Ron and Fez
Encyclopedia
The Ron and Fez Show is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 radio talk show
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...

 hosted by Ron Bennington
Ron Bennington
Ron Bennington born January 9th,1959, is an American radio personality and comedian. He is the primary voice of The Ron and Fez Show, and a stand-up comic...

 and Fez "Marie" Whatley
Fez Whatley
Fez Marie Whatley , is an American talk radio host and comedian who co-hosts The Ron and Fez Show. From October 9, 2007 to June 27, 2008, Whatley also served as the Executive Producer....

.

After long popular runs in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, Ron and Fez are now heard on Sirius XM Radio's the Opie and Anthony Channel, located on XM channel 105, and Sirius
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...

 channel 206. The show airs from 11am until 3pm ET, with encore airings Monday through Saturday from 1am to 5am ET. The show is also available for download from Audible.com.

The Ron and Ron Show (1986-1997)

In the mid-1980s, stand-up comedian Ron Bennington
Ron Bennington
Ron Bennington born January 9th,1959, is an American radio personality and comedian. He is the primary voice of The Ron and Fez Show, and a stand-up comic...

 joined Ron Diaz
Ron Diaz
Ron Diaz is an American talk show host on sports radio station WDAE-AM in Tampa, Florida. In the late 1980s and 1990s he partnered with Ron Bennington in the highly successful Florida talk radio program, The Ron and Ron Show. In May 1993, his wife Debbie was diagnosed with AIDS, leading him to...

 to create a popular and raunchy morning radio program, The Ron and Ron Show, at Tampa Bay's
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

 95YNF. Eventually, the show would be syndicated throughout the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....

. Producer Fez Whatley
Fez Whatley
Fez Marie Whatley , is an American talk radio host and comedian who co-hosts The Ron and Fez Show. From October 9, 2007 to June 27, 2008, Whatley also served as the Executive Producer....

 along with regulars Gary Spivey
Gary Spivey
Gary Spivey claims to be a psychic, medium, spiritual healer and spiritual teacher. He has made appearances on radio programs, TV shows, and in live casino shows and also conducts personal readings, seminars, workshops, and hosts retreats.- Radio shows :...

, The Curtain Boy (comedian Warren Durso) and Dan Whitney (before his reincarnation as Larry The Cable Guy
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality....

), plus guests Paul O the movie reviewer, legendary “parody guy” Fast Eddie, Billy the Phone Freak and fiancée Miss Vicky, Flipper and his musical band the Dead German Tourists, and Steve "The Helpful Guy" Patrick, all took advantage of their on-air opportunities to become popular personalities. Ron and Ron made national headlines after engaging in a screaming match with apparently inebriated actor Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...

.

The show's foundation began eroding when Ron Diaz's wife was diagnosed with AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 in the early 1990s and Diaz began missing broadcasts to care for her. The stress of her November 1995 death caused Diaz to leave the show a year later, and on September 29, 1997, after an 11-year syndicated run (the latter half of which featured several replacement hosts, all of whom took the name of "Ron"), The Ron & Ron Show was canceled when Clear Channel Radio purchased the radio division of rightsholder
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

, Paxson Communications
ION Media Networks
ION Media Networks is an American television broadcasting company that owns and operates over 60 television stations in most major American markets. It is now a privately owned company.-History:...

, and opted to not continue the show.

Whatley briefly co-hosted the Hooters On The Radio show with Brenda Lee (aka B.L.), Julie Williams and Hooters spokesperson (and Playboy's Miss July 1986) Lynn Austin
Lynne Austin
Lynne Austin is an American model and actress. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in July, 1986 and has appeared in numerous Playboy videos. Austin was also selected as the 1987 Playmate of the Year for the Dutch edition of Playboy...

.

