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102-555: 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

204-492: A Virginia couple having simulated sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral . Infinity kept Hughes and Cumia from being hired for the duration of their contract which expired in mid-2004. On October 4, 2004, the show returned to the air on XM Satellite Radio , a subscription-based satellite radio service. From April 2006 to March 2009, part of the show was simulcast on nine terrestrial radio stations owned by CBS Radio that were compliant with

306-410: A Black woman. He was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend in 2015 and pled guilty to third-degree assault and criminal obstruction of breathing. He started his own video podcast soon after named The Anthony Cumia Show , which aired until September 2017, when he started The Artie and Anthony Show with comedian and actor Artie Lange . In May 2018, Lange left the show and was replaced by Dave Landau;

408-478: 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

510-608: 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

612-502: A foreword by Jim Norton. In February 2021, Dave Landau left The Anthony Cumia Show with Dave Landau to join Louder with Crowder on Blaze Media , with the show's name reverting to The Anthony Cumia Show . On March 31, 2021, Cumia launched a second show titled Compound Censored , which he co-hosts with Vice Media co-founder and comedic commentator Gavin McInnes . The show's title

714-530: 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

816-466: 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,

918-465: 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

1020-465: A series of accounts that were also suspended. He posted tweets saying that Black people were "incapable or unwilling to assimilate to a civil western society", calling them "things", "monsters", and "animals". By 2021, Cumia was permanently suspended by the site for ban evasion. On November 20, 2018, Post Hill Press released Cumia's memoir, titled Permanently Suspended: The Rise and Fall... and Rise Again of Radio's Most Notorious Shock Jock . It features

1122-601: 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

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1224-548: 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 )

1326-490: 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

1428-600: 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

1530-461: Is a portmanteau which combines Compound Media with McInnes' subscription-based network Censored.TV , where the show also broadcasts. Along with Opie, Cumia co-hosted XFL Gameday , a pregame show for Vince McMahon 's startup football league , for four weeks in February 2001. The half-hour show was produced by NBC 's owned and operated stations and shown on Channel 4 in New York. The show

1632-595: 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

1734-710: 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

1836-689: Is a supporter of the National Rifle Association of America and has had a carry permit for New York City . In 2006, Cumia bought a home in Roslyn Heights, New York , for $ 2.9 million. In 2020, he sold the home for $ 2.5 million, intending to move to a southern state that more closely aligned with his views. Cumia eventually bought a property in South Carolina , which is now his primary residence. On December 19, 2015, in his home, Cumia assaulted his 26-year-old girlfriend Danielle Brand,

1938-472: Is an American shock jock , podcaster and broadcaster. He is the host of The Anthony Cumia Show on the online video platform Compound Media , which he founded. Along with Gregg "Opie" Hughes , he was the co-host of the Opie and Anthony radio show, which aired from 1995 to 2014. In 2014, Cumia was fired by SiriusXM Radio after posting a series of racist tweets in which he claimed to have been assaulted by

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

2142-471: 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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2244-671: 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

2346-470: 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,

2448-468: 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

2550-566: 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

2652-754: 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

2754-590: 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

2856-539: 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

2958-571: 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,

3060-629: 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

3162-400: 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

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3264-522: 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

3366-625: 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

3468-564: 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

3570-544: The Compound via Ustream which he started as a hobby and involved discussions on a variety of matters and "drunk karaoke". Far-right commentator Gavin McInnes was a regular on the show. Cumia retired the program in 2014. In the week after his firing from SiriusXM in July 2014, Cumia announced the launch of The Anthony Cumia Show . The show launched on August 4, 2014, through his subscription-based network Compound Media , which

3672-560: The Cumias to the studio to perform the song live. Cumia began to contribute and produce comedy bits for Hughes and the station's morning show soon after. Hughes and Cumia accepted an offer to host afternoons at WAAF in Boston, Massachusetts , and launched Opie and Anthony in March 1995. Cumia originally thought that by getting into radio he would make very good money, but later said his salary at WAAF

3774-466: 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

3876-440: 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

3978-449: 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

4080-582: 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

4182-461: 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

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4284-604: 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

4386-526: The allegations. In June 2016 Cumia pled guilty to third-degree assault and criminal obstruction of breathing in a plea deal. He was required to enter a six-month batterer's intervention program and alcohol abuse treatment. Cumia later admitted on his show to biting Brand's hand because he "was pissed" and "out of [his] mind". Cumia spent April 2016 in a rehabilitation facility in the Tampa Bay area in Florida . He said that although his decision to enter rehab

4488-523: 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

4590-458: The broadcast regulations imposed by the Federal Communications Commission . During this time, XM suspended the show for thirty days on May 15, 2007, after a homeless man, dubbed "Homeless Charlie", who appeared on the show, expressed his wish to rape Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush . On July 3, 2014, Cumia was fired by SiriusXM for a series of tweets in which he condemned a black woman who he said assaulted him and described her as an "animal";

4692-732: 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

4794-482: 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

4896-867: 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

4998-549: 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. Anthony Cumia Anthony Cumia (born April 26, 1961)

5100-616: 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,

5202-435: The daughter of Stress Factory owner Vinnie Brand . He was arrested by Nassau County police on charges of strangulation, assault, criminal mischief, and unlawful imprisonment. Prosecutors said that Cumia had choked Brand, pinned her against the wall, and stomped on her hand. She had a broken rib, chest pain, and a swollen arm. Cumia was released without bail on December 21, at which time his attorney stated that Cumia denied

