`
`Programming
`
`Program Formats
`
`“The devil is in the details,” wrote famed
`French author Gustave Flaubert, and for
`our purposes in this chapter, we could say
`that the devil is in the programming. Indeed,
`designing a radio station’s sound continues
`to be a bedeviling task, even as large radio
`companies cluster their outlets in the age
`of station consolidation. There is double
`
`the number of stations today competing
`for the audience’s attention than existed
`
`in the l960s, and more continue to enter
`the fray. Other media have proliferated as
`well, resulting in a further distraction of
`radio’s customary audience. The govern-
`ment’s laisseZ—faire, “let the marketplace
`dictate” philosophy, concerning commer—
`cial radio programming gives the station
`great freedom in deciding the nature of its
`air product, but determining what to offer
`the listener, who is often presented with
`dozens of audio alternatives, involves intri-
`cate planning. In the end, proffers Randy
`Michaels, “Programming is the key. Yes,
`I can hear my favorite songs on an iPod,
`but ‘sometimes you like to drive, some—
`times you like to ride.’ A good program—
`mer can create an experience that ‘shuffle’
`cannot. The iPod won’t bring play by play
`sports, breaking news, or
`introduce me
`to something new. It won’t put events in
`context.”
`
`The bottom—line, of course, is to air the
`type of format'that will attract a sizable
`enough piece of the audience demographic
`to satisfy the advertiser. Once a station
`decides on the format it will program, then
`it must know how to effectively execute it.
`
`Ultimately, says Emmis programmer Jimmy
`Steal, “Greatprogramming remains a constant
`regardless of amount/source of competition
`and the type of ratings methodology. The
`core of successful programming has always
`been unique Content, passionate/knowl—
`edgeable/distinctive/engaging personalities,
`a consistent source of new music (format
`applicable, of course], and an overall presen-
`tation that eschews a sense of fun, a sense
`of energy, a sense of drama [positive drama
`— maybe suspense is a better word here),
`and an overall friend to, or oasis from, the
`daily challenges in the lives of our listening
`constituencies.”
`
`That said, programming in today’s daunt—
`ing marketplace is no easy task, observes
`consultant Ed Shane. “The staff reductions
`
`in postconsolidation radio cause national
`chains to fill the time with something ~
`often syndication or repurposed content
`from another market. Ryan Seacrest is a
`perfect example. Seacrest does his morning“
`show at KISS in Los Angeles, then por—
`tions of the program are edited and repack-
`aged for other stations, mostly in the Clear
`Channel family [CC owns KISS), although
`the show is available to stations owned
`
`by companies other than Clear Channel.
`That reduces local radio to ‘repeater,’ not
`originator.”
`Brief descriptions of some of the most
`frequently employed formats in radio today
`follow. There are a host of other formats, or
`subformats — more than 100, in fact. Many
`are variations of those listed. The reader
`
`should keep in mind that formats morph as
`new trends in lifestyle and culture emerge.
`Radio formats are anything but static.
`
`75
`
`SAMSUNG 1039
`
`SAMSUNG 1039
`
`

`

`76
`CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING
`
`
`Adult Contemporary
`
`the format themselves. The AC format is
`
`also one of the most effective in attracting
`female listeners.
`
`AC outlets emphasize current and not
`so current [all the way back to the 1970s
`at some AC stations] pop standards, sans
`raucous, or harsh beats — in other words,
`no hard rock. Some AC stations could be
`
`In terms of the number of listeners, Adult
`Contemporary (AC; also referred to as The
`Mix, Hot AC, Triple A, Urban AC, Soft AC,
`Spectrum AC, and Lite AC) was the most
`popular format in the 19803 and continues
`to draw impressive audiences in the new
`millennium [number 3 most tuned format
`the
`rockers. However,
`described as soft
`according to Arbitron), although some sub—
`categories have lost ground since the last
`majority mix—in enough ballads and easy
`edition of this book. Says consultant Ed
`listening sounds to justify their title. The
`Shane, “Because the AC target audience is
`main thrust of this format’s programming
`is the music. More music is aired by deem—
`so diverse, the format has been most prone
`to fragmentation and competition.”
`phasizing chatter. Music is commonly pre—
`sented in uninterrupted sweeps or blocks,
`AC is very strong among the 25—49—year
`age group, which makes
`it particularly
`perhaps 10—12 minutes in duration,
`fol—
`appealing to advertisers, since this demo-
`lowed by a brief recap of artists and song
`titles. High—profile morning talent or teams
`graphic group has significant disposable
`income. Also, some advertisers spend money
`became popular at AC stations in the 19803
`on AC stations simply because they like
`and remain so today. Commercials generally
`
`
`FIGURE 3.]
`
`Courtesy Arbitron.
`
`
`
`
`
` National ‘Radie Format Shares and Station Counts
`
`Radio Format Rankings and Station Gaunt:
`Ranked Lt: Man-Sm 532364.431,
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`

