POP/ROCK - Feb. 7, 1992

Rockin’ for MTV: Rocker John Mellencamp got on the MTV bandwagon Wednesday, giving a free concert in Johnson City, Tenn., as part of a campaign by rock stars to get Sammons Communications to put MTV back on the air. Sammons dropped the music video station Jan. 1, reportedly to hold down cable rates. About 109,000 subscribers in Johnson City, Vineland, N.J., and Bensalem, Pa. were affected. Mellencamp said he did the concert because MTV has supported him and now he’s supporting it. Pop stars Paula Abdul, Phil Collins and Rod Stewart have appeared in TV ads urging viewers to complain.