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5304-663: 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

5406-402: 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

5508-449: 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

5610-464: 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

5712-433: 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

5814-425: 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

5916-464: The latter held an O. J. Simpson song parody contest on his Nighttime Attitude show on Long Island radio station WBAB . He and his brother Joe decided to enter the contest, and recorded an entry as Rotgut titled "Gonna Electric Shock OJ" to the tune of " (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay " by Otis Redding . The song was a hit with Hughes, who played it several times on his show and, in September 1994, invited

6018-560: 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

6120-411: The morning of March 26, 2008, Opie & Anthony revealed they had taped a pilot for Comedy Central. The show was titled Search & Destroy and it featured teams of comedians performing various tasks throughout New York City. Opie and Anthony believe that it may have been too graphic even for cable television. Comedy Central did not pick the show up. In 1987, Cumia met the future Jennifer Cumia who

6222-454: 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

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6324-418: 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

6426-650: 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

6528-698: 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

6630-624: 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

6732-499: 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

6834-526: 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

6936-479: 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

7038-470: 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

7140-439: The same schedule as The Anthony Cumia Show . The show lasted eight months and ended with Lange's departure on May 14, 2018. One week before Lange's departure, the show had added comedian Dave Landau as a permanent third mic. With Lange leaving the show, Landau took over as co-host and the show title switched to The Anthony Cumia Show with Dave Landau . Cumia was suspended from Twitter for abusive comments in 2017. He then made

7242-440: The show but Cumia convinced him to stay as Infinity Broadcasting promised them a more lucrative contract and have the show nationally syndicated. The show developed further when comedian Jim Norton joined the show as their co-host in 2001. By mid-2002, Opie and Anthony was syndicated on 17 stations nationwide. On August 22, 2002, Opie and Anthony was cancelled over their "Sex for Sam 3" segment five days earlier that involved

7344-450: 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

7446-482: 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

7548-413: 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

7650-572: The show's name reverted to The Anthony Cumia Show . Cumia was born in Flushing, Queens , into an Italian-American family. He has an elder brother, Joe, and a younger sister, Dawn. The family lived in various locations on Long Island including Elwood and East Islip . Cumia attended Timber Point Elementary School in East Islip, followed by Elwood-John H. Glenn High School in Elwood. One of his teachers

7752-479: The show, further elaborating, "I heard it was horrible. Had I seen it, I would have shut it down." Opie, along with Anthony 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 Opie and Anthony, as well as friends of the show, that performed in various cities during 2006 , 2007 , and 2008 . On

7854-516: 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,

7956-474: 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

8058-474: 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,

8160-588: 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

8262-442: 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

8364-413: The tweets were described by the company as "racially-charged and hate-filled". Cumia said that he was repeatedly punched by her as he was taking pictures in Times Square . In the following week, Cumia refused to apologize for the incident. He deleted the tweets after being fired. During his time at SiriusXM, Cumia gradually built a studio in his basement to broadcast. In 2012, he launched Live from

8466-556: 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

8568-475: 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

8670-422: 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

8772-414: 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

8874-459: 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

8976-463: 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

9078-509: Was actress Joyce MacKenzie . After his parents separated, Cumia spent his early teenage years living with his father in San Juan Capistrano , California. Before he started his radio career, Cumia installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. He wanted to get into radio, and was influenced by popular New York City personalities Howard Stern and Don Imus . Cumia first met radio personality Gregg "Opie" Hughes when

9180-496: 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,

9282-427: Was barely higher than doing manual labour. The pair were fired in April 1998 for an April Fool's Day prank that had listeners believe Boston Mayor Thomas Menino was killed in a car accident while transporting a young female Haitian prostitute. In June 1998, Opie and Anthony began at WNEW in New York City in afternoons, becoming a top 10 afternoon drive show in two years. Around 2000, Hughes considered leaving

9384-453: 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

9486-599: Was dating his brother, Joseph Cumia, at the time. Anthony began dating her in 1989 after she broke up with Joseph, and the two married after seven months. In March 2002, they finalized their divorce. Cumia later stated that marrying Jennifer was the biggest mistake of his life. He then dated a woman he met on the show, Melinda, better known as "Lobster Girl", which became the source of online taunts against him, as he confirmed on their show. After they parted ways, he dated Jill Nicolini in 2008, and then model Melissa Stetten in 2012. Cumia dated Danielle Brand until 2015. Cumia

9588-525: 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

9690-494: 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

9792-459: 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

9894-481: Was initially known as The Anthony Cumia Network, from Monday through Thursday from 4–6 pm. In June 2015, Cumia expanded the network with new shows added to the weekly schedule. In August 2015, Cumia relocated his show to a studio in New York City and hired far-right commentator Gavin McInnes . On August 21, 2017, Cumia announced comedian and actor Artie Lange as the co-host of his new show, The Artie and Anthony Show . The show launched on September 5 and continued on

9996-678: 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

10098-410: 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

10200-547: 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

10302-529: Was taped on Wednesdays at the WWF 's " World " 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 Opie and Anthony as chefs, inserting a cucumber between two melons. After the show's cancellation four weeks into the season, XFL creator Vince McMahon stated that he'd had no creative control over

10404-507: 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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