March 27, 2000, Ron and Fez began tape delay syndication in DC where they found

2652-777: The Tampa Bay History Center , the Glazer Children's Museum , and the Tampa Museum of Art . The breakdown of development for the rest of the plan is as follows: 39% residential units, 29% office space, 15% hotels, 8% retail, 7% other, and 2% cultural uses. Mayor Bob Buckhorn continued these developments, which are bearing fruit during the term of Mayor Jane Castor . Tampa is the site of several skyscrapers . Overall, there are 30 completed buildings that rise over 250 ft (76 m) high. Tampa also has 147 high-rises, second only to Miami in

2754-599: The Timucua language . Some scholars have compared "Tampa" to "itimpi", which means "close to" or "nearby" in the Creek language , but its meaning is not known. In 1849, when the pioneer community living near the U.S. Army outpost of Fort Brooke was incorporated, it was called "Tampa Town". In 1855, the name was shortened to simply "Tampa". People from Tampa are generally known as "Tampans", "Tampanians", or "Tampeños". In 2014, local authorities consulted by Michael Kruse of

2856-553: The Twin Towers . It is said that Hawk walked across the Queensboro Bridge against outpouring hordes of people to get to his job; Billy Staples hid in a Long Island Rail Road bathroom so he could return to work because only medical and rescue personnel were allowed into the city. Ron and Fez expressed heartfelt sympathy and related the feelings of many New Yorkers, and staged several "bar crawls" and other events under

2958-589: The Westshore Business District . Tampa displays a wide variety of architectural designs and styles. Most of Tampa's high rises demonstrate post-modern architecture . The design for the renovated Tampa Museum of Art displays post-modern architecture, while the city hall and the Tampa Theatre belong to Art Deco architecture. The Tampa mayor Pam Iorio made the redevelopment of Tampa's downtown , especially residential development,

3060-642: The "Cigar Capital of the World". During the first few decades of the 20th century, the cigar-making industry was the backbone of Tampa's economy. The factories in Ybor City and West Tampa made an enormous number of cigars—in the peak year of 1929, over 500 million cigars were hand rolled in Tampa. In 1904, a civic association of local businessmen dubbed themselves Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla , named after local mythical pirate José Gaspar, and staged an "invasion" of

3162-494: The $ 100,000 cost of making each new show was the cause of its demise, though no official reason was given for its cancellation. The pair released a compilation of segments from their show that aired on WAAF on a CD entitled Demented World in November 1997. The Traveling Virus was a comedy tour headlined by Hughes and Cumia, as well as friends of the show, that had shows in various cities during 2006 , 2007 , and 2008 . On

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3264-400: The 1950s and 1960s, Tampa had record-setting population growth that has not been seen since. This growth spurred expansion of Tampa's highways and bridges, bringing thousands into the city and creating opportunities for Tampa business owners, who welcomed the influx of tourists and new residents. It was during this time period in Tampa's history that two of the most popular tourist attractions in

3366-529: The 1950s. After his death in 1954 from cancer, control passed to his son, Santo Trafficante Jr. , who established alliances with families in New York City and extended his power throughout Florida and into Batista -era Cuba . The era of rampant and open corruption ended in the 1950s, when Estes Kefauver 's traveling organized crime hearings came to town and were followed by the sensational misconduct trials of several local officials. Although many of

3468-645: The 2004 election, Tom Shales from the Washington Post called in to discuss the political ramifications of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) crackdown on terrestrial radio. To their credit, Ron and Fez managed simulcasts of the 2004 presidential debates and election returns. Ron and Fez continued to reach out to listeners with several local appearances during their time in DC. These included: In addition, Fez raced in 2004 and 2005 in an annual charity 5K with fans of

3570-581: The American period, the Tampa Bay area had a handful of residents: Cuban and Native American fishermen who established small seasonal camps called "ranchos" on the shores of Tampa Bay. The largest was at the mouth of Spanishtown Creek in today's Hyde Park neighborhood along Bayshore Boulevard . After purchasing Florida from Spain in 1821, the United States built forts and trading posts in

3672-520: The FM portion, Michael "Stuntbrain" Opelka, was fired the following day. Following their removal from FM, they returned to being exclusively heard on Sirius XM until Anthony's firing in July 2014. On July 3, 2014, Cumia was fired by SiriusXM, after making a series of tweets following an alleged off-air incident with a black woman on the street. Cumia tweeted that he was punched by the woman while attempting to take

