Adult hits

History#

Forerunners of the adult hits format appeared on radio during the 1970s. At the time, enough of a backlog of popular music from the rock and roll era had developed to support a format based on them; oldies stations, however, were still very rare, and instead, stations that did not want to bind themselves to the current top 40 playlist would mix in current hits with the hits of the past two decades. This hybrid format began to fall out of favor in the 1980s as self-contained oldies stations rose to prominence. The Adult Hits format dates back to 1990 when 98.9 WMMO was launched in Orlando, Florida. Another predecessor was the short-lived “rhythm and rock” format run by KYOT in Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1990s. Adult hits stations target adults 25–54, and more specifically at 35- to 44-year-olds. Freeform could also be seen as another forerunner due to the freedom of music choice the DJ’s had, very similar to what makes up the core basis of the adult hits format. A large number of adult hits stations utilize male names as their branding. The practice was popularized by the franchised Jack FM and Bob FM brands, and has been widely imitated with other common male names.

Related formats#

• “Traditional country” is a format of country music that focuses primarily on country hits from the 1980s through the 2000s, with a particular focus on neotraditional, country pop, and country rock, as well as contemporary songs that fit within these styles (including newer songs by artists who were prominent during that era). The format generally avoids Bluegrass music, as well as “bro-country” songs (which carry stronger influence from pop and hip-hop).
• A Spanish-language variation of the format, “Jose FM”, is syndicated by Entravision.

Formatting#

The adult hits format draws from a wide playlist of broad appeal, consisting primarily of adult contemporary, pop, and rock hits from the early 1990s through at least the mid-2010s—including but not limited to pop-punk, post-grunge, emo, pop ballad, and dance pop, among others. The size of their music library and their focus on the 25-54 demographic provide a contrast to other stations, which may heavily play certain popular songs throughout the day. While the format initially consisted of 1970s and 1980s pop and rock when it began in the early 2000s, most of the pre-1990 catalog has since moved to the classic hits format. Due to its broad nature, the adult hits format can be easily automated. This means that the station can be run with little to no on-air personalities (a trait that, in some cases, may be openly promoted by the station), leaving only staff involved in station operations, advertising sales, and promotional presences. However, some adult hits stations may still maintain a full airstaff.

Canada#

Bell Media and Rogers Media operate chains of adult hits stations under the Bounce Radio and Jack FM brands respectively. * CKDG: Adult hits only during drive times. All other times station serves as a multicultural station.

Europe#

• Oxfordshire, England – Jack FM
• Cambridgeshire, England – Affinity
• West Leicestershire, England – Oak FM
• North Yorkshire, England – Coast & County Radio
• The Netherlands – Jack FM
• Gdynia, Poland – Jack FM
• Berlin, Germany – Jack FM
• Vienna, Austria – Radio 88.6

New Zealand#

*New Zealand (Nationwide) – Classic Hits FM

Russia#

• Moscow, Russia – KEKC 89.9
• Saint Petersburg, Russia – KEKC 91.1

Satellite radio#

• Sirius Satellite Radio – Sirius Super Shuffle channel 12
• XM Satellite Radio – Pink channel 24

See also#

• Adult album alternative
• Adult contemporary music
• Classic hits
• Freeform (radio format)
• Jack FM
• Oldies

External links#

• Billy Anderson’s Jack & Bob FM Guide - A comprehensive listing of all U.S. stations that currently use the adult hits format (Archived 2009-10-24)
• VarietyHits.com - Information about the adult hits format and the stations that carry it
• List of adult hits radio stations from radio-locator.com