WLWK-FM announced a ban today on Seattle artists until after the NFC Championship game on Sunday.

Until Monday, 94.5 The Lake will sideline bands from Seattle, "including: Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Heart and Jimi Hendrix," a release said.

"All of Wisconsin is focused on the Packers beating the Seahawks on Sunday," said Tom Langmyer, vice president and GM of Journal's Milwaukee Radio Operations. "Our ‘Say No to Seattle’ campaign is Wisconsin’s way to get behind the Packers and cheer them on to the Championship."

The station known for playing a variety of hit songs from the 60s to today said that the Seattle-based artists will return to the air on Monday.

It is a fun and honorable position to take the certain artists and put them in the "off" position on the robotic rotation. However, I’d like to issue Langmyer and morning host Danny Clayton with this challenge:

Should the Packers win – and even if they don’t – take a positive and proactive step to "Say Yes to Wisconsin."

Here’s what I propose. In your mix, sure, turn off the Seattle artists for a few days and feature songs from Wisconsin-based bands whether or not the songs were hits. Sure, the logistics may be "too hard," I mean, record a 10-second or 30-second bite and post on Facebook and Twitter this message:

"Hey, Wisconsin bands, send us your stuff."

Gather the CDs, ask the band to pick the one track they would love to hear on the radio and make it happen. We live in a new age, ask for – gasp – an MP3. It will give the overworked J. Pat Miller something more to do.

Seriously, I think I’m not alone in wanting even a weekend that says "Yes to Wisconsin," featuring the artists beyond and including the Violent Femmes and Al Jarreau to be on the airwaves.

Also, the Foo Fighters should be played anyway in honor of Butch Vig. Anyone disagree?

"A workday favorite, the station plays everything from The Beatles and Rolling Stones to Katy Perry and Sam Smith," WLWK touts in the release.

Send out another release that "Says Yes to Wisconsin" and play everything from PHOX to Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons. I bet Field Report and Juniper Tar would love some local airplay, as well.

Rise to the challenge Steve Wexler and the rest of the good people at Radio City. If we can count on the Packers to give their best, I know I can count on all of you as well.

SPEAKING OF WEXLER: Tom Taylor’s NOW newsletter reported recently on president Andre Fernandez leaving and Steve Wexler taking a vice president role as part of the changes that will come with the Scripps and Journal merger on the radio side of the business.

On Fernandez leaving: "He’ll do that trailing a nice golden-colored parachute, out of respect for his years as CFO of Milwaukee-based Journal Communications (2008-2012) and then as president."

The report goes on:

"That’s not a surprise, and neither is the naming of Steve Wexler as the VP/Radio for Scripps – the company that’s keeping the Journal Broadcast Group properties and spinning off Journal’s print assets into a new combined ‘Journal Media Group.’

"It was announced nearly four months ago that ‘Wex’ would stay on under Scripps to oversee the radio division (September 18 NOW Newsletter). But we weren’t sure about Fernandez. Current Journal Communications commander Steve Smith becomes non-executive Chairman of Journal Media Group.

"Betsy Brenner stays on with JMG as VP and regional publisher. She’s been the publisher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the last 10 years, and a familiar presence on the quarterly conference calls. (Oh – we also learn from the SEC filing that the print-focused group will trade on the New York Stock Exchange as ‘JMG.’)

"For current Journal radio folks, not much will change, other than doing all the paperwork necessary to become an employee of Scripps. ‘Wex’ will still be leading the radio division, and he’s got his hands full this year, since he’s a new board member of the Radio Advertising Bureau."