SiriusXM’s Opie & Anthony Show is no more as Anthony Cumia states he’s been fired following a long, racist Twitter tirade following a supposed attack in Times Square earlier this week.
https://twitter.com/anthonycumia/status/485045848032546816
SiriusXM added the following statement:
SiriusXM has terminated its relationship with Anthony Cumia of the Opie & Anthony channel. The decision was made, and Cumia informed, late Thursday, July 3 after careful consideration of his racially-charged and hate-filled remarks on social media. Those remarks and postings are abhorrent to SiriusXM, and his behavior is wholly inconsistent with what SiriusXM represents.
On Wednesday night Cumia claimed he was assaulted in Times Square by a woman who was upset he was taking pictures. He stated that she punched him repeatedly. Cumia then began a long rant on Twitter calling her amongst other things a savage, animal bitch, and hoping she’d be killed. The story began picking up international media attention yesterday while SiriusXM remained silent on the matter until confirming Cumia’s termination as the Opie & Anthony Show was on vacation this week.
Cumia and co-host Gregg ‘Opie’ Hughes debuted on XM in October 2004 following their infamous firing from CBS in August 2002. The show would later return to CBS in April 2006 simulcast on XM as one of the regionally syndicated morning shows on the “Free-FM” Hot Talk brand launched in the wake of Howard Stern leaving CBS for Sirius. The show would return to satellite exclusivity in March 2009 when CBS flipped 92.3 WXRK New York to CHR.