> > So what is MMR doing playing Blondie and the Smithereens?
> > What is this in response to? Is the future of the rock
> > format more inclusive, ie playing new wave type artists
> next
> > to Tom Petty next to Coldplay resulting in a wider
> playlist?
> >
>
> Well, as so many good radio people on this board have
> opined, there seems to be a shrinking pool of available
> listeners to terrestrial radio. With the recent surge of BEN
> and the continued success of B101...and, to a lesser extent
> SUNNY..it would seem to make more sense to broaden one's
> formatic reach rather than limit it.
>
> That having been said, if they want to include those styles
> of "Rock" in their regular playlist, they could (a) bring in
> (cume) more and different listeners or (b) totally piss off
> the loyal and true rockers, for whom Blondie represents the
> death throes of Disco into early Punksters and the
> Smithereens represent the Neo-rockers into Bright
> Eyes-styled Alt/Rock of the '90s.
>
> It's a gamble that, imho, if well-done, would seem to be a
> logical growth of the Rock format. Will Philly phans of
> "pure rock" buy into it? My vote goes to a "yes".
>
> Should be a fun Summer Book, right?
Because MMR has had so many rock formats over the years it wouldn't be a bad idea to incorporate all types of "Rock" into the format... the harder stuff (STP, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc) the more melodic (Coldplay, the Killers, Counting Crows) and the singer-songwriters (Bright Eyes, Ben Folds, Ben Lee, Jim James). And of course throw in the occasional Classic (with sister station MGK picking up the slack on the Doors, AC/DC, VH, etc)