116-532: WMET (1160 AM) is a mediumwave ( AM band) radio station in Gaithersburg, Maryland , serving the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Over several decades, it has gone through a number of radio formats, from progressive rock to all-comedy to a conservative talk-show format. Since May 3, 2010, it has been a Catholic religious radio station. WMET moved from 1150 kHz to 1160 kHz in 2003. Its transmitter
232-563: A skywave . The medium-wave transmitter at Berlin-Britz for transmitting RIAS used a cross dipole mounted on five 30.5-metre-high guyed masts to transmit the skywave to the ionosphere at nighttime. Because at these frequencies atmospheric noise is far above the receiver signal-to-noise ratio , inefficient antennas much smaller than a wavelength can be used for receiving. For reception at frequencies below 1.6 MHz, which includes long and medium waves, loop antennas are popular because of their ability to reject locally generated noise. By far
348-672: A basic format employing a verse–chorus structure . The format is heavy on romantic sentimental ballads which use acoustic instruments such as pianos , saxophones , and sometimes an orchestral set. However, electric guitars and bass are also usually used, with the electric guitar sound relatively faint and high-pitched. Additionally, post-80s adult contemporary music may feature synthesizers (and other electronics, such as drum machines ). An AC radio station may play mainstream music, but it usually excludes hip hop , house/techno or electronic dance music and some forms of dance-pop and teen pop , as these are less popular among adults,
464-470: A desire by some radio stations in the late 1950s and early 1960s to continue playing current hit songs but distinguish themselves from being branded as " rock and roll " stations. Billboard first published the Easy Listening chart July 17, 1961, with 20 songs; the first number one was " Boll Weevil Song " by Brook Benton . The chart described itself as "not too far out in either direction". Initially,
580-740: A few specially licensed AM broadcasting stations. These channels are called clear channels , and they are required to broadcast at higher powers of 10 to 50 kW. Initially, broadcasting in the United States was restricted to two wavelengths: "entertainment" was broadcast at 360 meters (833 kHz), with stations required to switch to 485 meters (619 kHz) when broadcasting weather forecasts, crop price reports and other government reports. This arrangement had numerous practical difficulties. Early transmitters were technically crude and virtually impossible to set accurately on their intended frequency and if (as frequently happened) two (or more) stations in
696-407: A great deal of R&B (without any form of rapping), gospel music , classic soul and dance music (including disco ). Another format, rhythmic AC , in addition to playing all the popular hot and soft AC music, past and present, places a heavy emphasis on disco as well as 1980s and 1990s dance hits, such as those by Amber , and Black Box , and includes dance remixes of pop songs, such as
812-454: A little bit as to getting their message on the radio.... I told them [at Guadalupe] I'd help them in that endeavor." The article also stated, "Although Phillip Huffines is a Protestant, Donald Huffines converted to Catholicism a year ago from non-denominational Protestantism. His wife of 22 years, Mary Catherine, is a Catholic from birth and a fan of Catholic radio. Two years ago, they were approached by Guadalupe. "Spiritually, we were led to put
928-514: A lower one for omnidirectional and a higher one for directional radiation with minima in certain directions. The power limit can also be depending on daytime and it is possible that a station may not operate at nighttime, because it would then produce too much interference. Other countries may only operate low-powered transmitters on the same frequency, again subject to agreement. International medium wave broadcasting in Europe has decreased markedly with
1044-511: A major blow to the AC genre, and there are concerns that the portable people meter , a device being used to determine radio listenership, may be incompatible with AC songs and may not accurately pick up that a person is listening to an AC station because of the pitches and frequencies used in the style. Key AC artists of the early to mid-2010s included Bruno Mars , Coldplay , Adele , Arcade Fire , Meghan Trainor , Maroon 5 and Ed Sheeran , featuring
1160-476: A more conservative music library than hot AC-leaning stations. In particular, Chicago's WLIT did not have its airstaff talk over the beginning and endings of songs (in contrast to the hot AC-leaning WFYR ), and played Bob Seger 's " We've Got Tonite " but not " Old Time Rock and Roll " (which was part of WTMX 's playlist). The director of a soft AC station in Connecticut, WEZN-FM , told Warren that he had barred
