Active Rock
The term often used for stations which play rock music designed to be played loudly, such as "hard rock", "metal", and "heavy metal".

Adult Album Alternative
(AAA) A station playing a variety of mostly current music which tends to appeal more to adults than to teenagers. AAA playlists are much broader than the limited playlists of hit radio, and therefore depend on album tracks as well as on music released or designated as singles. Stylistically, such stations may play rock, folk-rock, country-rock, modern rock, blues, folk, and world music. Adult Alternative A station which plays current hits, whether single releases or popular album tracks, which tend to appeal to adults more than to teenagers. There are no stations of this type in the New York area.

Adult Contemporary (AC)
A station playing commercial popular and rock music released during the past ten or fifteen years, designed for general listeners rather than for listeners interested in hearing the current hits. See Lite AC and Hot AC.

Album Oriented Rock (AOR)
This is a format so named as to distinguish itself from Top 40 stations of the past, which played singles. AOR stations thrived between the late 60's through the 80's, during the heyday of FM Rock Radio. See Rock, Classic Rock. Alternative Rock A station which plays rock music which is stylistically derivative of the Seattle grunge bands of the late 80's, and to some extent, the punk/new wave artists of the late 70's, rather than the "classic" rock artists of the 60's and 70's. These stations are aimed primarily at teenage audiences and feature mostly current single releases and popular album cuts. Since the Alternative Rock peak of the mid-90's, many alternative rock bands have evolved in the direction of modern rock, or in some cases, hard rock. See Modern Rock. Americana A station which plays mostly current country-rock, folk-rock, blues and American roots music which tends to appeal to adults more than to teenagers. Classic Rock A station which plays rock music released during the 60's, 70's and 80's. These stations recreate the sound of Album Oriented Rock stations of that period (although with a much more limited playlist) and appeal mainly to adults rather than to teenagers. Some Classic Rock stations play a very limited amount of current releases stylistically consistent with the station's format.

Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)
A station which plays current popular music, whether singles or album cuts. This format is the descendent of the Top 40 stations popular from the 50's through the80's. For many years, a true Top 40 format was not considered feasible because of the segmentation of charts and formats and because of the fact that record companies released many of its singles to radio stations only, making these singles ineligible for inclusion on the Billboard singles chart. Beginning with the December 5, 1998 issue, Billboard magazine has revamped its "Hot 100 Singles" chart by factoring airplay over sales by a 3:1 ratio, and by including airplay tracks as well as commercially released singles. While it can be argued that emphasizing airplay at the expense of sales misreads song popularity, it also makes it more likely that the music which CHR stations will be playing will better reflect the published "Top 40". On the other hand, basing a "Hot 100" chart largely on airplay raises the possibility of the charts reflecting airplay manipulation by unscrupulous players in the music or broadcast industries. Contemporary Hit Radio stations tend to concentrate on specific music styles, such as Rock or Urban, or a range of styles, such as Rock/Pop/Dance or R&B/Rap/Dance. Some CHR stations include a significant amount of hits released during the past ten or fifteen years, particularly if there are insufficient current hit releases which fall within the station's stylistic range. Dance A station which plays music, whether or not current, produced primarily to be played for dancing. This type of music is stylistically derived from Disco music. Stations which play mostly current Dance music are sometimes referred to as "CHR-Rhythmic". Ethnic/International Programs which feature music, whether traditional or popular, of a particular ethnic group, nation, or region, and are aimed at listeners from the featured group or place. Compare to World Music.

Hot Adult Contemporary (Hot AC)
A station which plays commercial popular and rock music released during the past ten or fifteen years which is more lively than the music played on the average Adult Contemporary station, but is still designed to appeal to general listeners rather than listeners interested in hearing the current hits. Another definition of "Hot Adult Contemporary" used in the radio industry is an Adult Contemporary station which plays a significant amount of new releases. There is no strict rule as to how much new material a station needs to play in order to be considered "CHR" rather than "Hot AC". To confuse matters further, you will often see an "Adult Contemporary" music chart, (and even an "Adult Top 40" chart), which tracks songs which appeal to adults but are more pop-oriented than songs found on the "Adult Alternative" chart. See AC,

Lite AC Lite Adult Contemporary (Lite AC)
A station playing particularly easy-going popular and rock music released during the past ten or fifteen years designed to appeal to general listeners. This format is the descendent of the not-quite-extinct "Easy Listening" format of years past. See AC and Hot AC.

Modern Rock
A station which plays mostly current rock music performed by artists which have become prominent during the past five to ten years. Stylistically, the music tends to fall between Rock and Alternative Rock. See Alternative Rock, Rock. Oldies A station which plays popular, rock 'n roll, and rock music released during the 50's, 60's and 70's. These stations recreate the sound of popular AM stations of the period and tend to be popular with listeners who grew up during that time and their pre-teen children. Across the country, the format of various Oldies stations vary, some playing 50's and 60's music, others 60's and 70's music, 70's music only, "rock oldies", or r&b oldies. A popular format which has been adopted by a number of industry broadcasters is the "Jammin' Oldies" format, which features r&b oldies from the 60's and 70's. Personality Programs or formats which rely on the personalities of an on-air host or hosts to entertain listeners, often with humor, parody, satire, or commentary on current events. Personality programming may also include music, interviews, and other features. Rock A station which plays mostly current rock music, whether single releases or album cuts. Due to the diversity within rock music today, the playlists of different rock stations will tend to fall within different stylistic ranges. See Modern Rock, Alternative Rock, Active Rock. Smooth Jazz A station which plays easy-going popular music with a "jazzy" feel, designed to set a mood rather than to invite critical listening. "Smooth Jazz" is often set to a medium-tempo or "hip-hop" beat. This format is often referred to as New Adult Contemporary, or "NAC". Standards/Big Band A station which plays popular music recorded by the Big Bands of the late 30's and '40's, music recorded by Big Band-era singers during the 40's and '50's, and/or interpretations of the "standards" of that period, including recent interpretations. This format is primarily aimed at older adults and is sometimes referred to as "Adult Standards" or "Nostalgia" format. Some stations of this type will play any non-rock popular music of the past 60 years. Talk A format or program which features one or more hosts discussing current events and other topics, often in the context of a particular political ideology. Talk programs frequently feature in-studio guests and calls from members of the public, representing varying degrees of expertise. Health, medical, and financial topics are especially popular. Urban Stations or programs which plays music, such as rap, hip-hop, r&b, and soul, in the styles which are the descendents of rhythm & blues music of past decades. Some of the more dance-oriented genres include club, house, jungle, and trip-hop. The mix favored by any given station depends in large part upon the age of the station's audience. Many Urban stations which appeal to adults rather than to teenagers include soul/r&b hits dating back twenty years or longer, and are sometimes characterized as "Urban AC". World Music Programs which play music which evokes musical styles of one or more regions of the world, but is not necessarily performed by musicians from those regions or aimed solely at listeners from those regions. Compare Ethnic/International Music.

*Other Music Formats Other popular music station formats include Jazz, Classical, Spanish, and Country. In some parts of the country, there are sub-categories within these formats, particularly with respect to country and Spanish-language music.

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