ABSTRACT
Recorded music is a staple program element heard on many terrestrial and satellite radio stations. The format is one programming approach stations implement to attract and sustain listener attention. Formats are strategies for presenting songs with similar characteristics (age, instrumentation, intensity) that appeal to listeners of specific demographic profiles. Music-based formats are more commonly broadcast over FM, rather than AM, stations owing to fidelity considerations. Format names allude to genres of music (country, rap, rock) and to listener or station attributes (adult contemporary, urban, easy listening). The responsibilities of program directors (PDs) include designing and executing formats and interacting with various constituencies, including the audience, station management and personnel, federal agencies, and advertisers.
