Dramatic development.

Sick of hearing what satellite radio's doing yet? Radio guys will find this confusing: Sirius will air two radio plays this weekend. Actually, it's a recording of a stage presentation of two radio plays written by the Coen Brothers (Fargo) and Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) to "accompany" a concert of film music by their favorite screen composer, Carter Burwell. Actors include Meryl Streep, Marcia Gay Harden, and Steve Buscemi. You have to dig for it on Sirius's Web site--here it is. But the NY Daily News tells the whole story better here.

So, it's a little early to be declaring the second coming of radio theatre. Sirius didn't go out to produce it--they're modern radio guys, after all. But at least they're open to it when it falls in their laps. Sirius's got over 120 "stations" to fill.

There's a lesson in here somewhere for today's stick radio guys. I'm sure you're all scratching your heads. For now, just take this as another sign that it's not gonna be about mathematical music scheduling and out-thinking Arbitron methodology. Maybe...just maybe...it's going to be about grabbing people by their ears.