`

`77
`Program Formats
`
`are clustered at predetermined times, and
`midday and evening deejay talk often is
`limited to brief informational announce—
`
`ments. News and sports are secondary to the
`music. In recent years, ACs have spawned a
`host of permutations, such as Adult Hits
`and Adult Standards, as well as the iPod
`wannabe formats, known as Jack and Mike,
`which
`typically
`distinguish
`themselves
`from their AC counterparts by featuring a
`broader playlist, sometimes venturing as far
`back as the 1960s for music selections. In
`
`the late 20003, according to Arbitron, the
`AC subgenre showing the most growth was
`Urban AC.
`‘
`
`Contemporary Hit Radio
`
`Once known as Top 40, Contemporary
`Hit Radio (CHR) stations play only those
`records that currently are the fastest selling.
`CHR’s narrow playlists are designed to
`draw teens and young adults. The heart of
`this format’s demographic is the 12—18 year
`olds, although in the mid—19805 it enjoyed a
`broadening of its core audience. Like AC, it
`too has experienced erosion in its numbers
`in recent years.
`In the Journal of Radio
`Studies [1995—1996], Ed Shane observed
`that the format “was a statistical loser in the
`1990s. What futurist Alvin Toffler called ‘the
`demassification of media’ affected CHR the
`
`most. There were too many types of music
`to play. No one radio station could create a
`format with elements as diverse as rapper
`Ice T, rockers like Nirvana, country artists
`like George Strait and Randy Travis, or jazz
`musicians like Kenny G or David Benoit.“
`Each of those performers fits someone’s
`definition of ‘contemporary hit radio.’ CHR
`lost its focus.”
`
`Consultant Jeff Pollack believed that
`
`CHR had lost ground because it was not
`in tune with what he called the ”streets,”
`and he predicted that the format would
`embrace a more dance-rap sound as well as
`develop more appreciation for alternative
`rock hits. The format is characterized by its
`swift and often unrelenting pace. Silence,
`known as “dead air,” is the enemy. The idea
`is to keep the sound hot and tight to keep
`the kids from station hopping, which is no
`small task since many markets have at least
`two hit—oriented stations.
`
`In the 1995 interview in Radio Ink,
`programmer Bill Richards predicted that
`the high—intensity jock approach would give
`way to a more laid—back, natural sound. “The
`days of the ‘move over and let the big dog
`eat’ sweepers are over. Top 40 will look for
`more jocks who sound like real people and
`shy away from the hyped deejay approach.”
`CHR deejays have undergone several shifts
`in status since the inception of the chart
`music format in the 19505. Initially, pop
`deejay personalities played an integral role
`in the air sound. However, in the mid—19605,
`the format underwent a major change when
`deejay presence was significantly reduced.
`Programming innovator Bill Drake decided
`that the Top 40 sound needed to be refur—
`bished and tightened. Thus, deejay talk and
`even the number of commercials scheduled
`
`each hour were cut back to improve the
`flow. Despite criticism that the new sound
`was too mechanical, Drake’s technique suc—
`ceeded at strengthening the format’s hold
`on the listening audience.
`In the mid— and late 1970s, the dee-
`jay’s role on hit stations began to regain
`its former prominence, but in the 19803,
`the format underwent a further renovation
`
`(initiated by legendary consultant Mike
`Joseph) that resulted in a narrowing of its
`playlist and a decrease in deejay presence.
`Super or Hot Hit stations, as they also are
`called, were among the most popular in
`the country and could be found either near
`or at the top of the rating charts in their
`markets.
`
`At the moment, at least, CHR has a bit
`less of a frenetic quality to it and perhaps a
`more mature sound. Undergoing an image
`adjustment,
`the format
`is keying in on
`improving overall flow while pulling back
`on jumping aboard the fad bandwagon. The
`continued preening of the playlist will keep
`the format viable, say the experts.
`News is of secondary importance on
`CHR stations. In fact, many program direc—
`tors (PDS) consider news programming to
`be a tune-out factor. “Kids don’t like news,”
`they claim. However, despite deregulation,
`which has freed stations of nonentertain~
`
`ment program requirements, most retain at
`least a modicum of news out of a sense of
`
`obligation. CHR stations are very promo—
`tion minded and contest oriented.
`
`