3774-471: The Hypnotist became call-in and studio regulars. During the late summer of 2003, Ron and Fez took calls for 2 extra hours on the evening of Hurricane Isabel . All of the DC, Northern Va and Maryland areas were without power or under water. Known for being team players, Ron and Fez worked on split shifts, did drop-ins for WJFK's Redskins broadcasts, did live commercials and appearances, and helped mentor

3876-468: The Opie Radio channel from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Opie Radio Show launched on October 4, 2016. The final broadcast of The Opie Radio Show aired on June 29, 2017. During the broadcast, Hughes got into a heated on-air argument with one of the show's producers Paul Ofcharsky over an incident several weeks prior where Hughes was video taping SiriusXM's talent booker Roland Campos while he

3978-440: The Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. At the end of the war, MacDill remained as an active military installation, while the auxiliary fields reverted to civilian control. Two of these auxiliary fields later became the present-day Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport . With the establishment of an independent U.S. Air Force in 1947, MacDill Field became MacDill Air Force Base . In

4080-454: The Tampa Bay area collapsed by around 1600, leaving the west coast of Spanish Florida largely depopulated and ignored for more than 200 years. In the mid-18th century, events in the American colonies and the early United States drove the Seminole people into northern Florida. They did not move into central Florida until after the United States gained control of Florida in 1821. Before

4182-588: The Tampa Bay area. Phosphate and commercial fishing exports could be sent north by rail, and many new products were brought into the Tampa market, along with the first tourists. The new railroad link enabled another important industry to come to Tampa. In 1885, the Tampa Board of Trade enticed Vicente Martinez Ybor to move his cigar manufacturing operations to Tampa from Key West . Proximity to Cuba made importation of "clear Havana tobacco" easy by sea, and Plant's railroad made shipment of finished cigars to

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4284-465: The Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The earliest instance of the name "Tampa", in the form "Tanpa", appears in the memoirs of Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda , who spent 17 years as a captive of the Calusa and traveled through much of peninsular Florida. He described Tanpa as an important Calusa town to the north of the Calusa domain, possibly under another chief. Archaeologist Jerald Milanich places

4386-617: The WJFK studios in Fairfax, Virginia . During the following year, several memorable characters, listeners and staff gave the show a fresh identity. While the WNEW show had been heavily influenced by a dedicated and funny core group of callers, WJFK proved to be fertile ground for eccentric visitors who each brought their own unique humor to the show. Perrynoid, Cherrynoid, Mikeyboy, David Lee Kinison (aka Elfish), Cigar Sid (aka Sidcada) Crazy Jen and Don

4488-534: The area were developed – Busch Gardens and Lowry Park . Many of the well-known institutions that play an important role in the economic development of Tampa were established during this time period. The University of South Florida was established in North Tampa in 1956 and opened for students in September 1960. The school spurred the construction of several residential and commercial developments in

4590-753: The city annexed a mostly rural area of 24 sq mi (62 km ) between I-275 and I-75 . East Tampa , historically a mostly black community, was the scene of several race riots during and for some time after the period of racial segregation, mainly due to problems between residents and the Tampa Police Department . According to the United States Census Bureau , Tampa has a total area of 175.3 sq mi (453.9 km ), including 113.4 sq mi (293.7 km ) of land and 61.8 sq mi (160.1 km ) (35.3%) of water. The highest point in Tampa

4692-493: The city followed by a parade. With a few exceptions, the Gasparilla Pirate Festival has been held every year since. Beginning in the late 19th century, illegal bolita lotteries were very popular among the Tampa working classes, especially in Ybor City. In the early 1920s, this small-time operation was taken over by Charlie Wall , the rebellious son of a prominent Tampa family, and went big-time. Bolita

4794-875: The city into McKay Bay , which is a smaller inlet, sited at the northeast end of Hillsborough Bay. Tampa's geography is marked by the Interbay Peninsula, which divides Hillsborough Bay in the east, from Old Tampa Bay in the west. Tampa is divided into many neighborhoods, many of which were towns and unincorporated communities annexed by the growing city. Generally, Tampa is divided into the following areas: Downtown Tampa , New Tampa , West Tampa , East Tampa , North Tampa , and South Tampa . Well-known neighborhoods include Ybor City , Forest Hills , Ballast Point , Sulphur Springs , Seminole Heights , Tampa Heights , Palma Ceia , Hyde Park , Davis Islands , Harbour Island , Tampa Palms , College Hill , Water Street , Channelside and non-residential areas of Gary and

