I came of age in a time when "I Want My MTV" felt like a battle cry. In retrospect, of course, we were millions of American youngsters parroting a corporate marketing slogan designed to get local broadcasters to add the music channel to their lineup. We were kids and teens mounting the hustings on behalf a cable programming decision.

But still, there was something real and meaningful about MTV in those early years. I distinctly remember waiting, waiting for the premiere of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video, and the chaos that ensued when advertisers and some parents got a look at the first lady of pop brandishing stigmata. "I Want My MTV" may have been pure marketing pap. But once we had a taste of media that broke new ground, we wanted more of it. We weren't about to go back.

Over the last few years, Americans have gotten a taste of Internet radio, and the last handful of weeks have proven that they don't want to go back.