Urban Adult Contemporary
Encyclopedia
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary
format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo
when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast Partners in 1988.
s use a more relaxed sound than their younger counterparts. News and current events have a major impact on the older audience. Around the evening urban AC stations play smooth jazz
and slow jams. Many of the urban AC radio stations implement slogans such as "Today's R&B and Classic Soul", "Smooth R&B and Classic Ol Skool", "The Best Variety of R&B Hits and Oldies", and "(City/Region)'s R&B Leader". Some popular nicknames for urban AC stations include "Magic" (borrowed from Soft AC), "Hot," "Mix," and "Kiss" (borrowed from common Clear Channel branding KISS FM
).
Gospel music
also has a great impact in the format. Some 18-to-34-year-olds would listen to gospel music with their older counterparts usually not heard on most urban contemporary
stations. In the past urban stations (like WBLS
and WRKS in New York
, WUSL
in Philadelphia) played gospel music early on Sunday mornings and many Urban AC stations still do devote a large portion of Sunday morning programming to gospel.
WBLS-FM in New York
, which is the flagship station of the urban contemporary
format, was one of the first stations to introduce the urban AC format in 1994. WRKS-FM
(also in New York
) introduced the first 24-hour classic soul radio station in the country. Urban AC stations usually target the 25-54 age group. The format can also be described as adult contemporary.
Many Urban AC stations rely heavily on syndicated programming such as the Tom Joyner
Morning Show, "Love, Lust and Lies" with Michael Baisden
, and the nightly slow-jam program "The Keith Sweat
Hotel." Citadel Media also operates a 24/7 Urban AC format delivered to affiliated stations via satellite, called "The Touch
" (known on-air as "Today's Best R&B and Old School," formerly "The Best Variety of Hits and Oldies"), which is common on smaller- and medium-market stations featuring the Urban AC format.
Also, KJLH
in Los Angeles
is one of the urban AC stations with its playlist heavy on current material.
listeners because R&B is the root of rock and roll
. A more mass-appeal version of the format is rhythmic oldies
, which attracts both white and black listeners. One of the first stations to play this type of music was WRKS-FM
(98.7 Kiss FM). In December 1994 Emmis Broadcasting transformed Kiss FM as the first station to play classic soul music on a regular basis. The format was an instant hit with black and white listeners around the Greater New York
area, reaching to number two on the Arbitron
ratings.
Before WRKS, many of the stations playing this music were on AM radio. Primary artists included The Isley Brothers
, McFadden & Whitehead
, Aretha Franklin
, Marvin Gaye
, and The Temptations
. One of the first stations to try the format was WSID
in Baltimore in the late 1970s. WJMO
in Cleveland
was another of the early converts. KHYS
in Houston
switched to the format in 1999. KCJZ in San Antonio, Texas followed suit 7 months later.
Early in 1994, M Street Journal reported 33 radio stations in the format, compared to 14 a year earlier. Many of these were affiliates of the Satellite Music Network format Urban Gold, which had 27 stations six months after starting October 1, 1993. Steve Harris
, the SMN manager for urban radio, said no black radio stations had targeted adults over 35. Consultant Tony Gray
said older adults did not like contemporary music, which had few tunes that had proved they could stand the test of time. And rap was becoming a bigger part of contemporary radio. Another factor was the availability of older records in remastered form. Hurricane Dave Smith of WYJZ
in Pittsburgh
, which had switched from jazz
, doubted the format would succeed on FM radio, but he believed listeners who enjoyed older songs were used to AM. Sean Ross of WGCI-AM
in Chicago believed the format could work either place, but stations that selected it would be those desiring something different. The satellite format focused on the years 1967 to 1978 but also played songs from as far back as 1963 and as recent as the early 1980s. Included were both ballads and uptempo songs. WGCI even played songs from the 1950s, including "Unforgettable
" by Nat King Cole
, though Ross said even teenagers liked the station because they had learned about older songs from their parents, and because newer versions of old songs were being recorded. Other stations included WRBO
"Soul Classics 103.5" in Memphis
, WNPL
in Nashville
, KMEZ
in New Orleans
and WPLZ
in Richmond
.
In addition to WRBO, urban oldies stations today include KAJM
in Phoenix
, WALR-FM
in Atlanta
, KOCN
in Salinas
.