4896-598: The city of Tampa opened the golf course to the public. The Story of Tampa , a public painting by Lynn Ash, is a 4 ft × 8 ft (1.2 m × 2.4 m) oil on masonite mural that weaves together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity. It was commissioned in 2003 by the city's Public Art Program and is in the lobby of the Tampa Municipal Office Building. Gregg Hughes Gregg Hughes (born May 23, 1963) better known by his air name Opie ,

4998-638: The culture, traditions and heritage of the Italian Community and to maintain the historical facility as a functioning memorial to the working class immigrants." Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. It was bought in 1949 by the famous "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias , who had a residence nearby, and closed upon her death. In 1974,

5100-426: The day, Hughes tweeted: "I can honestly say I have no idea exactly what's going on as I tweet this. More when I know." On July 7, Hughes confirmed his firing via a YouTube video, stating that he had not been allowed to say "Your mom's box", a phrase from Opie and Anthony , on the air on his last shift, so he wrote it in the sand on the beach where he shot the video. On March 19, 2018, Hughes said that he had signed

5202-681: The duration of the war. In 1861, the Union Navy set up a blockade around many southern ports to cut off the Confederacy. Several US Navy ships were stationed near the mouth of Tampa Bay , but small blockade running ships were often able to slip by the blockade to deliver cattle to Spanish Cuba, earning gold for the Confederate cause. On June 30, 1862, the gunboat USS Sagamore sailed into Tampa Bay and opened fire on Fort Brooke, which returned fire. The Sagamore withdrew after

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5304-402: The evening timeslot. Buoyed by Opie and Anthony's lead-in ratings, the duo began to enjoy success. During this period, several memorable characters joined their on-air team, including taciturn producer Hawk; Dumpy, Tasteless Ginny; and the call-in prankster Joe Poo. The show's web-based premise inspired the founding of several websites devoted to the show, including RFBabies.com (once a haven for

5406-414: The first official show airing April 26. On May 15, 2007, XM suspended Opie and Anthony for 30 days, in response to a broadcast featuring a homeless man brought into the studio. Opie and Anthony dubbed the man, who mentioned the possibility of raping Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush , "Homeless Charlie". After the suspension they returned to their normal split schedule. Later on the same year, Opie gave

5508-453: The fort's facilities and confiscated the remaining military supplies other than the cannons, which they tossed into the Hillsborough River, then left the "desolate" town after two days. The Civil War ended in April 1865 with a Confederate defeat. In May 1865, federal troops arrived in Tampa to occupy the fort and the town as part of Reconstruction . They remained until August 1869. During

5610-405: The hosts as chefs, inserting a cucumber in between two melons. The pair were almost banned from Giants Stadium for life during the filming of one episode when they imitated a proposed XFL rule where first possession was determined by placing the ball at midfield and having two opposing team-members attempt to get it. They did this as " God Bless America " began to play before a game. They said that

5712-469: The hosts of a weekend show (later to become weeknight show), The Hideout . A good relationship with lead-in show Don and Mike , along with improved call-ins, freshly funny bits, and a community needing a good laugh during the 2004 presidential election propelled Ron and Fez to stellar ratings in January 2005. In mid-2003, after being on WJFK exclusively for a mere few months, Ron and Fez agreed to host

5814-433: The immediate post-war period, Tampa was a poor, isolated fishing village with about 1,000 residents and little industry. Yellow fever , borne by mosquitoes from nearby swamps, broke out several times during the 1860s and 1870s, causing more residents to leave. In 1869, residents voted to abolish the city of Tampa government. In 1870, the population of "Tampa Town" was about 800, and dropped to about 700 by 1880. Fort Brooke

5916-462: The incident and noting that The Opie and Anthony Channel was renamed Sirius XM Talk, along with various other alterations by the company in light of the firing. In October 2014, Hughes and Norton signed a new contract to continue the SiriusXM show, and the channel was re-branded to Opie Radio which was kept until January 2017. On October 3, 2016, Hughes announced his new weekday afternoon show on

6018-425: The largest cities in Florida by 1900. In late 1883, Henry B. Plant 's narrow-gauge South Florida Railroad reached Tampa and its port, connecting the small town to the nation's railroad system after years of efforts by local leaders. Previously, Tampa's overland transportation links had consisted of sandy roads stretching across the Florida countryside. Plant's railroad made it much easier to get goods in and out of

