Back in the news again are our favorite on-again-off-again classic rock supergroup, Led Zeppelin. Although some devoted fans may feel ill when they hear that name in association with the group without the presence of late drummer John Bonham, Led Zeppelin is the name that everyone is still using to refer to these guys, and I’m certainly not going to start calling them something like “Chickenfoot.”

After the recent revelation that Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler had been jamming with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, there were rumors of Tyler filling in for Plant on a Led Zeppelin tour. Frankly, I’m a little afraid to hear what those devoted Led Zeppelin fans might say if that came to pass. There have been reports of fan outrage being vented in various online forums regarding any tours hitting the road and using the name Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant planted in front of his microphone.

Veteran promoter Harvey Goldsmith seems to be in agreement with many fans and says he does not see the point of a Led Zeppelin tour without Robert Plant. “I doubt it will be called Led Zeppelin. I just think it’s a lot of talk, I think it’s wishful thinking. Whether they all come together and do something in the future, they may,” Goldsmith said.

Anyway, dedicated Zep fans may be able to breathe a little easier after it was announced that Tyler’s recent jam sessions with the boys in the U.K. was nothing serious. According to Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, who was heard on the syndicated Todd n Tyler Radio Empire, the sessions were just for fun.

Whitford also said the whole idea might have been an effort to “light a fire under Robert [Plant],” which is the same rumor we heard a while back when it was reported that some other singers had been auditioning for Plant’s spot on a possible Led Zeppelin tour. Hooking up with Tyler may have been an effort to bring the big guns to bear on Plant, since Whitford agreed when asked if Steven Tyler was one of the most intimidating singers that could have been brought in to help motivate Plant.

Recent comments from John Paul Jones suggest that he, Page and Bonham have been having a great time rehearsing, and are very anxious to get out and play. A comment by Robert Plant saying that he would not be ready to take part in a Led Zeppelin tour for at least two years does not make the reality of a Led Zeppelin tour, or as close as we’ll ever see to one, appear to be coming to a venue near you in the near future.

There’s happier news for Led Zeppelin fans whose album collection may be a bit lacking, and who also subscribe to Sirius or XM satellite radio. The recently-merged broadcasters are launching a brand-new Led Zeppelin channel tomorrow at 6:00 PM Eastern Time, which will feature all Zeppelin all the time until December 31. There are plans to play just about every songs from the group’s catalog as well as interviews with band members from the archives. The Led Zeppelin channel will occupy channel 12 on Sirius and channel 39 on XM.