1276-659: A more pop-influenced, uptempo style than the typical AC fare of previous years, also featuring production values reminiscent of the Motown sound and the so-called Wall of Sound that dominated the soul-heavy pop charts of the early 1960s, when the Easy Listening chart was first introduced. The earlier years of the decade also saw alternative and indie rock acts such as Wilco , Feist , The 1975 , Imagine Dragons , Mumford & Sons , Of Monsters and Men and The Lumineers quickly becoming AC mainstays, although these were eventually replaced by rhythm-based rock bands such as Panic! at
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#17328765883321392-472: A more uptempo direction. In 2017, Inside Radio reported that soft AC had the third-largest decrease in US stations offering the format over the past decade (at 128), ranking behind only adult standards and oldies —a shift credited to aging demographics and a major boom in the wider-appealing classic hits format (which saw the largest overall increase over the same period). Consultant Gary Berkowitz argued that
1508-404: A poor vertical radiation pattern, and 195 electrical degrees (about 400 millivolts per meter using one kilowatt at one kilometre) is generally considered ideal in these cases. Mast antennas are usually series-excited (base driven); the feedline is attached to the mast at the base. The base of the antenna is at high electrical potential and must be supported on a ceramic insulator to isolate it from
1624-436: A quarter- wavelength (about 310 millivolts per meter using one kilowatt at one kilometre) to 5/8 wavelength (225 electrical degrees; about 440 millivolts per meter using one kilowatt at one kilometre), while high power stations mostly use half-wavelength to 5/9 wavelength. The usage of masts taller than 5/9 wavelength (200 electrical degrees; about 410 millivolts per meter using one kilowatt at one kilometre) with high power gives
1740-408: A radio station that everybody goes, 'I'm okay with that'." The increasingly downtempo direction of pop hits in the mid-to-late 2010's also helped to attract additional listeners. Hot AC stations typically keep a larger body of recent hits in rotation than those with rigid, chart-driven formats like CHR and urban contemporary . As these stations' playlists have become concentrated towards airing only
1856-521: A similar "lite" format by choosing certain tracks (both hit singles and album cuts) of popular artists. By the late 1960s hard rock had been established as one of the rock genres leading hard rock and soft rock to became distinct popular forms in the rock scene, and as major radio formats in the US. Soft rock was often derived from folk rock, using acoustic instruments and putting more emphasis on melody and harmonies. Major artists included Carole King , Cat Stevens , James Taylor and Bread . In
1972-421: A similar playlist to hot AC stations, but with a broader rotation of classic hits from past decades. Soft adult contemporary formats have a more conservative sound oriented primarily towards adult women, urban AC focuses on R&B and soul music that appeal to African American adults, and rhythmic AC focuses on dance music and other rhythmic genres. Hot adult contemporary (hot AC) radio stations play
2088-539: A station in Washington," said Len Oswald, president of Guadalupe. "We felt there was a strong need in our nation's capital to have Catholic radio." In May 2010, WMET programming consisted entirely of nationally syndicated Catholic radio programs. The owners stated their intent to showcase local Catholic programs as well, to include public service announcements, and to offer free air time to the Archdiocese of Washington and
2204-617: A stronger lean towards modern rock and pop rock . In the 1990s and early 2000s, modern AC was typically targeted towards women, with Mike Marino of KMXB in Las Vegas describing the format as reaching "an audience that has outgrown the edgier hip-hop or alternative music but hasn't gotten old and sappy enough for the soft ACs." The format typically focused on female rock acts such as Shawn Colvin , Sheryl Crow , Indigo Girls , Jewel , and Sarah McLachlan , and folk rock -influenced bands such as Counting Crows and The Wallflowers . Today,
2320-420: A vertical radiator wire. A popular choice for lower-powered stations is the umbrella antenna , which needs only one mast one-tenth wavelength or less in height. This antenna uses a single mast insulated from ground and fed at the lower end against ground. At the top of the mast, radial top-load wires are connected (usually about six) which slope downwards at an angle of 40–45 degrees as far as about one-third of