"Let The Puppies Breathe"

In the early 1990s, The Ron and Ron Show produced CDs and videotapes with show highlights and specially produced material. Their raunchy videos "Pup Friction" and "Let The Puppies Breathe" included footage from the show, predating the popular Girls Gone Wild
Girls Gone Wild
The Girls Gone Wild franchise, created by Joe Francis, is a video series by the production company Mantra Films, Inc., which is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.-Content:...

video series and Opie and Anthony's
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...

 "WOW" promotion. The impetus behind the phrase "Let the Puppies Breathe" was to get women to expose their bare breasts and nipples, which was featured on both tapes.

Florida appearances

While based in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, Ron and Ron hosted several comedy shows that were rather explicit and adult in nature. These included:
  • Diaz Live From The Riviera Deli (1989)
  • Ybor City (1991)
  • Tampa Convention Center
    Tampa Convention Center
    The Tampa Convention Center is a mid-sized convention center located in Downtown Tampa, Florida. Its location has both waterfront views and views of the skyline. In 2006, a 20-story Embassy Suites hotel opened next door, with a skybridge connecting it to the convention center. Harbour Island is...

    (1992)
  • Celebrities in Orlando (1992)
  • The Button South, Hallandale (1993)
  • Daytona Beach (1993)
  • Frankie's Patio, Ybor City, Tampa (1995)
  • St. Patrick's Day in Savannah (1996) (Savannah as is in GA)
  • The Ron and Ron Christmas
    Christmas
    Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

     Party
    Party
    A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....

    (1996)
  • The Ron and Ron New Years Party (1996)
  • Hammerheads
    Hammerhead shark
    The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna while the...

     in Key West
    Key West
    Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

    (1997)
  • Fez Whatley's Birthday Party (1997)


In the late 1990s, Ron and Fez hosted one of the first national adult dodgeball matches in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Disciples of Comedy

In the mid-1990s Ron Bennington, Fez Whatley, Jimmy Shubert, Mitchell Walters, Carl LaBove and Warren Durso were some of the comedians touring the southeastern United States as Ron Bennington's Disciples of Comedy. Several of them previously toured with Sam Kinison's
Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl "Sam" Kinison was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Kinison was known for his intense, harsh and politically incorrect genre humor...

 Outlaws of Comedy
before Kinison died in a 1992 car accident. Also on the show was The Parody Band "Fast Eddie & The Idiots" Led by Ed Yarb with John Sackett on Keyboards, Warren Durso on Drums, Jim Durso on Guitar, & Keyboards, and Chuck "CANDY MAN" Blackford on Bass.

Moreover, Ron managed Ron Bennington's Comedy Scene, a comedy club in Clearwater
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...

, Florida, where he is credited by comic Jim Breuer
Jim Breuer
Jim Breuer is an American stand-up comedian, actor and radio host. He is most noted for his time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and starring in the 1998 cult "stoner comedy" Half Baked, alongside Dave Chappelle....

 for helping to discover him.

WKRO-FM (1998-2000)

On August 24, 1998 The Ron and Fez Show debuted on WKRO-FM
WKRO-FM
WKRO-FM is a commercial radio station located in Edgewater, Florida, broadcasting to the Daytona Beach, Florida area on 93.1 FM. WKRO-FM airs a country music format branded as "KRO Country".-Former formats:* Oldies* Modern Rock...

 Daytona Beach in the morning drive-time slot. Just a few months earlier, on May 22, 1998, The Monsters In The Morning
The Monsters In The Morning
The Monsters in the Morning is a talk radio show on WTKS-FM Real Radio in Orlando, Florida, USA, XM Radio Channel 152 and via the Iheartradio app for mobile devices. It is a morning show that runs from 6 am-11 am ET. The show is a mix of current events, comedy, and stunts. Discussions involve the...

(then known as The Monsters of the Midday), briefly reunited several regulars from the cancelled Ron and Ron Show, including Ron Bennington, Fez Whatley, Billy the Phone Freak, Paul O and Mitchell Walters. After explaining their perspective on the split with Diaz, Ron and Fez announced their return to radio. Using the formula they developed in Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...