6120-517: The mayor had been killed in a car accident while transporting a young male Haitian prostitute. In June 1998, Hughes and Cumia were back on New York station WNEW-FM , where they became a top 10 afternoon drive show in New York by 2000. In 1999, Hughes considered leaving the show; however Anthony convinced him to stay, and bring Jim Norton on full-time as a go-between for their off air troubles. Anthony attributed these issues to his divorce and off-air personal troubles. In 2001, Opie and Anthony signed

6222-545: The men's room as he used the toilet, on July 7, 2017. On May 8, 2018, Hughes launched his new podcast, The Opie Radio Podcast on the Westwood One network. In June 2019, Westwood One terminated the relationship, but the podcast continued. Hughes was born in New York City and raised in an Irish-American family in Centerport, New York , on Long Island . He has described his mother as "pretty strict". He gained

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6324-591: The midnight to 6:00 a.m. shift at WUFX in Buffalo, New York . As the station was unsupervised during his shift, Hughes was able to develop his style further by performing more outrageous bits, like broadcasting from the roof of the station's building and interviewing passers-by on the street. Hughes's next job was at WBAB on Long Island as the host of The Nighttime Attitude , a rock music show from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. In August 1994, Hughes held an O. J. Simpson song parody contest for listeners surrounding

6426-569: The morning drive-time slot. Just a few months earlier, on May 22, 1998, The Monsters in the Morning (then known as The Monsters of the Midday ), briefly reunited several regulars from the cancelled Ron and Ron Show , including Bennington, Whatley, Billy "The Phone Freak," and Paul O, where on-air Ron and Fez announced their return to radio. Using the formula they helped develop in Tampa, Ron and Fez recruited new employees, interns and characters for

6528-508: The morning of March 26, 2008, Hughes and Cumia revealed they had taped a pilot for Comedy Central. The show was titled Search & Destroy and features teams of comedians performing various tasks throughout New York City. Comedy Central did not pick the show up; the two believed that it may have been too graphic even for cable television. In 2004, Hughes began to date Lynsi Smigo. The two met during an event in Philadelphia to promote

6630-454: The motto "New York Forever," designed to encourage listeners to patronize businesses in lower Manhattan . "The 2001 Halloween Bar Crawl" was particularly memorable thanks to the heavy turnout and shenanigans that ensued. The bars most publicized included The Slaughtered Lamb and Karavas' Place. Ron and Fez enjoyed amicable relationships with WNEW's other personalities, particularly Opie and Anthony (O&A), who would sometimes sit in with

6732-418: The municipal government of the city of Tampa with the county government of Hillsborough County, in 1967, 1970, 1971, and 1972, all of which failed at the ballot box. The greatest loss was the most recent attempt in 1972, with the final tally being 33,160 (31%) in favor and 73,568 (69%) against the proposed charter. The biggest recent growth of Tampa was the development of New Tampa , which started in 1988 when

6834-650: The new show. They were on WKRO until January 2000, when they left for New York. The Ron and Fez show debuted on WNEW in New York City on February 21, 2000, and within one month their program was syndicated to Washington, D.C.'s WJFK. New York's WNEW-FM was converted from a long-respected rock station to all-talk in 1999, with afternoon drive show Opie and Anthony as the focal point. Ron and Fez signed on to host an overnight talk show named Ron and Fez Dot Com , beginning February 21, 2000 and broadcast from 11pm–3am. Ron and Fez eventually moved to evenings (7:00–11:00 pm), then to early afternoon (12:00–3:00pm) and later back to

6936-698: The new staff included The Sports Junkies , who were given the midday spot many had hoped would go to Ron and Fez. The first station casualty, however, was The Hideout , which lost the late night shift and eventually relocated to WTKS 104.1 from Orlando, Florida and were subsequently canned. With nowhere to advance in the station lineup—and with little apparent respect for the show evidenced by frequent preemptions for infomercials on University of Maryland Terrapins basketball ( Man on Man ) and Redskins Radio Monday nights—Ron and Fez began to entertain internet rumors that they would leave terrestrial radio to join old WNEW-FM friends Opie and Anthony on XM satellite radio. 2005

