Radio format
A radio format or programming format (to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and are subject to frequent change.[1] Music radio, old time radio, all-news radio, sports radio, talk radio and weather radio describe the operation of different genres of radio format and each format can often be sub-divided into many specialty formats.
List of formats
Formats constantly evolve and each format can often be sub-divided into many specialty formats. Some of the following formats are available only regionally or through specialized venues such as satellite radio or Internet radio.[2]
Music oriented formats
- Active rock[2]
- Adult album alternative (or just adult alternative) (AAA or Triple-A)[2]
- Adult contemporary music (AC)[2]
- Adult standards / nostalgia (pre-rock)[2]
- Adult hits / variety hits; brands: Jack FM, Bob FM
- Album rock / album-oriented rock (AOR)[2]
- Alternative rock[2]
- Americana[2]
- Beautiful music
- Big band[2]
- Bluegrass
- Blues
- Caribbean (reggae, soca, merengue, cumbia, salsa, etc.)
- Christian music
- Christian rock
- Contemporary Christian (which is also known as CCM)
- Urban Gospel
- Christmas music (usually seasonal, mainly December)
- Classic hip-hop
- Classic hits
- Classic rock[2]
- Classical[2]
- Contemporary hit radio (CHR), occasionally still informally known as top-40 / hot hits[2])[2]
- Contemporary classical music
- Country music:[2]
- New country/Young country/Hot country (top 40 country with some non-country pop and no older music)
- Mainstream country (top 40 country with some older music)
- Traditional country (mix of old and new music)
- Classic country (exclusively older music)
- Dance (dance top-40)[2]
- Easy Listening
- Eclectic
- Folk music
- Freeform radio (DJ-selected)
- Hot adult contemporary (Hot AC)[2]
- Hispanic rhythmic
- Indian music
- Jazz[2]
- Lite adult contemporary (Lite AC)[2]
- Mainstream rock
- Middle of the road (MOR)
- Modern adult contemporary (Modern AC)
- Modern rock[2]
- Oldies – Primarily 1955-early '80s pop music[2]
- Polka
- Progressive rock
- Psychedelic rock
- Quiet storm (most often a "day-part" format at Urban Stations, i.e. 7p-12 midnight,)
- Ranchera
- Regional Mexican (Banda, corridos, ranchera, conjunto, mariachi, norteño, etc.)
- Rhythmic adult contemporary
- Rhythmic contemporary (Rhythmic Top 40)
- Rhythmic oldies
- Rock[2]
- Rock en español
- Romántica (Spanish AC)
- Smooth jazz[2]
- Soft adult contemporary (soft AC)
- Soft rock
- Soul music
- Space music
- Spanish sub-formats:[2]
- Tejano music (Texas/Mexican music)
- Also see: Ranchera, Regional Mexican, Romántica, and Tropical
- Traditional pop music
- Tropical (salsa, merengue, cumbia, etc.)
- Urban:[2]
- Urban contemporary (mostly rap, hip hop, soul, and contemporary R&B artists)
- Urban adult contemporary (Urban AC)[2] – R&B (both newer and older), soul and sometimes gospel music, without rap
- Urban oldies (sometimes called "classic soul", "R&B oldies", or "old school")
- Variety
- World music[2]
Talk formats
- All-news radio
- Children's
- Christian radio
- College radio
- Educational
- Ethnic/International[2]
- Experimental
- Full-service (talk and variety music)
- Old time radio
- Radio audiobooks
- Radio documentary
- Radio Play
- Radio drama
- Radio Comedy
- Radio soaps
- Sports (Sports talk)
- Talk radio
- Conservative talk radio
- Progressive talk radio
- Public talk radio
- Hot talk/shock jocks
- Weather radio
See also
- Radio broadcasting
- Radio personality
- Television format
- Top 40