Opie and Anthony Fired After the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Incident – A Look Back
In August 2002, satellite and terrestrial radio took center stage in a national controversy when popular shock-jock duo Opie and Anthony—Gregg “Opie” Hughes and Anthony Cumia—were fired from WNEW-FM in New York after a stunt involving a couple allegedly having sex inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The incident, which became known as the “Sex for Sam” scandal, sparked public outrage, political pressure, and one of the biggest radio firings of the early 2000s.
The Setup: “Sex for Sam 3”
The stunt took place during an annual segment sponsored by Sam Adams, in which couples would compete by having sex in unusual public places in exchange for points. The show, known for its shock-value bits, had pushed boundaries before—but never on the scale of what happened on August 15, 2002.
During the broadcast, a couple participating in the contest was reportedly inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, one of the most prominent and sacred locations in New York City. Live reports were phoned into the show as the act supposedly happened, with Opie, Anthony, and guests reacting on air.
Public Backlash and Political Pressure
Once the news broke, it spread quickly—first in local press, then nationally. Catholic groups, New York politicians, and community leaders condemned the incident as blatantly disrespectful and indecent.
The political pressure was intense. The scandal hit only months after a period of heightened sensitivity in the city following 9/11, and the idea of such a stunt in a religious landmark infuriated critics. The FCC launched investigations, and calls for the show’s removal escalated.
WNEW Responds
Facing public outrage and mounting corporate pressure, Infinity Broadcasting (later CBS Radio) suspended and then fired Opie and Anthony from WNEW. The station itself had already been struggling with declining ratings, and the scandal dealt a final blow to its identity as a shock-jock format hub.
WNEW never fully recovered, transitioning formats entirely a couple of years later.
Legal Fallout
While Opie and Anthony weren’t charged, the couple involved in the stunt faced misdemeanor charges for public lewdness. The radio duo, however, were effectively shut out of mainstream FM radio for two years.
The Comeback
Despite the firing, Opie and Anthony were not done. In 2004, they resurfaced on XM Satellite Radio, beyond the reach of FCC indecency regulations. Ironically, the scandal that got them fired from broadcast radio helped accelerate their transition into uncensored satellite radio—a move that reshaped the industry as a whole.
Legacy of the Incident
The St. Patrick’s Cathedral firing became:
- One of the last major FCC-era shock-jock scandals
- A defining moment in discussions over decency and censorship in media
- A turning point that helped push talk radio into satellite platforms
For better or worse, the “Sex for Sam” incident stands as one of the most infamous moments in shock radio history—one that ended a major chapter for Opie and Anthony while setting the stage for the next era of their career.