In September 1988, Billboard thought it had invented a new music genre and, with it, a brand new chart. The second song to hit number one on its new Modern Rock Tracks chart was “Just Play Music!” by Big Audio Dynamite featuring Mick Jones of The Clash. It appeared on Tighten Up Vol. 88 (Columbia Records).  The music industry was trying to catch up and wanted a name for what college radio stations had been playing for many years. Record labels, radio stations, musicians, and fans all argued over the label. What genre was this, really? College rock? New music? Postmodern? Alternative? Modern rock?

It was the summer of 1989, right before my junior year of high school, and most of what I knew about new music came from 91.3FM WUNH Durham, the college radio station broadcasting from The University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire, where I would later DJ and act as music director for a year. This is when I first heard “Monkey Gone to Heaven.” The delightful bassline, the surprising but appropriately fitting string quartet sneaking in under the guitars, and Black Francis complaining about the hole in the sky. It’s a catchy song! I walked into Rock Bottom

Fox just bought Roku. If you run connected TV ads, your buying landscape is about to get more concentrated. Nothing changes tomorrow, but it’s worth understanding now. What happened On June 15, Fox agreed to acquire Roku for about $22 billion in cash and stock, at $160 per share. The deal pulls together Fox’s sports and news, the Tubi free streaming service, Roku’s operating system, and data from more than 100 million streaming households. Fox expects it to close in the first half of 2027, pending shareholder and regulatory approval. Why it matters Roku isn’t just a device. It’s the