
Save Project 9-6-1


The week of August 27th was a dark time for Atlanta rock radio. On
August 29th at 7:00pm, Atlanta powerhouse rock station Project 9-6-1
went dark and was replaced with a new station- Power 96.1, yet another
Top 40/pop station in Atlanta. As if this wasn't enough, heritage
alternative rock station 99X closed their
doors for the second time just two days later. Less than a month before
this, adult alternative rocker 92.9 davefm announced that they would be
flipping formats to sports/talk sometime in October.
To recap -
as of this week three of Atlanta's big rock stations have been silenced
in favor of music and talk genres already well represented in our radio
market. This press release is an open call to arms to stand against the
corporations who would take our rock radio away, and more importantly,
take away everything that makes this city unique. We ask you to stand
together with the Project Family (facebook.com/SaveOurProject) and let
the radio corporations responsible for this- namely CBS Radio, Clear
Channel, and Cumulus - know that cutting these stations is not in the
best interest of music fans both in and out of Atlanta. As fans of
music, you should always have a choice. The corporations controlling
these stations look to strip you of that choice.
Take a stand
now with the Project Family at facebook.com/SaveOurProject as they fight
not only for the three radio stations in jeopardy, but for all Atlanta
art in general. Radio is just the beginning. Imagine a city with no
local arts presence. No iconic music venues. No local music. No local
businesses. No parks. No landmarks. No history. This is where we're
headed.
Educate yourself on the current status of local music,
broadcast, and the arts in your city. Local businesses all over Atlanta
are closing their doors. Local stages are closing their curtains to
actors and musicians alike. Old, classic theaters are being run out of
town or converted into 3D-theater abominations. Record stores that we
grew up in are now backed into a corner with nothing to do but sell
their properties. Art galleries are wholesaling their paintings and
becoming "online galleries." Heritage recording studios are no longer
rolling tape, and local television is going dark. Our landmarks are
being torn asunder and converted into office complexes, tax preparation
businesses, and gold buying stores.
Make your own decisions.
Don't be stagnant and let the corporations decide for you. You directly
control whether these things exist. If you go a hole-in-the-wall local
coffee shop you've never been to, buy a cup of coffee. If you see a
great singer/songwriter at a bar, pick up their album. If you see an old
movie at a classic theater, buy some popcorn too. If you love a radio
station, support them. Go to their events. Call and make requests. If
you have a PPM meter (the ratings meter used to rate radio stations),
keep it on when you listen to these stations! Don't leave it at home
because you think it's "not that important."
In closing, if you
don't want to support these things then don't but please let it be a
conscious choice. Don't just be a follower. Don't sit by idly and let
someone else make these decisions for you. Let these corporations know
that we've earned the right to have this music on our airwaves or at the
very least, remind them that if they don't think we've earned it they
can at least agree that it's been bought and paid for in concert
tickets, record sales, and merchandise sales.
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