In news that kind of makes me go, “Ehhhhhhh, hmmmmm,” Artie Lange is making his return to talk radio with fellow comedian Nick DiPaolo for… well, “The Nick and Artie Show.” The new show will start out on plain, old terrestrial radio in as many as 30 markets, and they’re going to air episodes on DirecTV and hit the road to promote it as well. But in a little bit of a twist, this show will be focused on sports. As DiPaolo would say, sports talk radio is like sex. Even when it’s bad, we still pay for it.
Some tidbits from Deadline:
Their deals are worth high six-figures. It’s a three-year commitment and the total value of the deal is in excess of $3 million, I’m told.
Lange returns to the airwaves in regular rotation for the first time since he left under tragic circumstances.
Lange and DiPaolo tested out their radio chemistry when they subbed for Tony Bruno on Fox Sports Radio earlier this year, and it was no secret they were looking for a deal. The show won’t be syndicated by Fox, though, but they are close to finalizing with another company.
Basically, Lange is a huge New York fan and DiPaolo is a Boston guy, so expect them to yell at each other a lot and make over-the-top jokes about Tom Brady and Rex Ryan, much like a live version of Lange’s recent contribution to ESPN the Magazine, which was the biggest turd to hit my mailbox since I was in a high school prank war.
But living in a market that has eternally terrible radio shows, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little excited for the show’s potential. Judge for yourself with the sample at their current website.
