| Symbol |
Format Name |
Description |
Demographics |
| AC |
Adult Contemporary |
An adult-oriented pop/rock station with no hard
rock, often a greater emphasis on non-current
music |
Women 25-54 |
| AH |
Hot AC or "Adult CHR" |
A more up-tempo, contemporary hits format, with
no hard rock and no rap |
Adults 25-34 |
| AP |
Adult Alternative |
Eclectic rock, often with wide variations in
musical style |
Adults 25-44 |
| AR |
Album Rock |
Mainstream rock & roll, can include guitar-oriented
"heavy metal" |
Men 25-44 |
| AS |
Adult Standards |
Standards and older, non-rock popular music from
the 1940s to the 1980s, often includes softer
current popular music |
Adults 35+ |
| BG |
Black Gospel |
Current gospel songs and sermons |
Adults 35+ |
| CH |
Contemporary Hit Radio (Top-4O) |
Current popular music, often encompassing a variety
of rock styles, CH-R-B is dance CHR, CH-AR is
rock-based CHR and CH-NR is new rock or modern
rock based CHR |
Teens & Adults
20-24 |
| CR |
Classic Rock |
Rock oriented oldies, often mixed with hit oldies
of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s |
Men 25-44 |
| CW |
Country |
Country music, including contemporary and traditional
styles, CW-OL is country oldies |
Adults 25+ |
| CZ |
Classic Hits |
A rock-based oldies format, focusing on the 1970s |
Adults 25-44 |
| EZ |
Easy Listening |
Primarily instrumental cover versions of popular
songs with more uptempo varieties of this format
including soft rock originals, may be mixed with
"smooth jazz" or adult standards |
Adults 35+ |
| ET |
Ethnic |
Programs primarily in languages other than English |
Variety of Ages |
| FA |
Fine Arts — Classical |
Fine arts "classical" music often includes
opera, theater and/or culture-oriented news and
talk |
Adults 35+ |
| FX |
Farm News and Talk |
Farm news, weather and information |
Men 25+ |
| JZ |
Jazz |
Mostly instrumental, often mixed with Soft AC,
includes both traditional jazz and "smooth
jazz" or "new AC" |
Adults 25+ |
| MA |
Modern AC |
An adult-oriented modern rock format with less
heavy, guitar-oriented music than the younger
new rock |
Mostly Women
25-44 |
| MT |
Financial Talk |
All financial or "money-talk" |
Adults 25+ |
| NR |
New Rock — Modern Rock |
Current rock, mainstream "alternative"
and heavier guitar oriented hits |
Teens & Adults
20-35 |
| NX |
News |
All-news, either local or network in origin,
stations may also have this description if a significant
block of time is devoted to news |
Adults 35+ |
| OL |
Oldies |
Popular music, usually rock, with 80% or greater
non-current music, CW-OL indicates country oldies
and RB-OL indicates R & B oldies |
Adults 25-55 |
| PT |
Pre-teen |
Music, drama or readings intended primarily for
a pre-teen audience |
Children 12 & Under |
| RB |
R & B — Urban |
Covers a wide range of musical styles, can also
be called "urban contemporary" |
Teens & Adult
20-24 |
| RC |
Religious — Contemporary |
Modern and rock-based religious music |
All Ages |
| RG |
Religious — Gospel |
Traditional religious music, BG indicates black-oriented
and SG indicates country-oriented "southern
gospel" |
Adults 25+ |
| RL |
Religion |
Local or syndicated religious programming, sometimes
mixed with music |
Adults 20+ |
| SA |
Soft Adult Contemporary |
A cross between adult contemporary and easy listening,
primarily non-current, soft rock originals |
Mostly Women 25+ |
| SB |
Soft Urban Contemporary |
Soft R & B sometimes mixed with smooth jazz,
often heavy in oldies |
Adults 35+ |
| SG |
Southern Gospel |
Country flavored gospel music, also includes
the "Christian country" or "positive
country" format |
Adults 25+ |
| SS |
Spanish |
Spanish-language programming, often paired another
type of programming, equivalents of English formats
include: SS-EZ (easily listening); SS-CH (contemporary
hits); SS-AC ("modern" music); SS-NX-TK
(news-talk); SS-RA (ranchero music); SS-TP (salsa,
tropical); SS-TJ (tejano); SS-MX (regional Mexican);
or SS-VA (variety) |
All Ages |
| SX |
Sports |
Listed only if all or a substantial block of
a broadcast day is devoted to play-by-play, sports
news, interviews, or telephone talk |
Men 25+ |
| TK |
Talk |
Talk, either local or network in origin, can
be telephone-talk, interviews, information, or
a mix |
Adults 25+ |
| VA |
Variety |
Incorporating four or more distinct formats,
either block-programmed or airing simultaneously |
All Ages |
