From: "Chip (C.D.) Kelley" <chipk@bnr.ca>
Subject: Top 40 formats - adult top 40, rock 40, dance top 40, ...
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Richardson, Tx.
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 07:55:58 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.232913.10908@gagme.chi.il.us> you write:
>This is a summary of the answers so far:
>
>1) KHQT (KQHT?) "HOT 97.7" 
>2) KMEL 106.1
>3) KSOL 107.7 "Wild 107"
>
>Also KDON-FM 102.5 in Salinas but heard in the south bay area
>
>Thank you to all the people who have responded.
>
>However, lgold@callahans.Cadence.COM (Lynn Gold) writes:
>
>>As my mother likes to say, "Close your eyes and what do you see?"
>
>>We have ZERO Top 40 stations.  We have three urban contemporary stations --

Due to the fragmentation of top 40, top 40 has become like AC and has
multiple formats:

  top 40                    plays rock, dance, pop, rap, urban
  dance-top 40              no rock; only dance, rap, and urban crossovers
  top 40-rock or rock 40    no rap or urban; no lighter AC-ish pop; rock hits
  adult top 40              no hard rock; no rap


Top 40s would be stations like WHTZ "Z-100"/New York, KIIS "Kiss"/LA,
KRBE/Houston, WEGX "Eagle 106"/Philadelphia, KPLZ/Seattle, KHFI/Austin,
WEZB "B-97"/New Orleans, KJYO "KJ-103"/Oklahoma City.

Dance-top 40s would be WHQT "Hot 97"/New York, KPWR "Power 106"/LA,
WBBM-FM "B-96"/Chicago, KMEL, KSOL "Wild 107," KHQT "Hot 97"/San
Francisco, KUBE/Seattle, KTFM "Hot 103"/San Antonio, KPRR "Power
102"/El Paso, WIOQ "Q-102"/Philadelphia, WFLZ "Power 93, the
Power Pig"/Tampa.

Adult top 40s would be KHMX "Mix 96.5"/Houston, WPLJ/New York (from
what I hear and looking at their playlist), KYIS "98.9 Kiss FM"/
Oklahoma City (rumored to be LMAed soon into being KTOK-FM by
news KTOK/top 40 KJYO), WRQX "Mix 107.3"/Washington, KAYI "K-107"/Tulsa.

Rock 40s are KEGL "the Eagle 97.1, Today's Rock & Roll"/Dallas,
WENZ "107.9 the End"/Cleveland (more top 40/rock/modern), WHOT-FM
"Hot 101"/Youngstown, WJET "Jet FM-102"/Erie, KMYZ "Z-104.5" Tulsa.  

Typically, KEGL plays songs like Tom Cochran/"Life Is A Highway";
U2/"Even Better Than The Real Thing"; Bruce Springsteen/"57
Channels"; Guns N Roses/"November Rain"; Bryan Adams/"Rescue Me";
Nirvana/"Lithium"; INXS/"Not Enought Time" and other artists like 
Toad The Wet Sprocket, Metallica, RTZ, Annie Lennox, and Red Hot
Chili Peppers.  KEGL and other rock 40s typically play a number
of rock hits of the past years - the Cars/"Magic"; Foreigner/"Say You 
Will"; Heart/"Nothin' At All"; ZZ Top/"Legs"; Bryan Adams/"Summer
of 69"; Billy Idol/"Rebel Yell"; Don Henley/"End of The Innocence";
Occassionally, KEGL will play some more pop-ish type tunes
like Animotion/"Obsession"; Human League/"Fascination"; Prince/
"1999"

Dance-top 40s tend to be in markets with large black or Hispanic
populations.  Rock 40s had a brief surge in the late 80s with
stations like KQLZ "Pirate Radio"/LA, WXGT "92-X, Today's Best
Rock"/Columbus OH, KEGL, WDFX "the Fox"/Detroit.  Now, they
are making a little comeback with KEGL returning to the format
and new stations like WHOT-FM, WJET, and WENZ.  So ratings wise,
it remains to be seen how the new crop will do as WHOT-FM, KEGL,
and WJET do not have top 40 competitors.  KMYZ does in KAYI "K-107" &
has soundly beaten KAYI for the last 2 years following its switch
to rock 40 2 years ago.  KAYI has seagued into adult top 40 now
and is still trailing Z-104.5. 

Personally, Paula Abdul, Madonna, et. al., and the rap scene make
me cringe.  I much rather listen to Don Henley instead of Paula
Abdul anyway, so I've been in heaven since June when KEGL returned
to their rock 40 roots.


Chip
chipk@bnr.ca


My opinions alone, not BNR's or Northern Telecom's

Newsgroups: rec.radio.broadcasting