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo
Barry Mayo
Barry Mayo is a United States radio executive. In 1981 he helped launch WRKS-FM in New York as the first station to play rap music on a regular basis. The station's success led him to be promoted as the first black general manager of RKO General....
when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast Partners in 1988.
Summary
The format usually would play R&B hits ten years old or more. Classic soul music also has a great impact in this format. Disc jockeyDisc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s use a more relaxed sound than their younger counterparts. News and current events have a major impact on the older audience. Around the evening urban AC stations play smooth jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and slow jams. Many of the urban AC radio stations implement slogans such as "Today's R&B and Classic Soul", "Smooth R&B and Classic Ol Skool", "The Best Variety of R&B Hits and Oldies", and "(City/Region)'s R&B Leader". Some popular nicknames for urban AC stations include "Magic" (borrowed from Soft AC), "Hot," "Mix," and "Kiss" (borrowed from common Clear Channel branding KISS FM
Kiss FM
-United States:* KISS-FM , a brand name used for several Top 40 stations, many owned by Clear Channel Communications including:** KBKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Seattle** KHKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Dallas...
).
Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
also has a great impact in the format. Some 18-to-34-year-olds would listen to gospel music with their older counterparts usually not heard on most urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
stations. In the past urban stations (like WBLS
WBLS
WBLS is an urban adult contemporary FM radio station in New York City, operating on 107.5 MHz. WBLS is owned by Inner City Broadcasting Corporation along with sister station WLIB...
and WRKS in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, WUSL
WUSL
WUSL, known as "Power 99 FM", is a mainstream urban radio station, owned by Clear Channel Communications and licensed to Philadelphia...
in Philadelphia) played gospel music early on Sunday mornings and many Urban AC stations still do devote a large portion of Sunday morning programming to gospel.
WBLS-FM in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, which is the flagship station of the urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
format, was one of the first stations to introduce the urban AC format in 1994. WRKS-FM
WRKS-FM
WRKS , known by its on-air branding 98.7 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications...
(also in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) introduced the first 24-hour classic soul radio station in the country. Urban AC stations usually target the 25-54 age group. The format can also be described as adult contemporary.
Many Urban AC stations rely heavily on syndicated programming such as the Tom Joyner
Tom Joyner
Thomas "Tom" Joyner is an American radio host, host of the nationally syndicated The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and also founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, and BlackAmericaWeb.com.-Early life:...
Morning Show, "Love, Lust and Lies" with Michael Baisden
Michael Baisden
Michael Baisden is an American author, motivational speaker, host of the TV One talk show Baisden After Dark, and host of his own nationally-syndicated radio show.-Career:...
, and the nightly slow-jam program "The Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
Hotel." Citadel Media also operates a 24/7 Urban AC format delivered to affiliated stations via satellite, called "The Touch
The Touch (radio network)
The Touch is a 24-hour music format produced by Cumulus Media Networks . It draws an adult audience between the ages of 25-49 with an Urban Adult Contemporary format since its inception by Satellite Music Network in 1972.In January 2010, Citadel Broadcasting has rebranded this network as...
" (known on-air as "Today's Best R&B and Old School," formerly "The Best Variety of Hits and Oldies"), which is common on smaller- and medium-market stations featuring the Urban AC format.
Also, KJLH
KJLH
KJLH is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station serving the Los Angeles area and offers More of a variety of Today's R&B & Classic Soul with a taste of Hip-Hop, Gospel and sometimes Smooth Jazz. The station, which is owned by Stevie Wonder's Taxi Productions, operates at 102.3 MHz with an...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
is one of the urban AC stations with its playlist heavy on current material.
Urban oldies
Urban oldies refers to R&B music dating back to the 1950s through the early 1970s. Although African-Americans are the primary audience, radio stations playing this type of music often attract WhiteWhite people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
listeners because R&B is the root of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. A more mass-appeal version of the format is rhythmic oldies
Rhythmic oldies
Rhythmic Oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, disco or dance genres of music. Playlists may span from the 1970s through the early 1990s...
, which attracts both white and black listeners. One of the first stations to play this type of music was WRKS-FM
WRKS-FM
WRKS , known by its on-air branding 98.7 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications...
(98.7 Kiss FM). In December 1994 Emmis Broadcasting transformed Kiss FM as the first station to play classic soul music on a regular basis. The format was an instant hit with black and white listeners around the Greater New York
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
area, reaching to number two on the Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings.