`

`78
`CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING
`
`
`FIGURE 3.2
`
`In the mid—20005,
`radio conceived a
`
`format emulating
`iPod diversity.
`Courtesy Jack
`FM 105.9.
`
`FIGURE 3.3
`Market format
`
`breakdown. Courtesy
`Mix 105.1.
`
`
`
`Fewer than 500 stations (nearly all FM)
`call themselves CHR. Many of these stations
`prefer to be called Rhythm Hits [Churban
`fell out of favor in the late 19905), which
`combines urban and rock hits, or Pop CHR/
`Modern Hits, a narrower-based version of
`Top 40 that draws its playlist from MTV/
`VH1 and college stations.
`
`country music’s rising popularity is the fact
`that there are over 10 times as many full-
`time Country stations today than there were
`25 years ago. Although the format is far
`more prevalent in the South and Midwest,
`most medium and large markets in the
`North have Country stations. Due to the
`diversity of approaches Within the format —
`for example, traditional, middle—of—the road
`(MGR), contemporary hit, and so on ~ the
`Country format attracts a broad age group,
`appealing to young as well as older adults.
`“The Country format has scored very high
`among ZS—S4—year—olds,” adds Burkhart.
`Says Shane,
`"In spite of predictions,
`Country has not fragmented. There are ways
`to skew the format for older or younger
`demos, but each group demands essentially
`Since the 1970s, the Country format has
`the same music. The difference is in presen—
`been adopted by more stations than any
`tation and content between the songs.”
`other. Although seldom a leader in the
`Country radio has always been particu-
`larly popular among blue-collar workers.
`ratings race until recent years,
`its appeal
`is exceptionally broad. An indication of According to the Country MusicAssociation
`
`Country
`
`
`
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`
`WKRO
`
`
`
`

`

`79
`Prog rom Formats
`
`and the Organization of Country Radio
`Broadcasters, the Country music format is
`drawing a more upscale audience today than
`it did in the past. As many FM as AM sta—
`tions are programming the Country sound
`in the 20003, which was not the case just a
`few years ago. Until the 1980s, Country was
`predominantly an AM offering. Depending
`on the approach they employ, Country
`outlets may emphasize or deemphasize
`air personalities, include news and public
`affairs features, or confine their program—
`ming almost exclusively to music.
`According to some programming experts,
`the Country format peaked in the mid-19905,
`butArbitron’s “National Radio Format Share
`and Station Counts” in 2008 indicated oth—
`
`Soft Adult/Easy Listening /Smooth
`Jazz
`
`The Beautiful Music station of the 1960s
`
`became the Easy Listening or Soft Adult
`station of the 20003. Playlists in this format
`have been carefully updated in an attempt
`to attract a somewhat younger audience.
`The term Beautiful Music was exchanged
`for Easy Listening in an effort to dispel the
`geriatric image the former term seemed to
`convey. Easy Listening is the ultimate ”wall-
`to—wall” music format. Talk of any type is
`kept minimal, although many stations in
`this format concentrate on news and infor—
`
`mation during morning drive time.
`Instrumentals and soft vocals of estab—
`
`erwise, as the format led all others in terms
`of audience size (12.7 share) and station’s
`claiming to be Country — 1683.
`
`lished songs are a mainstay at Soft Adult/
`Easy Listening stations, which also share a
`penchant for lush orchestrations featuring
`
`FIGURE 3.4
`
`Two top formats.
`Courtesy Arbitron.
`
`
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`