7038-645: The new territory. Fort Brooke was established in January 1824 at the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Tampa Bay, in Downtown Tampa . Tampa was initially an isolated frontier outpost. The sparse civilian population practically abandoned the area during the Second Seminole War from 1835 to 1842, after which the Seminoles were forced out and many settlers returned. Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. On January 18, 1849, Tampa

7140-457: The next day, but the show went into reruns the following week. On August 22, Infinity suspended Opie and Anthony for the duration of their contract and canceled the show. Opie and Anthony returned to the air on October 4, 2004, exclusively for XM Satellite Radio . On April 24, 2006, Opie and Anthony announced that they had signed a deal with CBS Radio in which the first three hours of the show would be broadcast on nine of CBS's rock stations,

7242-572: The nickname "Opie" because of his childhood resemblance to Opie Taylor , a fictional character from The Andy Griffith Show portrayed by Ron Howard . In 1981, Hughes graduated from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York ; his yearbook lists basketball, the New York Islanders hockey team, skiing, and films as his interests. He wished for a career in radio, and graduated from State University of New York at Geneseo with

7344-507: The obvious FCC-compliant content of the Free-FM show, the focus was different in that it tended to focus on events local to the New York City area, in contrast to the national focus of the XM show. The Ron and Fez Show was discontinued when WFNY reverted to a rock format as WXRK on May 24, 2007. On August 2, 2005, three days after Ron and Fez signed off from WJFK-FM, the official announcement

7446-457: The outcome of Simpson's murder case . One of the participants was from a local band named Rotgut that featured Anthony Cumia as lead singer with his brother Joe on guitar. The two performed "Gonna Electric Shock O. J." sung to the tune of " (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay " by Otis Redding . The song became a hit on Hughes's show, and the two made their first appearance in September 1994 to perform

7548-526: The previously agriculture-dominated area around the new campus. Overall, Tampa continued to expand away from the city center during the 1960s as new hospitals, schools, churches and subdivisions all began appearing to accommodate the growth. Many business offices began moving away from the traditional downtown office building into more convenient neighborhood office plazas. In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tampa's population as being 80.0% white and 19.7% black. Four attempts have been made to consolidate

7650-483: The production of fertilizers and other products, was soon being shipped from the Port of Tampa in great volume. Tampa is still a major phosphate exporter. The discovery of phosphate, the arrival of Plant's railroad, and the founding of Ybor City and West Tampa—all in the mid-1880s—were crucial to Tampa's development. The once-struggling village of Tampa became a bustling boomtown almost overnight and had grown into one of

7752-473: The rest of the US market easy by land. Since Tampa was still a small town at the time, with a population less than 5,000, Ybor built hundreds of small houses around his factory to accommodate the immediate influx of mainly Cuban and Spanish cigar workers. Ybor City 's factories rolled their first cigars in 1886, and many different cigar manufacturers moved their operations to town in ensuing years. Many Italian and

7854-470: The return of Opie and Anthony on XM. On September 5, 2007, Hughes announced their engagement; the two married on November 22, 2008. They have two children and the family lives in New York City . In 2008, the couple sued Steppin' Out magazine columnist Chaunce Hayden for $ 10 million. Hayden had claimed in his column to have become aware of the existence of a sex tape of Smigo and Bam Margera ,

7956-450: The show featured multiple recurring characters and impersonations, often voiced by Ron and Fez themselves or the shows' staff. They typically would "call" the show when a particularly boring guest appeared on the phone, although they would also call during the show in order to annoy Ron and Fez. Ron and Fez have long used eclectic music during their show's opening, closing and rejoiners from commercial breaks. For many years their closing song

8058-485: The show format was extended from three hours (Noon–3pm EST) to four hours (11am–3pm EST). In June 2010, East Side Dave McDonald departed from the show. He was one of the show's longest running producers. East Side was replaced by Chris Stanley who was promoted to Executive Producer. Chris Stanley has the longest tenure of any producer for the Ron and Fez show. On February 24, 2012, Fez came out as gay. On December 6, 2013, it

8160-413: The show's cadre of young female fans), and the unofficial site for the show. Though "Dot Com" was soon dropped from the show's title, Ron and Fez have garnered an admirable online following due to RonFez.net. Ron and Fez developed the "Big ASS Card" for those wanting to join their "All Secret Society." Aside from providing discounts at sponsors' establishments, the "Big ASS Card" identified cardholders with

