I pulled in the parking lot to Guns n Roses. Exactly 24 hours later, I pulled out listening to Katie Perry. I never changed channels.

Wait...what?

That is how I learned of the abrupt switch at 96.1FM from "Project 9-6-1" to "Power 96". This spells the end of 38 years of straight up rock from that frequency. It was the home of Atlanta's iconic "96Rock" for 32 years before switching  names, but not format, six years ago. The station maintained most of its listeners. The morning show's humor was such that made fart jokes seem downright debonair. While I never cared for the adolescent tone in the morning, the music was always spot on. Heavy guitar riffs all around; equal parts Skynard, Leppard, STP and Sevenfold.

How do you fe/el about the switch? Were you a longtime listener to "Project 9-6-1"? Share in the comments below.

However, switching formats suddenly is common practice in the radio biz, so the shockwave sent by this one was in all likelihood completely expected by the folks at Clear Channel. The outrage and protests will have no effect. Big corporations don't change the music out of personal preference. My guess is that they studied the demographics of the listening area and decided that marketing to teenage girls was more profitable than 30-45 year old men.

To test this theory I had to go no further than my own driveway. My teenage daughter and I got in the truck, and I switched the channel to "Power 96." I keep flipping back, hoping that this is all a cruel joke. Some Katie Perry song was playing (NOTE: Any current pop music with a female singer is a Katie Perry song to me). It was cutesy, repetitive and most annoyingly, NOT Metallica. The conversation went something like this...(music playing in background in parenthesis)

(I just met you)

ME: How can you listen to this stuff? It's terrible!

(and this is crazy)

TEENAGER: Well, it's way better than that angry stuff you like

(but here's my number)

ME: Angry? You mean awesome? yeah, that's what you meant...awesome

(so call me maybe)

TEENAGER: No. I meant lame. At least with MY music, only the girls have pretty hair. The 80's must've been so lame. I'm glad I wasn't born yet.

(I just met you)

ME: ...

(and this is crazy)

(but here's my number)

TEENAGER: Ha.

(so call me maybe)

(I just met you...)

Teenagers. They are the market for music. You can't argue that fact, and you can't argue with them. Looks like Power 96 is here to stay. Looks like the dads of the area will just have to tune out.

Except that now she knows of the switch, she tuned all my presets onto 96.1, just to rub it in. And I can't get that song out of my head now.

Great.