`

`CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING
`80
`
`
`plenty of strings. These stations boast a
`devoted audience.
`
`Station hopping is uncommon. Efforts to
`draw younger listeners into the Easy Listen—
`ing fold have been moderately successful,
`but most of the format’s primary adherents
`are over 50 years. Music syndicators provide
`prepackaged (canned) programming to
`approximately half of the nation’s Easy Lis-
`tening/Soft Adult/Smooth Jazz stations, and
`over three-quarters of the outlets within this
`format utilize computer—automated systems
`to varying degrees; Easy Listening has lost
`some ground in the 19908 and 20008 to
`AC and other adult—appeal formats such as
`Album Adult Alternative and something
`called New Age, which some media critics
`describe as Easy Listening for Yuppies.
`Soft Adult, Lite and Easy, Smooth Jazz,
`Adult Standards,
`and Urban AC have
`
`for
`become replacement nomenclatures
`Easy Listening, which, like its predecessor,
`Beautiful Music, began to assume a geriatric
`connotation.
`
`Rock and Alternative
`
`The birth of the Album -Oriented Rock
`[AORJ format in the late 1960s (also called
`Underground and Progressive) was the result
`of a basic disdain for the highly formulaic
`Top 40 sound that prevailed at the time. In
`the summer of 1966, WOR-FM, New York,
`introduced Progressive radio, the forerun—
`ner of AOR. As an alternative to the super—
`hyped, ultra—commercial sound of the hit
`song station, WOR—FM programmed an
`unorthodox combination of nonchart rock,
`blues,
`folk, and jazz.
`In the 1970s,
`the
`format concentrated its attention almost
`
`FIGURE 3.4
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`