8262-516: The show. In 2005, Fez would meet fans and friends every Friday night to party at a Fairfax, VA bar called "Thursdays", in a tradition that became known as "Friday Night Lights". Ron made his only appearance at the final " Friday Night Lights " on July 29, 2005. The future looked bleak for Ron and Fez at 106.7 in January 2005 when (after their best ratings to date at WJFK) the station was forced to absorb staff from WHFS—a "sister station" that switched formats from modern rock to Spanish dance. Ironically,

8364-474: The show. Whenever "Big ASS Card" holders gave their card number at the beginning of the call, a sound clip was played of Al Pacino yelling "HOO-AH!" . Though the promotion was discontinued, some callers still announce their "BAC" numbers, and the clip is usually played when producers are paying attention. On the evening of September 11, the team stayed on the air taking calls from distressed listeners, some of whom were unsure if loved ones were still alive inside

8466-568: The song live. Cumia made several more appearances soon after; in early 1995, he and Hughes decided to become a radio team. After Hughes produced an air check and had sent it to several radio stations, he and Cumia accepted an offer from WAAF in Boston to host afternoons. The show launched as Opie and Anthony on March 13, 1995. They remained in Boston until they were fired in April 1998 from WAAF for an April Fool's Day prank involving Mayor Thomas Menino . Opie and Anthony told their listeners

8568-479: The south. A 1748 British map had "B. del Spirito Santo" for Tampa Bay and "Carlos Bay" to the south. A Spanish map of 1757 renamed Tampa Bay as "San Fernando". As late as 1774, Bernard Romans called Tampa Bay "Bay of Espiritu Santo", with "Tampa Bay" restricted to the Northwest arm, what is now Old Tampa Bay, and the northeast arm named "Hillsborough Bay". The name may have come from the Calusa language or possibly,

8670-610: The state of Florida. The tallest building in the city is 100 North Tampa , formerly the AmSouth Building, which rises 42 floors and 579 ft (176 m) in Downtown Tampa. The structure was completed in 1992, and is the tallest building in Florida outside of Miami and Jacksonville . The Sulphur Springs Water Tower , a landmark in the Sulphur Springs section of the city, stands 214 feet tall and

8772-442: The town of Tanpa at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor . The entrances to Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor are obscured by barrier islands , and their locations, and the names applied to them, were a source of confusion to explorers, surveyors and map-makers from the 16th century to the 18th century. Bahía Tampa and Bahía de Espíritu Santo were each used, at one time or another, for the modern Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Tampa Bay

8874-570: The world. The Ybor City District is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a National Historic Landmark . Notable structures include El Centro Español de Tampa , Centro Asturiano de Tampa and other social clubs built in the early 1900s . Including L'Unione Italiana or the Italian Club, at 1731 East 7th Avenue in Ybor City. The Italian Club mission "is to preserve and honor

8976-475: The worst offenders in government and the mob were not charged, the trials helped to end the sense of lawlessness which had prevailed in Tampa for decades. Tampa grew considerably as a result of World War II . Prior to the United States' involvement in the conflict, construction began on MacDill Field , which served as a main base for Army Air Corps and later Army Air Forces operations just before and during World War II, with multiple auxiliary airfields around

9078-422: Was "Vertigogo" by Combustible Edison featured in the movie Four Rooms , which was changed to "Satellite of Love" by Lou Reed . During their WNEW days, the opening music bed was "Oddities" by Insane Clown Posse , and also "Fired" by Ben Folds . When the show was on terrestrial WFNY in 2007, "Oddities" made a comeback, as well as other recognizable music beds from the WNEW era. The closing music of their FM show

9180-414: Was a clear sign that they wanted out of their contract. On that final DC broadcast, they also played We Want The Airwaves , Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone , Radio, Radio , So Long Baby Goodbye , and Satellite of Love —their last song played on WJFK. Until early 2010, the show openers were created by Mooch Cassidy & Chris Stanley. The openings mixed drop-ins from movies and pop culture into

9282-465: Was a year of hints and speculation, but nothing was confirmed until the very last segment, on their last airing in Washington, D.C.: Friday, July 29, 2005. On December 20, 2006, The Ron and Fez Show debuted on WFNY-FM in the 6-9PM time slot. The Free-FM show was different from the XM show in that it is aired later in the day, and was a completely independent "evening edition" of the show. Besides

