The Virus (XM)

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the ViRUS

Broadcast area	United States Canada
Branding	xL the ViRUS
Slogan	Spread the Virus
First air date	August 6, 2004 as High Voltage
Frequency	XM202 DirecTV 879
Format	Talk radio
Class	Satellite Radio Station
Owner	XM Satellite Radio
Website	the ViRUS

the ViRUS (formerly High Voltage from 2004-2006) is a hot talk channel on XM Satellite Radio. Broadcasting in stereo, it is one of only two talk-based XM channels in stereo -- the other being XM Public Radio.

The launch of the channel came the day after XM's August 5, 2004 announcement that they were hiring extreme talk radio personalities Opie and Anthony. For two months, High Voltage repeatedly looped two different, 40-second announcement with no background music touting Opie and Anthony's return. At midnight ET on October 1, 2004, the loop was interrupted to air 'Opie & Anthony: Ungagged,'. In April 2005, XM abandoned the premium charge, making High Voltage a standard part of the XM platform. Since November 2005, XM 202 has been a part of the DirecTV Total Choice Plus package on channel 879. XM has rated the channel TV-MA L for DirecTV listings.

High Voltage was rebranded as the ViRUS on Monday, November 20, 2006 and remained on Channel 202. The name is eponymous to how Opie and Anthony believe their show gains listeners. The launch featured a new channel logo as well as exposure on packaging of XM Radio products.

Contents 1 History 2 Fun Facts & Trivia 3 Current lineup 3.1 Weekdays 3.2 Saturdays 3.3 Sundays 3.4 Early Monday morning 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] History

High Voltage was originally created for Opie and Anthony. Opie and Anthony premiered on October 4, 2004 where their show ran from 6-10 AM ET, with replays throughout the day, and blocks of music at night which usually consisted of an active rock playlist. After several months, they moved their start and end time back an hour, beginning to air from 7-11 AM ET each weekday.

For nearly eleven months, O&A were the only program on the channel. After their original show had ended, the replay of the show from that day would begin immediately after. On August 1, 2005, XM announced that they had signed talk-show hosts Ron and Fez, who worked with O&A at WNEW-FM years prior and were long-mentioned on the Opie and Anthony Show as O&A's best friends in radio. On September 12, 2005, Ron and Fez began airing on channel 202 from 11am-2pm every weekday, beginning immediately after O&A end their program.

Other shows that have aired on 202 include Black Rock Coalition with Earl Douglas, which aired once, The Cosmic Circus with Ron and Fez friend Perrynoid , which also aired once, The Lazlow Show with tech host Lazlow, which aired twice (with a third show planned), and Patrice Oneal's Black Phillip show.

[edit] Fun Facts & Trivia

• The original channel name High Voltage was decided by one of XM's lawyers, despite them telling Opie and Anthony they had time to think of a name. The decision was made without consulting Opie or Anthony when XM decided to put out a press release that afternoon. The channel was renamed The Virus on November 20, 2006. The promo announcing this included the phrase "O&A all day long", sparking false rumours of Ron & Fez being moved to another channel, possibly their own.
• Up until early Spring 2005, the channel would run stand-up comedy bits during the commercial breaks. In the show's early days on XM, most of these bits were from George Carlin. Carlin's spots were so frequent it caused listener complaints.
• Before March 21, 2005, when the show still aired from 6-10 AM, the channel ran a "variety hour" spot during the nights which played music. Most of the music was hard rock, and consisted of bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, KISS, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Metallica.
• Due to technical restrictions on XM's master computer in Washington, D.C., no previously recorded show on XM is able to run past 12 AM ET. This was the main reason why High Voltage had to have "variety hours" and Worst of O&As airing at night time, due to the replays either ending at 10 PM or 11 PM ET.
• The Virus is one of XM Satellite Radio's 9 xL channels, which include explicit language. The Virus is XM's only talk channel that has the xL tag, the others being either music or comedy channels.

• In honor of Jim Norton's birthday, on July 19th, 2006, the channel was renamed xL Jimmy Day, and on the new line of XM2Go's that include color displays, Jim Norton's face was put on the display.

[edit] Current lineup

[edit] Weekdays

ET	PT	Show	Notes
6 AM	3 AM	Opie and Anthony	Live from CBS
9 AM	6 AM	Opie and Anthony	Live from XM
12 PM	9 AM	Ron and Fez	Live from XM
3 PM	12 PM	Opie and Anthony	CBS/XM Replay
7:30 PM	4:30 PM	Opie and Anthony	CBS/XM Replay
12 AM	9 PM	Ron and Fez	Replay
3 AM	12 AM	Opie and Anthony	XM Replay

[edit] Saturdays

ET	PT	Show	Notes
12 AM	9 PM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
3 AM	12 AM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 1
6 AM	3 AM	The Razzle Dazzle Hour	Taped
7 AM	4 AM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
10 AM	7 AM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 2
2 PM	11 AM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
5 PM	2 PM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 1
8 PM	5 PM	The Razzle Dazzle Hour	Taped
9 PM	6 PM	Saturday Night Virus	Live; rotating hosts of "O&A" personalities

[edit] Sundays

ET	PT	Show	Notes
12 AM	9 PM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
3 AM	12 AM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 2
7 AM	4 AM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
10 AM	7 AM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 1
1 PM	10 AM	The Razzle Dazzle Hour	Taped
2 PM	11 AM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week
5 PM	2 PM	Opie and Anthony	Worst of the week part 2
9 PM	6 PM	Ron and Fez	Best of the Week

• Note: Ron and Fez weekend replay schedule is set after the Friday show. See this RonFez.Net Thread to see which day will be on what timeslot.

[edit] Early Monday morning

ET	PT	Show	Notes
12 AM	9 PM	Ron and Fez	Thursday replay
3 AM	12 AM	Opie and Anthony	Friday XM replay

[edit] See also

• XM Satellite Radio
• Opie and Anthony
• Ron and Fez
• Patrice Oneal
• Lazlow

[edit] External links

• the ViRUS