2436-643: A wide range of popular music that appeals towards the 18–54 age group; it serves as a middle ground between the youth-oriented contemporary hit radio (CHR) format, and adult contemporary formats (such as "mainstream" and soft AC) that are typically targeted towards a more mature demographic. They generally feature uptempo hit music from the last 25 years with wide appeal, such as pop and pop rock songs, while excluding more youth-oriented music such as hip-hop . Older music featured on hot AC stations usually reflects familiar and youthful music that adults had grown up with. Likewise, material from legacy pop acts such as
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#17328765883322552-470: A year after its original release, became a sleeper hit on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and Hot 100 due in part to strong hot AC airplay). The popularity of the hot AC format prompted many mainstream AC stations to add uptempo music to their playlists, while still maintaining a deeper rotation of older hits than hot AC stations. Modern adult contemporary refers to AC formats with
2668-445: Is a form of radio -played popular music , ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad -heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening , pop , soul , R&B , quiet storm and rock influence. Adult contemporary is generally a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect
2784-477: Is adequate for talk and news but not for high-fidelity music. However, many stations use audio bandwidths up 10 kHz, which is not hi-fi but sufficient for casual listening. In the UK, until 2024 most stations used a bandwidth of 6.3 kHz. However in 2024, Ofcom expanded the allowed bandwidth to 9khz, giving a noticeable improvement in quality. With AM, it largely depends on the frequency filters of each receiver how
2900-519: Is another subgenre of radio programming that is distinct from the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart as it exists today, despite the apparent similarity in name. In response to the pressure on Hot AC, a new kind of AC format cropped up among American radio recently. The urban adult contemporary format (a term coined by Barry Mayo ) usually attracts a large number of African Americans and sometimes Caucasian listeners through playing
3016-433: Is available, (however digital radio still has coverage issues in many parts of Europe). Many countries in Europe have switched off or limited their MW transmitters since the 2010s. The term is a historic one, dating from the early 20th century, when the radio spectrum was divided on the basis of the wavelength of the waves into long wave (LW), medium wave, and short wave (SW) radio bands. For Europe, Africa and Asia
3132-549: Is located in Gaithersburg, Maryland. WMET has a daytime transmitter power of 50,000 watts and a 1,500-watt directional signal at night. The first station in the Washington area to operate at 1150 kHz was WHMC (the Heart of Montgomery County). During the 1960s, WHMC was known as the "500-Watt Flower-pot". 'HMC, as it was nicknamed, hired disc jockey Barry Richards away from WINX (1600 AM) in nearby Rockville, Maryland . He turned
3248-408: Is not usually considered a specific genre of music; it is merely an assemblage of selected songs from artists of many different genres . Adult contemporary traces its roots to the 1960s easy listening format, which adopted a 70–80% instrumental to 20–30% vocal mix. A few offered 90% instrumentals, and a handful were entirely instrumental. The easy listening format, as it was first known, was born of
3364-603: Is operated by the Guadalupe Radio Network of Midland, Texas , and provides 24-hour programming in English. An article in The Washington Times stated: "Two Texas millionaires are funding the Washington area's first Catholic radio station, which is scheduled to go on the air Wednesday." It quoted Donald Huffines as saying, "There are thousands of Protestant stations across the country but Catholics have been behind
3480-638: Is possible and is or was offered by some stations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Australia, The Philippines, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Italy and France. However, there have been multiple standards for AM stereo . C-QUAM is the official standard in the United States as well as other countries, but receivers that implement the technology are no longer readily available to consumers. Used receivers with AM Stereo can be found. Names such as "FM/AM Stereo" or "AM & FM Stereo" can be misleading and usually do not signify that