9384-463: Was able to openly thrive only because of kick-backs and bribes to key local politicians and law enforcement officials, and many were on the take. Profits from the bolita lotteries and Prohibition -era bootlegging led to the development of several organized crime factions in Tampa. Charlie Wall was the first major boss, but various power struggles culminated in consolidation of control by Sicilian mafioso Santo Trafficante Sr. and his faction in

9486-496: Was announced that Ron and Fez would be leaving The Opie & Anthony Channel, moving to Raw Dog Comedy Sirius XM Channel 99 effective January 6, 2014. They continue to have replays on Opie Radio at midnight and Sirius XM Indie at 6am. On April 1, 2015, Fez announced his retirement, with their final show being April 3. The show was replaced with Bennington beginning April 20, 2015. Fez Whatley died of heart failure at age 57 on August 14, 2021 Throughout their time on WNEW and WJFK,

9588-459: Was built by Grover Poole in the late 1920s. This 1920s boom period for Florida also saw the construction of an ornate movie palace , the Tampa Theatre , a Mediterranean revival on Davis Islands , and Bayshore Boulevard , which borders Hillsborough Bay from downtown Tampa to areas in South Tampa. The road has a 6 mi (10 km) continuous sidewalk on the eastern end, the longest in

9690-537: Was decommissioned in 1883, further impacting the local economy in the short run, but opening up the waterfront for development. Except for two cannons displayed on the University of Tampa campus, all traces of the fort are gone. In the mid-1880s, Tampa's fortunes took several sudden turns for the better. In 1883, phosphate was discovered in the Bone Valley region southeast of Tampa. The mineral, vital for

9792-410: Was defecating in the SiriusXM restroom, with Hughes and frequent guest Sherrod Small both harshly criticizing Ofcharsky for supporting Campos when the incident was reported to SiriusXM's Human Resources department. On July 6, 2017, a week after the show's final broadcast, Hughes was fired over the restroom incident, as reported online. It came almost three years to the day of Cumia's firing. Later in

9894-501: Was diagnosed with AIDS , and Diaz began periodically missing broadcasts to care for her. Debbie died on November 13, 1995. Diaz announced his departure on-air from The Ron & Ron Show in early 1997, and on September 29, 1997, after a successful 11-year run, the show ended. Fez Whatley , a producer at the time, became Bennington's new co-host. On August 24, 1998, The Ron and Fez Show debuted on WKRO-FM in Daytona Beach in

9996-464: Was founded as a military center in the 19th century, with the establishment of Fort Brooke . The cigar industry was brought to Tampa by Vincente Martinez Ybor , after whom Ybor City is named. Tampa was reincorporated as a city in 1887 following the Civil War . Tampa's economy is driven by tourism, health care, finance, insurance, technology, construction, and the maritime industry. The bay's port

10098-693: Was labeled Bahía de Espíritu Santo (Bay of the Holy Spirit) in the earliest Spanish maps of Florida. It became known as B. Tampa ( Bahía Tampa or Tampa Bay) as early as 1576. In 1601, "B. Tampa", corresponding to Tampa Bay, appeared for the first time on a printed map in Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas's Description del Destricto del Audiencia de la Espanola, from his book Descripcion de las Indias Ocidentales, printed in Madrid. A 1705 British map also shows B. Tampa, with "Carlos Bay" for Charlotte Harbor to

10200-410: Was made that they would go to XM Satellite Radio beginning September 12. On August 9, and then again one month later on September 8 and 9, Ron and Fez went on The Opie and Anthony Show to provide behind-the-scenes stories about their time at WNEW-FM and the years since they last worked together. On September 9, the four hosts of both shows (as well as O&A co-host Jim Norton ) met hundreds of fans at

10302-555: Was officially incorporated as the "Village of Tampa." It was home to 185 civilians, or 974 total residents including military personnel, in 1850. Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855. During the Civil War , Florida seceded along with most of the southern states to form the Confederate States of America , and Fort Brooke was defended by Confederate troops. Martial law was declared in Tampa in January 1862, and Tampa's city government ceased to operate for

10404-516: Was the "Theme from the Last Waltz" by The Band . The theme music in 2005 received a lot of attention from listeners who believed that Ron and Fez might leave WJFK for satellite radio. Some songs, like the January 2005 opening with the J Geils Band Crusin For A Love (with its lyric "I'm back on Broadway") turned out to be prophetic. Using various versions of I Shall Be Released in early summer 2005

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