`Program Formats
`
`exclusively on album rock, while becoming
`less freeform and more formulaic and sys-
`tematic in its programming approach.
`Today, AOR often is simply called Rock,
`or more specifically Modern Rock or Classic
`Rock, and although it continues to do well
`in garnering the 18~34—year—old male, this
`format has always done poorly in winning
`female listeners, especially when it empha—
`sizes a heavy or hard-rock playlist. This
`has proven to be a sore spot with certain
`advertisers. In the 19805, the format lost its
`prominence owing, in part, to the meteoric
`rebirth of hit radio. However, as the decade
`came to an end, AOR had regained a chunk
`of its numbers, and in the 19908, it renamed
`itself Modern Rock.
`
`Generally, Rock stations broadcast their
`music in sweeps or at least segue two or
`three songs. A large airplay library is typical,
`in which 300—700 cuts may be active.
`Depending on the outlet, the deejay may
`or may not have “personality” status. In fact,
`the more-music/less—talk approach particu-
`larly common at Easy Listening stations is
`emulated by many album rockers, Conse-
`quently, news plays a very minor part in the
`station’s programming efforts.
`Rock [also called Active Rock] stations
`are very lifestyle—oriented and invest great
`time and energy developing promotions
`relevant to the interests and attitudes of
`
`their listeners. Reflecting the considerable
`drift away from the AOR nomenclature and
`model, WBCN’s longtime PD, Oedipus,
`declared to the world in 1995, “We’re
`Modern Rockl”
`The Alternative Rock format tries ’for dis—
`
`tinctiveness. That is to say, it attempts to
`provide a choice that is in contrast to the other
`Rock radio approaches. Creating this alter—
`native sound is a challenge, says Stephanie
`Hindley, PD of Buzz 99.9: “The Alternative
`format is a great challenge for programmers.
`Think of the music you liked and the things
`you did when you were 18. Now think of
`the music you liked (or will like] and the
`things you did (or will do) at age 34. Despite
`the vast differences in taste in the 18—34
`
`demographic, we need to play music that
`will appeal to as many people as possible
`within this diverse group. It’s a constant bal—
`ancing act. We have to play a lot of new
`music without sounding too unfamiliar. We
`
`have to be cool and hip without sounding
`exclusive. We have to be edgy without being
`offensive. Be smart without sounding conde—
`scending. Young and upbeat without sound—
`ing immature. As long as those balances are
`maintained on a daily basis, we will continue
`to have success in this format.”
`
`News and Talk
`
`There are News, News/Talk, News Sports,
`News Plus, and Talk formats, and each is dis—
`tinct and unique unto itself. News stations
`differ from the others in that they devote
`their entire air schedule to the presentation
`of news and news~related stories and fea-
`tures. The All-News format was introduced
`
`by Gordon McLendon at XETRA [known
`as XTRA) in Tijuana, Mexico, in the early
`1960s Its success soon inspired the spread of
`the format in the United States. Because of
`
`the enormous expense involved in presentat—
`ing a purely News format, requiring three to
`four times the staff and budget of most music
`operations, the format has been confined to
`larger markets able to support the endeavor.
`The News/Talk format
`is a hybrid. It
`combines extensive news coverage with
`blocks of two—way telephone conversations.
`These stations commonly ”daypart” or seg—
`mentalize their programming by presenting
`lengthened newscasts during morning and
`afternoon drive time hours and conversa—
`
`tion in the midday and evening periods.
`The News/Talk combo was conceived by
`KGO in San Francisco in the 1960s and
`
`has gradually gained in popularity so that
`it now leads botH’tEe strictly News and the
`Talk formats. Talk radio began at KABC—
`AM, Los Angeles, in 1960. However, talk
`shows were familiar to listeners in the
`
`19505, since a number of adult music sta—
`tions devoted a few hours during evenings
`or overnight to call-in programs. The moti-
`vation behind most early Talk programming
`stemmed from a desire to strengthen weak
`time slots while satisfying public affairs pro~
`gramming requirements. Like its nonmusic
`siblings, Talk became a viable format in the
`19605 and does well today, although it too
`has suffered due to greater competition.
`In contrast to All—News, which attracts a
`slightly younger and more upscale audience,
`All—Talk amasses a large following among
`
`

