A welcome relief to those of us in Philadelphia who enjoy real alternative music and despise the "clearchannelification" of radio airplay.
Here is the press release...
Philadelphia (July 11, 2006) – Alternative Rock fans in Philadelphia now have a place to find their music on air. WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay and Y100Rocks.com Program Director Jim McGuinn announced today the two organizations’ partnership to create YRock On XPN, bringing alternative music back to the airwaves as well as a 24/7 online web stream.
The YRock On XPN online service launches August 1 as part of a new Web initiative created by WXPN called XPoNential Music On Demand. Beginning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 30, and continuing every Wednesday and Thursday at that time and Fridays at 7 p.m., the alternative rock show called YRock On XPN, hosted by McGuinn, will be heard on WXPN. The on-air show will be broadcast on 88.5 FM to listeners in the station’s Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware markets, as well as throughout the world via online streaming. The 24/7 on demand YRock On XPN stream will be accessible to Alternative Music fans worldwide at www.xponentialmusic.org, www.xpn.org, and www.yrockonxpn.org.
Y100Rocks.com, the online radio station, launched 17 months ago, following the February 25, 2005 departure of WPLY 100.3 FM – Y100 – from the radio dial.
“The departure of Y100 from the airwaves in Philadelphia created a significant void for fans of Alternative Rock music and musicians seeking airplay in this market. The music and the artists now have a home at WXPN,” said LaMay. “As we began to prepare the launch of XPoNential Music On Demand, we saw this as the perfect time to embrace the mission of Y100Rocks.com. We also recognize that the people behind Y100Rocks.com are passionate music lovers whose authenticity matches the values of XPN. This amazing group of staff and volunteers kept the music alive when corporate radio abandoned them. In many ways, they have embodied the public radio core values that we live each and every day,” he said.
“When Radio One took Y100 off the air, 500,000 music fans in the greater Philadelphia region were instantly without a radio station for their music,” said McGuinn. “To keep the music alive, the staff launched an online radio station – Y100Rocks.com – which has been broadcasting since February 2005 with a staff of mostly listener-volunteers. But it was always in our plan to get back on air. Now, thanks to this partnership with WXPN, we will,” he said.
“YRock On XPN is a second service on the air and on the Web that will complement what WXPN offers," said Program Director Bruce Warren. "It expands our ability to take people on a musical journey and adds another level of musical importance for our listeners," he said.
