It has gotten absolutely ridiculous with DJs getting suspended/fired over talking. First Imus and then JV and Elvis were fired over jokes that floated out over the airwaves. Now Opie and Anthony have been "suspended" for 30 days. In radio, suspension = fired in most cases.

Opie and Anthony allowed a homeless man to make rather crude comments about Condaleezza Rice, Laura Bush and Queen Elizabeth. Allegedly, there were a large number of complaints which forced an apology from the duo a couple of days later. XM claims that Opie and Anthony were instructed not to talk about the incident on air, but a few days after the apology, Opie and Anthony questioned the current scrutiny that all DJs are getting now (never addressing the apology or the previous incident directly). XM didn't believe the guys understood the seriousness of the situation and were promptly "suspended".

It's easy to see that CBS was scared of the potential lost ad revenue when they fired Imus and JV and Elvis. But why would XM "suspend" Opie and Anthony? Opie and Anthony was the highest rated show on the radio. It's not free FM, so there shouldn't be a concern of ad revenue. Listeners are paying to listen to the service. The show is advertised as being uncensored, yet the duo is suspended for saying what they want to say. When they were hired for XM, they were told to "go crazy" and do whatever they wanted.

I find it hard to believe that so many people called in to complain about what was initially said on air. The majority of people that listen to the show are fans. Why would fans of the show complain about anything said on the show, especially when they pay for the privilege to listen? It just doesn't sound logical. Many are speculating that it has more to do with XM putting on a nice face for the FTC to approve the merger between Sirius and XM. I think the backlash from the fans has turned that against them. XM has lost at least 10,000 subscribers. It's thought that number could be up to 50,000 with cancellations continuing to build.

XM has tried to keep subscribers by offering up to 6 months of free service. They've gone so far as to tell subscribers their service was canceled but not canceling it. Slowly companies are pulling ads in support of free speech.

I am proud to say that I took a stand for free speech and Opie and Anthony. I had a chance to make my voice heard by canceling my subscription. The listeners of Imus and JV and Elvis did not have that luxury with free FM. They could gripe all they want, but the advertiser dollars spoke louder than any irate listener. I am making myself heard along with every other fan of the show by removing my money from XM. It might not get Opie and Anthony back on the radio any quicker, but it will certainly hurt the XM bank account if enough subscribers cancel and companies continue pulling ads.

If Opie and Anthony actually come back in 30 days, I'll pay my money to listen. Until then, if I listen to XM at all, it will be through their generous trial accounts.