`

`,82
`CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING
`
`
`blue—collar workers and retirees, and in 2008
`was classified as the second most popular
`format in radio.
`One of the recent news and information—
`oriented formats calls itself News Plus. Even
`
`radio and significantly contributed to the
`dominance of “chatter” radio in the ratings.
`Today, several hundred stations offer around—
`the—clock sports talk, among them WFAN
`and WEEI in the Northeast and KLAC and
`
`though its emphasis is on news, it fills periods
`with music, often AC in flavor. News Plus
`stations also may carry a heavy schedule of
`sporting events. This combination did well
`for a while in several medium and large
`markets but began to fizzle in favor of newer
`permutations in the early 2000s.
`News and/or Talk formats are primarily
`located on the AM band, where they have
`become increasingly prevalent since FM has
`captured all but a few of radio’s music lis—
`teners. Meanwhile, the number of nonmusic
`formats is significantly increasing on FM,
`and this trend is predicted to continue as
`music listeners rely more and more on other
`audio sources.
`
`In the late 1990s, over 1000 stations
`offered the information and/or news format.
`
`This was up nearly 300% since the late 1980s.
`In 2008, Arbitron claimed in excess of 1500
`stations aired the talk format. Over 100 sta—
`
`tions alone concentrated on sports exclu—
`sively, and dozens of others were beginning
`to splinter and compartmentalize into news/
`info niches, such as auto, health, computer,
`food, business, tourism, and entertainment.
`National
`talk networks and syndicated
`talk shows, mostly of a conservative nature,
`continued to draw huge audiences in the
`new millennium, as more and more Baby
`Boomers became engaged in the political
`and social dialogues of the day. Despite the
`fact that a liberal talk radio network (Air
`America] debuted in the 20005, its recep—
`tion was anything but stellar as right—wing
`hosts (Rush Limbaugh being the king among
`them] continued to rule the genre.
`An indication that the information format
`
`is achieving broader appeal among younger
`listeners is the recent emergence on the FM
`dial of a new hybrid called Talk ‘n’ Rock. This
`format variation to the mainstream Talk tem-
`
`plate has yet to find a viable audience niche.
`
`All Sports
`
`The trend in the last few years in the
`proliferation of
`the All—Sports
`format
`has boosted the popularity of nonmusic
`
`KJR on the West Coast. In addition, several
`sports networks now appear across the radio
`band. Since the mid—19905, ESPN Radio
`Network, Fox Sports Radio, and Sporting
`News Radio have emerged and are now
`carried by stations throughout the country.
`If AM radio is able to claim a younger demo-
`graphic at all, it is because men 18—29 are big
`fans of sports radio. Meanwhile, All Sports
`has begun to migrate to PM in significant
`numbers.
`
`According to Arbitron, All Sports ranked
`13th among formats at the start of 2009
`with over 14 million weekly listeners. More
`men tune All Sports radio than women,
`and the audience is almost exclusively over
`25 years old. It is a highly educated audi-
`ence with an upper—income.
`Consultant Ed Shane makes this obser-
`
`vation regarding the success of the format.
`“The element of ‘guy talk’ is an important
`factor and one of the central ingredients
`that gives this format its special appeal.”
`
`FM Talk
`
`Perhaps the most unique manifestation in
`nonmusic radio is the growing presence of
`talk on FM. Talent consultant Jason Insa-
`
`laco gives his perspective on the rise of the '
`discourse format on What has always been
`the dial for music: “While traditional AM
`
`talk has been profiled in recent years for
`its explosion onto the radio landscape, FM
`talk radio has become a popular format for
`an audience previously ignored by talk pro-
`grammers. FM talk’s primary audience is
`25—44 years old. This demographic likely
`did not grow up listening to AM talk radio.
`In fact, the FM talk audience has very likely
`tuned AM very little during its lifetime. FM
`talk does not program itself like a traditional
`full—service AM talk outlet. There is not the
`
`emphasis on news and traffic, which is a
`staple of the AM talkers. Rather FM talk’s
`focus is personality driven, aka Mancow,
`Tom Leykis, and Opie and Anthony. These
`FM talk stalwarts do incorporate some
`news into their programs, but the main
`
`

