Adult hits

Adult hits (sometimes also called variety hits or, erroneously, classic hits) is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist. Most adult hits stations play a mix of rock, alternative, pop, new wave and oldies hits.

Companies associated with the format in Canada include NewCap, Rogers and CTVglobemedia. Companies in the United States include Nassau Broadcasting, Clear Channel Communications, CBS Radio, Citadel Broadcasting, Newsweb radio, and Entercom.

Branding

The format is most famously associated with the Jack FM brand, although the format itself and the Bob FM brand both predate Jack. However, not all stations which implement the adult hits format use these brands — other brands associated with the format include "Frank", "Joe", "Mike", "Ed", "Max", "Dave", "Giant", "Simon", "Sam", "Charlie", "Ben", "Freedom", "Pirate" and "Big Daddy".

Adult hits stations often go under monikers that consist of "(Male Name) FM", with one notable exception being the feminine "Jill FM" in Los Angeles, but there are some that use another name such as "My FM" or call themselves "Adult Hits 92.7" after the format itself. Adult hits stations target adults 25-54, and more specifically at 35-44 year olds. They have a wide playlist consisting of over 1,000 songs consisting of popular hits from the mid-'50s through today. This is one of the reasons the format is currently so popular; it has a wide playlist similar to an MP3 player's capabilities, and radio companies are utilizing this format to compete against such technologies.

A variation of adult hits has made inroads into the country format, typified by the "Hank FM" stations. A Spanish-language version, "Jose FM", is syndicated by Entravision.

Formatting

While radio companies like to compare adult hits stations to MP3 players, the format is still very different as MP3 players are commercial-free and much more personalized to one's individual tastes. Adult hits stations are just that: only sticking to the hits. Another attribute of adult hits stations is that they have fewer disk jockeys, sometimes even none at all, which makes it even more appealing to radio companies as they won't have to pay as many (or any at all, in some cases) personalities. The stations are simply run by a computer, a playlist on shuffle, and a program director programming the list.

This aspect is debated by many. Some listeners believe that without jocks a station has no personality and therefore no draw, while others consider DJs a nuisance whose absence increases the station's appeal. Another common criticism of the DJ-less format is that song information, such as titles and artists, are not usually mentioned on-air, making it difficult for a listener to track down an unfamiliar song. Often, due to the strict playlist, no requests are taken.

Adult hits radio stations

Canada

¹ 92.5 Jack FM Toronto (CJAQ-FM) re-branded to KISS 92.5 on June 5, 2009 with a CHR/Top 40 format.

United States

Mexico

Other countries

Europe

• Oxfordshire, England – Jack FM [125]
• The Netherlands – Jack FM
• Berlin, Germany – Jack FM [126]
• Vienna, Austria – Radio 88.6 [127]

Russia

• Moscow, Russia – KEKC 89.9 [128]
• Saint Petersburg, Russia – KEKC 91.1

Satellite Radio

• Sirius Satellite Radio – Sirius Super Shuffle channel 12 [129]
• XM Satellite Radio – Pink channel 24 [130]

See also

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

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)
• Mix 105 - Internet Radio Station Playing The Best Mix Of The 80s 90s & Today
• VarietyHits.com - Information about the adult hits format and the stations that carry it
• List of adult hits radio stations from radio-locator.com
• MajikRadio.com Online music radio featuring soft rock, lite pop, classic oldies, motown and love songs from the sixties through today
• Radio 30 Plus