Before WRKS, many of the stations playing this music were on AM radio. Primary artists included The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, McFadden & Whitehead
McFadden & Whitehead
McFadden and Whitehead were an American songwriting, production, and recording duo, best known for their signature tune "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. One of the first stations to try the format was WSID
WOLB
WOLB is an Urban Talk radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. Broadcasting on 1010 AM, it is owned by Radio One.-External links:*...
in Baltimore in the late 1970s. WJMO
WJMO
WJMO — branded Praise 1300 WJMO — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio broadcasting a mix of gospel music and urban talk. The station is owned by Radio One, and has studios at 2510 St. Clair Avenue and a transmitter located along Ridge Road in Parma...
in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
was another of the early converts. KHYS
KTJM
KTJM is a radio station broadcasting a regional Mexican format. Licensed to Port Arthur, Texas, it serves the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. The station is currently owned by Liberman Broadcasting....
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
switched to the format in 1999. KCJZ in San Antonio, Texas followed suit 7 months later.
Early in 1994, M Street Journal reported 33 radio stations in the format, compared to 14 a year earlier. Many of these were affiliates of the Satellite Music Network format Urban Gold, which had 27 stations six months after starting October 1, 1993. Steve Harris
Steve Harris
Steve Harris may refer to:* Steve Harris , founding member and bassist of the band Iron Maiden* Steve Harris , American film and TV actor* Steve Harris , American basketball player...
, the SMN manager for urban radio, said no black radio stations had targeted adults over 35. Consultant Tony Gray
Tony Gray
Anthony Hollis Gray is a former West Indian cricketer who played five Tests and 25 One Day Internationals.Gray was a tall fast bowler who hails from Trinidad...
said older adults did not like contemporary music, which had few tunes that had proved they could stand the test of time. And rap was becoming a bigger part of contemporary radio. Another factor was the availability of older records in remastered form. Hurricane Dave Smith of WYJZ
WYJZ
WNOU is a top 40 formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Speedway, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis Metro area. WNOU is owned and operated by Radio One....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, which had switched from jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, doubted the format would succeed on FM radio, but he believed listeners who enjoyed older songs were used to AM. Sean Ross of WGCI-AM
WGRB
WGRB, 1390 AM, is a radio station in Chicago owned by Clear Channel Communications. It airs a gospel music format targeted to Chicago's African-American religious community...
in Chicago believed the format could work either place, but stations that selected it would be those desiring something different. The satellite format focused on the years 1967 to 1978 but also played songs from as far back as 1963 and as recent as the early 1980s. Included were both ballads and uptempo songs. WGCI even played songs from the 1950s, including "Unforgettable
Unforgettable (song)
"Unforgettable" is a popular song written by Irving Gordon. The song's original working title was "Uncomparable". The music publishing company asked Irving to change it to "Unforgettable". The song was published in 1951....
" by Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, though Ross said even teenagers liked the station because they had learned about older songs from their parents, and because newer versions of old songs were being recorded. Other stations included WRBO
WRBO
WRBO is a radio station serving the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area with an Urban Oldies format. It is under ownership of Cumulus Media....
"Soul Classics 103.5" in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, WNPL
WNFN
WNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, KMEZ
KMEZ
KMEZ, is a radio station serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Port Sulphur, Louisiana and broadcasts at 106.7 MHz with an ERP of 98 kW...
in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and WPLZ
WKJS
WKJM and WKJS are Urban Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast radio stations.WKJM is licensed to Petersburg, Virginia, serving the Petersburg/Colonial Heights area.WKJS is licensed to Richmond, Virginia, serving the Metro Richmond area....
in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
.
In addition to WRBO, urban oldies stations today include KAJM
KAJM
KAJM is a commercial Urban Adult Contemporary music radio station in Camp Verde, Arizona, broadcasting to Phoenix, Arizona.-History:...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, WALR-FM
WALR-FM
WALR-FM is an urban adult contemporary-formatted radio station owned by Cox Media Group. WALR-FM is licensed to Greenville and broadcasts on a class C0 100-kilowatt signal on the 104.1 megahertz frequency...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, KOCN
KOCN
KOCN is a Rhythmic Oldies station licensed to Salinas, California. They are owned by Clear Channel Communications. K-Ocean 105 moved from 104.9 MHz to 105.1 MHz. Over the years, its radio format has moved from soft Adult Contemporary to Oldies to its current format, described in its slogan as...
in Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
.