3596-433: Is primarily only used by low-power stations; it is the preferred range for services with automated traffic, weather, and tourist information. The channel steps of 9 and 10 kHz require limiting the audio bandwidth to 9 and 10 kHz (at maximum without causing interference; ±4.5 kHz (9 kHz) and ±5 kHz (10 kHz) on each two sidebands) because the audio spectrum is transmitted twice on each side band . This
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3712-510: Is the ITU-approved system for use outside North America and U.S. territories . Some HD Radio receivers also support C-QUAM AM stereo, although this feature is usually not advertised by the manufacturer. For broadcasting, mast radiators are the most common type of antenna used, consisting of a steel lattice guyed mast in which the mast structure itself is used as the antenna. Stations broadcasting with low power can use masts with heights of
3828-520: The Backstreet Boys , Jason Mraz , John Mayer , and Pink is prominent within the format. The "hot AC" designation began to appear in the 1990s; the term described adult contemporary stations with a more energetic presentation and uptempo sound than their softer counterparts. An early example of the format, Houston's KHMX Mix 96.5 , climbed from 14th place in the market to third in the six months after its launch. The station's format and branding
3944-777: The Beverage antenna ) and the ferrite sleeve loop antenna. ELF 3 Hz/100 Mm 30 Hz/10 Mm SLF 30 Hz/10 Mm 300 Hz/1 Mm ULF 300 Hz/1 Mm 3 kHz/100 km VLF 3 kHz/100 km 30 kHz/10 km LF 30 kHz/10 km 300 kHz/1 km MF 300 kHz/1 km 3 MHz/100 m HF 3 MHz/100 m 30 MHz/10 m VHF 30 MHz/10 m 300 MHz/1 m UHF 300 MHz/1 m 3 GHz/100 mm SHF 3 GHz/100 mm 30 GHz/10 mm EHF 30 GHz/10 mm 300 GHz/1 mm THF 300 GHz/1 mm 3 THz/0.1 mm Adult contemporary Adult contemporary music ( AC )
4060-519: The Carpenters , Dionne Warwick , Barry Manilow , John Denver , and Olivia Newton-John found it harder to have major Top 40 hits as the 1980s wore on, and due to the influence of MTV, artists who were staples of the Contemporary Hit Radio format, such as Richard Marx , Michael Jackson , Bonnie Tyler , George Michael , Phil Collins , Laura Branigan and Journey began crossing over to
4176-743: The Diocese of Arlington . WMET is the 14th station operated by the Guadalupe Radio Network in the United States. It has a larger population in its broadcast region than any of the other Guadalupe Radio Network stations. According to an April 28, 2010, press release: "The new lineup starts with 'Son Rise Morning show' with Brian Patrick, then proceeds to 'Catholic Connection' with Teresa Tomeo, 'Women of Grace', 'The Doctor Is In' with Dr. Ray Guarendi & Dr. Colleen Kelly Mast, 'Al Kresta', and 'Catholic Answers Live.'" The number of Catholic radio stations increased from seven in 2000 to 165 in 2010. Much of
4292-490: The FM broadcast band but require more energy and longer antennas. Digital modes are possible but have not reached momentum yet. MW was the main radio band for broadcasting from the beginnings in the 1920s into the 1950s until FM with a better sound quality took over. In Europe, digital radio is gaining popularity and offers AM stations the chance to switch over if no frequency in the FM band
4408-607: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shut down, reduce power, or employ a directional antenna array at night in order to avoid interference with each other due to night-time only long-distance skywave propagation (sometimes loosely called ‘skip’). Those stations which shut down completely at night are often known as "daytimers". Similar regulations are in force for Canadian stations, administered by Industry Canada ; however, daytimers no longer exist in Canada,
4524-541: The Jonas Brothers and Halsey began to be featured on AC stations more than on top 40 stations. In radio broadcasting, adult contemporary is divided into several sub-formats, each with their own musical direction and demographic targeting. Hot adult contemporary formats generally feature an uptempo rotation of recent hits that appeal to a wide adult audience. A station formatted as "adult contemporary" with no qualifier, also referred to as "mainstream" AC, generally has
4640-543: The Satellite Music Network . The satellite music feed was eventually dropped and replaced with live and local personalities, continuing the adult contemporary format, with brokered ethnic and religious shows on the weekends and mid-day and evening talk shows during the week, in addition to the music. The station also featured top of the hour news from the Satellite News Network, followed by local news from