, Ron and Fez recruited new employees, interns and characters for the new show. They were on WKRO for about a year and a half before being hired by Infinity Broadcasting in New York.

WNEW-FM (2000-2003)

Ron and Fez's show in New York City debuted on February 21, 2000, one week earlier than planned. The show was improved, and with the help of popular lead-ins Opie and Anthony, they discovered an eager fan base, while distancing themselves from their "shock jock" roots to better accommodate WNEW's line-up.

RonAndFez.com

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
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...

as the "masthead." Ron and Fez signed 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 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 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 enormous online following due to RonFez.net.

Big ASS Cards

To foster a sense of community with listeners, 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 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
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...

 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.

Ron and Fez Restroom Inspection Award

Other promotional items included the "Ron and Fez Restroom Inspection Award" stickers, which were fraught with printing errors and postage delays, much to the annoyance of fans. Billy Staples and some listeners supposedly posted the stickers throughout New York City during April, 2002. In Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 one sticker was placed on a statue, for which WNEW had to pay a fine. Unlike the still-relevant “Big ASS Card", the “Restroom Inspection Award” sticker bit played out on two shows and was rarely mentioned again, but did earn Billy Staples the nickname "MeatFist" for posting too many stickers.

September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks

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 the Twin Towers
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...

. It is said that Hawk walked across the Queensboro Bridge
Queensboro Bridge
The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, also known as the 59th Street Bridge – because its Manhattan end is located between 59th and 60th Streets – or simply the Queensboro Bridge, is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City that was completed in 1909...

 against outpouring hordes of people to get to his job; Billy Staples hid in a Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...

 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 the motto "New York Forever," designed to encourage listeners to patronize businesses in lower Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

. "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.

AFRO Shows

Ron and Fez enjoyed amicable relationships with WNEW's other personalities, particularly Opie and Anthony (O&A), who would sometimes sit in with the Ron and Fez show, teamings which were known as "AFRO Shows" (AFRO being an acronym for Anthony, Fez, Ron, Opie).

Demise of WNEW

Ron and Fez's motley cast of characters grew as the show entered 2002. Billy Staples, their phone screener and producer, became more of an on-air personality, often confronting his substance abuse problems, while the show producer was the butt of many jokes, often for his strange habits and perceived managerial ineffectiveness. As the show developed during spring 2002, the ratings steadily improved.

After Ron and Fez's popularity continued growing through the summer of 2002, WNEW's flagship show Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...

was canceled, leading many observers to believe that the station might alter its all-talk format. Ron and Fez remained in their time slot for another five months until WNEW's format "flipped" on January 27, 2003, moving the show to sister station WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...

 in Washington DC.

WJFK-FM (2002-2005)

Jeremy Coleman (PD
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...

 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 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
WHFS
WHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...

, 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.

Relocation to Washington, D.C.

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 the WJFK studios in Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....

. 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. Cherrynoid, David Lee Kinison (aka Elfish), Cigar Sid (aka Sidcada) and Crazy Jen 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
Hurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean...

. 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
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...

 broadcasts, did live commercials and appearances, and helped mentor 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
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...

 propelled Ron and Fez to stellar ratings in January 2005.

The Fastest Hour in Radio

In mid-2003, after being on WJFK exclusively for a mere few months, Ron and Fez agreed to host a one hour midday show entitled The Fastest Hour in Radio, scheduled between Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...

 and conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...

. 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 the Fastest Hour in Radio scheduled 7:00-8:00 pm.

Politics

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
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...

 seemed to make their discussions more political in nature.

In 2003, before becoming the cornerstone for Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...

, Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....

 did an interview. Shortly after the 2004 election, Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...

 from the Washington Post called in to discuss the political ramifications of the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 (FCC) crackdown on terrestrial radio. To their credit, Ron and Fez managed simulcasts of the 2004 presidential debates and election returns.

