Jim Norton and Opie Both Get New Shows; Artie Lange Involved? He Says No. (Updated)

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Updated: Artie Lange has tweeted that while flattered no, he is not Opie’s new co-host.

What once was one show, now will be three.

There has been much speculation lately over the fate of SiriusXM’s Opie with Jim Norton show. The contracts of show hosts Jim Norton and Gregg “Opie” Hughes are both on the brink of lapsing, and while Norton had revealed his intentions to re-sign with Sirius on air, Opie was a little more mum on the details. The show ended abruptly last week (much to Norton’s surprise), with Opie calling out for the show’s final episodes. Other than some blunt and cryptic statements on Twitter, it was unclear whether Opie would move to a new show or even remain on the radio at all. Similarly, Norton’s fans, and even Norton himself, have been left wondering where he’d end up.

Now, thanks to a SiriusXM employee named Ben, we have those answers and more.

Friday, a curious O&J fan tweeted at Jim Norton asking if he was going to be remaining at SiriusXM. He instead received an answer from Ben at SiriusXM’s Listener Care service telling him that Norton and fellow Opie Radio channel-mate Sam Roberts would be continuing their impromptu show permanently from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m. starting October 4th.

Similarly, another fan tweeted at Opie and the official SiriusXM page looking for answers on whether Opie would be returning to the airwaves, and received some information from the sage Ben: Opie will be getting the afternoon show he’s been coveting for some time now, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., also starting on October 4th.

What was left unclear, however, was who exactly Opie would be hosting this new show with. Ben had no information on that, but Opie himself dropped a bombshell when asked the same question by a fan on Twitter on Friday:

At one point it looked like Opie’s new afternoon co-host could be none other than Artie Lange. Lange, for those not in the know, is a beloved comic who spent eight years on the air alongside Howard Stern and who currently has his own popular podcast called The Artie Quitter Podcast. Lange is proven behind the mic, and has been on the radio with Opie as a guest on Opie and Anthony, so the two could prove to be a good combination. Opie’s tweet could, of course, be a cruel joke. The truth will be known in a few days, regardless. Initially, Artie’s only comment was to say no comment.

Then on Saturday having received a storm of tweets asking about whether Lange had accepted a gig with SiriusXM, he asked his followers what the hell they were talking about and eventually confirmed that he is not working with Hughes.

 

 

The move to give the two hosts their own shows was a good one all around. Opie and Norton never quite clicked on the air, and they both obviously had different visions for where they wanted the show to go. This way, Opie has creative control over his own show in the time slot he’s been after for ages, and Norton can explore new avenues with Sam Roberts, a longtime O&A cohort and host of his own show, The Sam Roberts Show. Roberts and Norton have proven to have some great on-air chemistry lately, so the news that they too will have their own show is exciting.

Both shows, neither of which appear to have an official title, will be debuting on Tuesday, October 4th on what may or may not still be called Opie Radio.

 

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler
Bill Tressler
Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.