`

`83
`Program Formats
`
`focus is entertainment. FM talk programs
`itself more like an FM music station than
`
`an AM talk station. It features shorter seg—
`ments covering a variety of issues in con—
`trast to the 1—hour AM talk sweep. Issues
`discussed typically come from sources like
`Rolling Stone and People magazine and the
`local sports and entertainment section of
`the newspaper. Topics are not necessarily
`caller intensive as with most AM talkers.
`
`Listener participation is a part of FM talk
`radio; however,
`there is not
`the typical
`topic—monologue-caller participation cycle
`ofAM talkers. Moreover, the ‘bumper music’
`played to intro segments of FM talk comes
`from the latest alternative and rock artists
`
`found on the competing music stations. This
`gives the station a youthful sound and grabs
`the potential talk listener who is scanning
`the dial. FM talk’s competition comes from
`Alternative/Modern Rock/AOR and Classic
`Rock stations. The future of FM talk looks
`
`bright. Expect the format to become more
`widespread in the coming years.”
`Clearly, the number of FM talk outlets
`in major markets is on the increase. A good
`example is 96.9 FM in Boston, which has
`made serious inroads into the nonmusic
`
`radio arena. In recent surveys, it has chal—
`lenged the city’s long-standing talk-oriented
`stations on AM, a feat that is being dupli-
`cated in other markets around the country.
`
`Classic/Oldies/Nostalgia
`
`Although these formats are not identical,
`they derive the music they play from years
`gone by.’A'lthough the Nostalgia’ws’tation,
`sometimes referred to as Big Band, con-
`structs its playlist around tunes popular
`as far back as the 19405 and 19505, the
`Oldies outlet focuses its attention on the
`
`pop tunes of the late 19505 and 19605. A
`typical Oldies quarter-hour might consist of
`songs by Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers,
`the Beatles, Brian Hyland, Three Dog Night,
`and the Ronettes. In contrast, 3 Nostalgia
`quarter-hour might consist of tunes from
`the prerock era performed by artists like
`Frankie Lane, Les Baxter, the Mills Brothers,
`Tommy Dorsey, and popular ballad singers
`of the last few decades.
`
`Nostalgia radio caught on in the late
`1970s, the concept of programmer Al Ham.
`
`Nostalgia is a highly syndicated format, and
`most stations go out—of—house for program—
`ming material. Because much of the music
`predates stereo processing, AM outlets are
`most apt
`to carry the Nostalgia sound.
`Music is invariably presented in sweeps, and,
`for the most part, deejays maintain a low
`profile. Similar to Easy Listening, Nostalgia
`pushes its music to the forefront and keeps
`other program elements at an unobtrusive
`distance.
`In the 19805, Easy Listening/
`Beautiful Music stations lost some listeners
`
`to this format, which claimed a Viable share
`of the radio audience.
`The Oldies format was first introduced in
`
`the 19605 by programmers Bill Drake and
`Chuck Blore. Although Nostalgia’s audience
`tends to be over the age of 50, most Oldies
`listeners are somewhat younger. Unlike
`Nostalgia, most Oldies outlets originate their
`own programming, and very few are auto—
`mated. In contrast with its vintage music
`cousin,
`the Oldies format allows greater
`deejay presence. At many Oldies stations,
`air personalities play a key role. Music is
`rarely broadcast in sweeps, and commercials,
`rather than being clustered, are inserted in a
`random fashion between songs.
`Consultant Kent Burkhart noted that in
`
`the early 19905, “Oldies stations are scoring
`very big in a nice broad demographic. These
`stations are doing quite well today, and this
`should hold for a while.” That said, in 2008
`Arbitron reported that the Oldies format
`experienced the sharp est decline in audience
`numbers of all the vintage—oriented stations —
`with 30 stations dropping the sound in just
`1 year. At the same time, Nostalgia has not
`been shown as having much growth but
`remains fairly solid in some markets. In the
`1990s, Oldies outlets lost audience ground.
`However, over 700 stations still call them-
`selves Oldies or Nostalgia. Meanwhile, a
`more dance/contemporary approach, called
`“Jammin’ Oldies,” has attracted additional
`listeners.
`Meanwhile Classic Rock and Classic Hit
`
`the biggest winners
`stations emerged as
`in the late 19805 and early 19905, and of
`the Vintage format genres, they can boast
`the biggest audience shares in last part
`of the 2000s These yesteryear music sta-
`tions draw their playlists from the chart
`toppers [primarily in the rock music area)
`
`

`

`84
`CHAPTER 3 PROGRAMMING
`
`
`of the 19705 and 1980s (and early 19905)
`and often appear in the top 10 ratings.
`Classic Rock concentrates on tunes essen-
`
`tially featured by former AOR stations over
`the past two decades, whereas Classic Hit
`stations fill the gap between Oldies and
`CHR outlets with playlists that draw from
`19705, 19805, and 19905 Top 40 charts.
`
`Urban Contemporary
`
`Considered the ”melting pot” format, Urban
`Contemporary [UC], attracts large numbers
`of Hispanic and Black listeners, as well as
`white. As the term suggests, stations employ—
`
`ing this format usually are located in met—
`ropolitan areas with large, heterogeneous
`populations. UC was born in the early 19808,
`the offspring of the short—lived Disco format,
`which burst onto the scene in 1978. What
`
`characterizes UC the most is its upbeat,
`danceable sound and deejays who are hip,
`friendly, and energetic. Although UC outlets
`stress danceable tunes, their playlists gener-
`ally are anything but narrow. However, a
`particular sound may be given preference
`over another, dependin