DC area appearances

Ron and Fez continued to reach out to listeners with several local appearances during their time in DC. These included:
  • Ron and Fez Pool Tournament at (2003) - Included a billiards tournament, Fez performing a karaoke version of "Harper Valley PTA", Cigar Sid performing "Sugar Sugar", J Dubs' "Hot Pepper Challenge" and "Fairyoke" (listeners performing karaoke versions of effeminate songs).
  • Caddyshack Movie Night (2003) - Included a screening of "Caddyshack" (Paul O. was featured as a waiter), "Nut Putt" (where listeners tried to putt golf balls at J Dubs' genitals), "Bobbing for Baby Ruths" (where listeners bobbed for fecal looking candy bars in a kiddie pool), "Gopher Hunt" (where listeners fired paintballs at Paul O), and a new "I Blow" tattoo for Paul O.
  • Ron and Fez Poker Tournament (2003) - Included a poker tournament, the "Honeymooner Game", the "Gong Show", the "Mating Game", J Dubs' and Crazy Jen's Fire and Ice Challenge", performances by Monty Love, and a very drunk Silera (more).
  • Hard Rock Cafe - New York Reunion (2003) - Ron and Fez returned to New York for a Crankcase gig at the Hard Rock Cafe and played to a packed upstairs room. Many of the show's alumni like Hawk, Tasteless Ginny, MikeyD, Tenacious C and Billy Staples dropped in along with many NY friends of the show (more). Anthony Cumia made a surprise appearance and a huge O&A chant erupted, causing WJFK to pull the plug on the show for over an hour, playing a "Best-Of Show" due to "technical difficulties".
  • The St. Pat's Spat (2004) - included the following boxing matches: Spoon vs Tommy Bateman, El Jefe vs J Dubs, and Mikey D vs Wonderboy (during Mikey D quit in the ring). Also featured were the "Monster Toss" (a competition to see who could throw intern Monster the furthest) and Crazy Jen's failed attempt to eat 50 hard boiled eggs.
  • 2nd Annual Ron and Fez Pool Tournament (2004) - included billiards tournament, hypnotism of Fez, Crazy Jen and listeners by "Don The Hypnotist", football trivia, and a listener jingle contest.
  • Battle of the Local, Unsigned Bands (2004) - Ron and Fez hosted a showcase of unsigned area bands.


In addition, Fez raced in 2004 and 2005 in an annual charity 5K with fans of the show. In 2005, Fez would meet fans and friends every Friday night to party at a Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....

, VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

 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 Worst Kept Secret in Radio"

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
WHFS
WHFS was the call sign for three different FM stations in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Maryland markets on various frequencies for nearly 50 years. The first and longest run was a progressive rock station and was usually, and affectionately, referred to as 'HFS...

 -- a "sister station" that switched formats from modern rock to Spanish dance. Ironically, 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
WTKS-FM
WTKS-FM 104.1 is a FM radio station airing a talk radio format during the work week. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast from Cocoa Beach, Florida , and serves mainly the Orlando and Central Florida areas.Most of the programs are designed to appeal to...

 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
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...

 on XM satellite radio. 2005 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.

WFNY-FM (2006-2007)

On December 20, 2006, The Ron and Fez Show debuted on WFNY
WFNY-FM
WXRK , known on-air as "92.3 Now", is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, WXRK broadcasts a Contemporary Hit Radio format with a rhythmic lean...

 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, rather than a re-broadcast of the XM show, or a joint show with XM, like Opie and Anthony's morning show.

Besides 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.

XM Satellite Radio (2005-present)

On August 2, 2005, three days after Ron and Fez signed off from WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...

, the official announcement was finally made that they would be going to XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...

 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 and provided behind-the-scenes stories about their times at WNEW-FM and the years since they last worked with each other. On September 9, the four hosts of both shows (as well as O&A co-host Jim Norton
Jim Norton (comedian)
James Joseph "Jim" Norton, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, author, and actor. He is an on-air personality, often dubbed the 'third mic' on The Opie and Anthony Show, which airs on Sirius XM Radio...

