Variety (radio)

Last updated May 16, 2024

Variety is a radio format that plays music across numerous genres. Free-form variety is associated with a wide range of programming including talk, sports, and music from a wide spectrum. This format is usually found on smaller, non-commercial public broadcasting stations such as college radio, community radio or high school radio stations. If a variety-formatted station has a program director, that person exerts little if any influence on the music or other programming choices beyond the normal regulatory control required by that country's licensing regulations.

Variety is also associated with full-service radio. This format is primarily found in the rural United States, on commercial AM stations, and on a few FM public radio stations (usually those that play jazz). These stations tend to favor older listeners and play a mix of music that focuses more on older mainstream music, although much broader than the typical suburban oldies or classic hits station; a full-service station will often play music from the adult standards, classic country, adult contemporary or ethnic formats as well. Full-service radio also regularly includes room for local news and talk.

Adult Contemporary and similarly formatted stations often brand with "mix" and "variety" to demonstrate the fact that they play music from several decades.^[1] However, these stations have much more restrictive playlists than true variety stations such as those in the freeform and full-service categories. An example is WBNW-FM in Binghamton, New York or www.varietyradio.co.uk. The phrase "variety hits" is a synonym for the adult hits format (typified by the "Male First Name FM" branding), which indeed usually has a larger variety than a typical hot AC station.

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WMNI is a commercial radio station licensed to Columbus, Ohio, known as "Fox Sports 920" with a sports format. Locally owned by North American Broadcasting Company, Inc., WMNI serves the Columbus metropolitan area. WMNI's studios are located in Marble Cliff, Ohio, using a Columbus address, while the transmitter resides in Grove City. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMNI is available online.

VOCM is an AM radio station in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, broadcasting at 590 kHz. Owned by Stingray Group, VOCM first went on the air on October 19, 1936. Through the "VOCM/Big Land FM Radio Network" of stations owned by Stingray, VOCM programming is carried throughout the province.

Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KJEB</span> Classic hits radio station in Seattle

KJEB is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It broadcasts a classic hits radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The radio studios and offices are in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood northwest of downtown.

A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelled to develop new and exclusive ways to programming by competition with television. The formula has since spread as a reference for commercial radio programming worldwide.

Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on their playlists, and generally include some mix of contemporary R&B and traditional R&B. Urban adult contemporary playlists generally consist of many different genres that originated amongst Black Americans including R&B, soul, funk, disco, jazz, pop, hip-hop, electro, quiet storm, gospel, new jack swing, and hip-hop soul.

WLKO is a commercial radio station licensed to Hickory, North Carolina, and serving the Charlotte metropolitan area. It airs an adult hits radio format that leans toward classic hits. For much of November and December, it switches to Christmas music. It is owned by iHeartMedia, with studios on Woodridge Center Drive, just off the Billy Graham Parkway, near Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

WBUF is a commercial radio station licensed to Buffalo, New York. Its studios are located at the Rand Building in downtown Buffalo, with its transmitter on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo. WBUF is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts a mainstream rock radio format known as "92.9 WBUF, Buffalo's Real Rock".

Adult hits is a radio format drawing from popular music from the late 1960s to the present. The format typically focuses on classic hits, but blended with adult contemporary, pop, and rock hits from the 1970s through at least the 1990s, and is synonymous with franchised brands such as Jack FM and Bob FM.

WHTT-FM is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York, serving Western New York. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a classic hits format, calling itself "104.1 WHTT". The studios and offices are on James E. Casey Drive in Buffalo.

WOEX is a commercial radio station in Orlando, Florida. It is owned by Cox Media Group and airs a Spanish-language Contemporary Hits radio format. WOEX's studios and offices are located in Orlando on North John Young Parkway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBEB</span> Radio station in Sacramento, California

KBEB is a commercial radio station in Sacramento, California, calling itself "92-5 The Breeze." It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a soft adult contemporary format. KBEB carries the syndicated "Delilah" call-in and request show in the evening. The studios are in North Sacramento near Arden Fair Mall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMTX</span> Radio station in Tampa, Florida

WMTX is a commercial radio station in Tampa, Florida, known as "Mix 100.7". It has an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. It is owned by iHeartMedia, with its studios and offices on Gandy Boulevard in Tampa. WMTX serves as the primary Emergency Alert System station for the Tampa Bay area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLEN</span> Radio station in Adrian, Michigan

WLEN is a radio station in Adrian, Michigan, broadcasting a full-service adult contemporary format with a heavy emphasis on local news, weather and sports.

WGLM & WGLM-FM are radio stations owned by Packer Radio, owners of radio station WION in nearby Ionia. WGLM is licensed to Greenville and WGLM-FM to Lakeview and broadcasts a full-service mix of music, news and sports. WGLM and WGLM-FM are airing a full-service mix of top-40 music from 1960-2006. The two stations are simulcast full-time. Packer Radio bought the stations from Stafford Broadcasting in October 2008. Stafford owned both stations after acquiring them from Kortes Communications in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZLR</span> 1980s classic hits radio station in Xenia, Ohio, United States

WZLR, known as "95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle," is a radio station broadcasting a 1980s classic hits format. Licensed to Xenia, Ohio, United States, it serves the Dayton area. According to the Federal Communications Commission's website, the station has transmitted at 6,000 watts since 1998. Its studios are co-located with the Dayton Daily News, WHIO-AM-FM-TV and two more radio stations in the Cox Media Center building near downtown Dayton. WZLR has a transmitter in Xenia and translator on the WHIO-TV tower in Germantown, Ohio. The station is currently owned by Cox Media Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMXY</span> Radio station in Youngstown, Ohio

WMXY is a commercial radio station in Youngstown, Ohio. It broadcasts a mainstream adult contemporary radio format and switches to all-Christmas music for much of November and December. WMXY is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It is the Youngstown network affiliate for the Delilah syndicated music and call-in show in the evening, and carries the Ellen K Weekend Show Saturdays and Casey Kasem's classic American Top 40 on Sundays.

Full service is a type of radio format; the format is characterized by a mix of music programming and a large amount of locally-produced and hyperlocal programming, such as news and discussion focusing on local issues, sports coverage, and other forms of paid religious and brokered content.

Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet storm and rock influence. Adult contemporary is generally a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect the evolution of pop/rock music.

References

↑ Engstrom, Erika; Keith, Michael C. (2010). "ADULT CONTEMPORARY FORMAT". The concise encyclopedia of American radio. New York; London: Routledge. pp. 3–4. ISBN 9780415995337.

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[1] Engstrom, Erika; Keith, Michael C. (2010). "ADULT CONTEMPORARY FORMAT". The concise encyclopedia of American radio. New York; London: Routledge. pp. 3–4. ISBN 9780415995337.

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