​Ron Bennington on the Opie & Anthony Show: Radio Secrets, Rigged Contests & Fez

Ron Bennington joins Opie and Anthony on SiriusXM for a candid, chaotic, and hilarious deep dive into the behind-the-scenes madness of radio, from rigged contests and air check absurdities to the psychological toll of long-form broadcasting. The hosts reminisce about the golden era of radio when program directors had real power, music was curated by passionate experts, and on-air talent could shape their own sound—contrasting it sharply with today’s corporate, formulaic radio landscape. Ron shares war stories from his career, including a near-fatal on-air mishap with the Rolling Stones’ controversial song 'Star Star,' his legendary 'crossover' with Fez, and the surreal experience of being the only person not invited to a Springsteen listening party despite being a die-hard fan. The conversation spirals into broader cultural observations about aging, nostalgia, and the decline of physical media, with dark humor about the 'cockroach' survival of radio veterans versus the delicate fragility of true talent. Amid the chaos, there’s a thread of reverence for the craft, the art of the live show, and the unspoken rules of radio survival.