4756-467: The Soul Solution mix of Toni Braxton 's "Unbreak My Heart". In its early years of existence, the smooth jazz format was considered to be a form of AC, although it was mainly instrumental, and related a stronger resemblance to the soft AC-styled music. For many years, George Benson , Kenny G and Dave Koz had all had crossover hits that were played on both smooth jazz and soft AC stations. During
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4872-490: The ionosphere and return to Earth at much greater distances; this is called the skywave . At night, especially in winter months and at times of low solar activity, the lower ionospheric D layer virtually disappears. When this happens, MW radio waves can easily be received many hundreds or even thousands of miles away as the signal will be reflected by the higher F layer . This can allow very long-distance broadcasting, but can also interfere with distant local stations. Due to
4988-591: The last station having signed off in 2013, after migrating to the FM band . Many countries have switched off most of their MW transmitters in the 2010s due to cost-cutting and low usage of MW by the listeners. Among those are Germany, France, Russia, Poland, Sweden, the Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and most of the Balkans. Other countries that have no or few MW transmitters include Iceland, Ireland, Finland and Norway. Large networks of transmitters are remaining in
5104-402: The medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting . The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band . During the daytime, reception is usually limited to more local stations, though this is dependent on the signal conditions and quality of radio receiver used. Improved signal propagation at night allows
5220-501: The 1940s and early 1950s. After 1965, differences between the Hot 100 chart and the Easy Listening chart became more pronounced. Better reflecting what middle of the road stations were actually playing, the composition of the chart changed dramatically. As rock music continued to harden, there was much less crossover between the Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart than there had been in the early half of
5336-590: The 1960s. Roger Miller , Barbra Streisand and Bobby Vinton were among the chart's most popular performers. One big impetus for the development of the AC radio format was that, when rock and roll music first became popular in the mid-1950s, many more conservative radio stations wanted to continue to play current hit songs while shying away from rock. These middle of the road (or "MOR") stations also frequently included older, pre-rock-era adult standards and big band titles to further appeal to adult listeners who had grown up with those songs. Another big impetus for
5452-453: The 1980s, soft rock songs still enjoyed a mild success thanks to Sheena Easton , Amy Grant , Lionel Richie , Christopher Cross , Dan Hill , Leo Sayer , Billy Ocean , Julio Iglesias , Bertie Higgins , and Tommy Page . No song spent more than six weeks at No. 1 on this chart during the 1980s, with nine songs accomplishing that feat. Two of these were by Lionel Richie, " You Are " in 1983 and " Hello " in 1984, which also reached No. 1 on
5568-675: The 1980s, the soft AC format was positioned as being a more upbeat version of easy listening that would appeal better to a younger audience, mainly by excluding instrumental beautiful music . Easy listening stations had begun shifting to the format out of concern that their existing programming would not appeal to the current generation of listeners. In a 1990 article, James Warren of the Chicago Tribune characterized soft AC stations as being "as middle-of-the-road and unthreatening as modern media get", with personalities that were encouraged to be as inoffensive and "low-profile" as possible, and
5684-499: The 1980s. The growth of AC was a natural result of the generation that first listened to the more "specialized" music of the mid-late 1970s growing older and not being interested in the heavy metal and rap/hip-hop music that a new generation helped to play a significant role in the Top 40 charts by the end of the decade. Mainstream AC itself has evolved in a similar fashion over the years; traditional AC artists such as Barbra Streisand ,
5800-671: The 1990s and early 2000s such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were added to the rotation of most AC stations. As trap music and similar styles of hip-hop began dominating top 40 stations during the last years of the 2010s, AC stations began picking up rhythmic artists like Rihanna , Lady Gaga , Ellie Goulding , Taio Cruz and Pitbull as well as EDM artists like Avicii , Daft Punk , Calvin Harris , David Guetta and Tiesto . Meanwhile, younger artists like Camila Cabello , