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Paul Green, founder of the original School of Rock a decade ago, is used to being imitated. First it was comedian Jack Black, who seemed to play Philadelphia's Green - a quirky and irreverent guitar instructor - in the 2003 film. Then it was the emergence of a national market for kids' rock schools. Now Green is getting more competition in his backyard. Erin Riley, the '80s-era WMMR music director, has opened the Rock and Roll After School in Phoenixville, making her a rare regional challenger to Green's now coast-to-coast empire.

Mary Mason back on the radio? OK, so there have been a couple of earlier false alarms about the scrappy Philadelphia radio veteran, but consider this: After months of rumors, Cody Anderson, former general manager of WDAS-AM/ FM, has finally purchased WHAT-AM (1340). The price: $1.65 million. The plan: a black-oriented talk format. "Mary and I have not officially talked yet," Anderson said Friday, "but if you talk about black-oriented talk, you have to consider Mary. At some point, I'll probably talk to her. " Mason, once queen of black talk radio in Philadelphia, and Anderson, once king of 'DAS, have never been kindred spirits.

IT COULD HAVE been last week, it might be this week, it may even be today, but sometime this month Pierre Robert will have been at 93.3 WMMR for 30 years. Robert isn't sure of the exact date because he never thought he would need to remember it when he started in the music library and ended up on an overnight shift that same week in 1981. "I came out here from San Francisco and I said I'll give it a year or two," said Robert, who can't believe he's been able to do what he loves for so long at a station he loves.

The Walnut Street Theatre is going for baroque, as its main-stage mounting of Amadeus has broken the 202-year-old theater's box-office record for a straight play (nonmusical). Its $341,109 in ticket sales sent Amadeus past the 2008-09 production of Tennessee Williams ' A Streetcar Named Desire ($314,840). Add to that the theater's 50,000-plus subscribers. The Walnut added a March 6 performance of the Peter Shaffer -written Tony winner, which presents the tortured relationship between composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . Media notes Heather Marter , 22, a 2007 grad of Delran High and a broadcast journalism major at Monmouth University, is in the cast of Real World: Las Vegas , which will premiere March 9 at 10 p.m. on MTV. The Dennis & Michele midday show on WKXW (New Jersey 101.5)

P INK IS HEADING home this weekend for her baby shower. We hear the Doylestown- native pop star is flying here from Los Angeles to celebrate with family and friends Saturday afternoon. She and Motocross-rider husband Carey Hart are expecting their first child in June. Out and about Spike Lee checked out some new Knicks gear at Mitchell & Ness (12th & Chestnut) Friday afternoon. The filmmaker was in town to be honored by the African American Musuem of Philadelphia.

WUSL and WEGX have "Batman. " WYSP has "Great Balls of Fire. " WMMR has "Ghostbusters. " WMGK had "Cousins. " More movies than ever are turning up on the radio, and not only in the form of theme music. In this summer of "Batman," "Ghostbusters II," "Star Trek V" and "Indiana Jones III," stations are competing fiercely to promote the movies themselves with free sneak previews and album giveaways. "I can't remember any year being so competitive with the radio stations wanting these films," said one movie publicist who, like Batman, prefers anonymity.

'WE LOST our voice. " What fitting words for Phillies President David Montgomery to use to express the significance of the passing of Harry Kalas. Whether singing "High Hopes" or declaring a Mike Schmidt home run "outta here," Harry had a gift. He was our voice and we will miss him. But when it comes to giving good voice, Philadelphians are lucky. Not every sports town can boast of a legend like Harry the K or a voice like John Facenda. In fact, many sports fans, news junkies and music lovers never find that specific broadcaster, news anchor or deejay to put up on a pedestal.

NEIL YOUNG SANG, "Rock and roll must never die. " Well, Neil, in Philadelphia, it is. On Feb. 25, Philadelphia's only modern-rock radio station, Y100, ended an 11-year career. They ended with a fitting song, Pearl Jam's "Alive. " The ending chorus goes, "Oh, I'm, oh, I'm still alive. " And that's what Y100 wanted - to stay alive. The Y100 switch launched a campaign to keep rock in Philadelphia. According to the Web site dedicated to saving Y100 (Y100rocks.com), as of March 1, more than 40,000 people had signed their petition.

"I don't know how it started, but there's always been this myth floating around that I'm from Philadelphia," mused Billy Joel, as he buzzed down the Long Island Expressway the other day from East Hampton toward the city. "Every time I'd read it in an article, I'd have to drop a note to the writer - No, no, I'm really from New York. " The rumors will doubtless be renewed after tonight when the rock superstar receives the Philadelphia Music Alliance's first Philadelphia Award. . "I'm a little gunshy of award dinners, but I didn't have a good excuse to not come," Joel said with a laugh.

Horace the Taurus is having a miserable morning. The sexually potent horoscopologist and rapper/crooner, who arrived at WUSL (FM/98.9) last October along with new morning men Brian Carter and Dave Sanborn, is close to tears. Used to be, he tells Carter and Sanborn, that after he delivered one of his sensuous renditions of, say, "Turn Off the Lights" by The World Class Wreckin' Cru, his mailbox would be filled for days with panties and condoms sent by appreciative Power 99 lady listeners.