Genre | Talk show |
---|---|
Running time | 3 hours, including commercial breaks. |
Country | United States |
Language(s) | American English |
Starring |
Ron Bennington Fez Whatley |
Created by | Ron Bennington Fez Whatley |
Executive producer(s) | Chris "Pepper" Stanley |
Recording studio | New York, NY |
Air dates | August 24, 1998 to April 3, 2015 |
Audio format | Stereophonic sound |
Opening theme | North American Scum by LCD Soundsystem |
Ending theme | Satellite of Love by Lou Reed |
Website | Ron and Fez Official Site |
The Ron and Fez Show is an American radio talk show that was hosted by Ron Bennington and Fez "Marie" Whatley.
After a run in Tampa, Florida as part of The Ron & Ron Show, and then several other stints in Daytona Beach, FL, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and on Sirius XM Radio.
In 1987, stand-up comedian Ron Bennington joined Ron Diaz to create a wildly popular and raunchy morning radio program, The Ron & Ron Show at Tampa Bay's WYNF-FM, known as 95YNF.
On December 21, 1994 Ron Diaz announced that his wife Debbie was diagnosed with AIDS and Diaz began periodically missing broadcasts to care for her. Debbie Diaz died on November 13, 1995.
Ron Diaz announced his departure on-air from The Ron & Ron Show in early 1997, and on September 29, 1997 after a successful 11-year run the show ended. Fez who was a producer at the time became Bennington's new co-host on the new Ron and Fez Show
On August 24, 1998 The Ron and Fez Show debuted on WKRO-FM Daytona Beach in the morning drive-time slot. Just a few months earlier, on May 22, 1998, The Monsters in the Morning (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," and Paul O, where on-air Ron and Fez announced their return to radio. Using the formula they helped develop in Tampa, Ron and Fez recruited new employees, interns and characters for the new show. They were on WKRO until January 2000, when they left for New York.
The Ron and Fez show debuted on WNEW in New York City on February 21, 2000, and within one month their program was syndicated to Washington, D.C.'s WJFK.
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 as the focal point. Ron and Fez signed on 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.