) met hundreds of fans at a preshow kickoff party at B.B. King's Blues Cafe in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...

 which doubled as a welcome back party to New York City for Ron and Fez.

On November 9, 2005, Fez suffered a mild heart attack, unbeknownst to him. He hosted the show the next day before his doctor informed him of the heart attack. An angioplasty
Angioplasty
Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel, the latter typically being a result of atherosclerosis. An empty and collapsed balloon on a guide wire, known as a balloon catheter, is passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size...

 was performed and he was diagnosed with diabetes. Fez returned to the show on November 28.

Following an interview on May 9, 2007 with author Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard
Elmore John Leonard Jr. , better known as Elmore Leonard, is an American novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.Among his...

, Fez left the studio during the show for the emergency room. Fez subsequently had a second stent inserted May 11, 2007.

Until early 2010, the show openers were created by Mooch Cassidy & Chris Stanley. The openings mixed drops from movies and pop culture into a song followed by "North American Scum
North American Scum
"North American Scum" is the first single from LCD Soundsystem's second album, Sound of Silver. It was released on February 26, 2007 as a digital download and on other formats on 5 March 2007. It reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart on 11 March 2007. The song was also featured in the 2008 film Step...

" by LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...

. 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
In medias res
In medias res or medias in res is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase...

. By the mid-summer of 2010, the LCD Soundsystem intro to the program would return on a daily basis with the Cassidy/Hicks-style intros used from time to time.

On January 16, 2009, Executive Producer Earl Douglas announced his resignation live on the air and announced in May 2009 his plans to write a book on black artists in rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

.
On May 18, 2009 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. At that time he was the shows longest running producer and took over as co-host during Fez's illnesses. East Side was replaced by Chris Stanley after Stanley was promoted to Executive Producer.

Music

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 was "Vertigogo" by Combustible Edison
Combustible Edison
Combustible Edison was a group founded in the early 1990s in Providence, Rhode Island, and was one of several lounge music acts that led a brief resurgence of interest in the genre during the mid-1990s...

 featured in the movie Four Rooms
Four Rooms
Four Rooms is a 1995 portmanteau comedy film telling four stories set in a hotel in the US city of Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. Tim Roth stars as the principal character of the frame tale; he also takes part to some degree in all four stories....

, which was changed to "Satellite of Love" by Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...

. During their WNEW days, the opening music bed was "Oddities" by Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...

, and also "Fired" by Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...

. 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 was the "Theme from the Last Waltz" by The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...

.

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 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.

The show opens, typically, with "North American Scum
North American Scum
"North American Scum" is the first single from LCD Soundsystem's second album, Sound of Silver. It was released on February 26, 2007 as a digital download and on other formats on 5 March 2007. It reached #40 in the UK Singles Chart on 11 March 2007. The song was also featured in the 2008 film Step...

" by LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...

.

See also

  • Ron Bennington
    Ron Bennington
    Ron Bennington born January 9th,1959, is an American radio personality and comedian. He is the primary voice of The Ron and Fez Show, and a stand-up comic...

  • Fez Whatley
    Fez Whatley
    Fez Marie Whatley , is an American talk radio host and comedian who co-hosts The Ron and Fez Show. From October 9, 2007 to June 27, 2008, Whatley also served as the Executive Producer....

  • Ron Diaz
    Ron Diaz
    Ron Diaz is an American talk show host on sports radio station WDAE-AM in Tampa, Florida. In the late 1980s and 1990s he partnered with Ron Bennington in the highly successful Florida talk radio program, The Ron and Ron Show. In May 1993, his wife Debbie was diagnosed with AIDS, leading him to...

  • WNEW-FM
  • WJFK-FM
    WJFK-FM
    WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...

  • Unmasked (Show)
  • Opie and Anthony
    Opie and Anthony
    Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...

  • XM Satellite Radio
    XM Satellite Radio
    XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...

  • XM 202: the ViRUS

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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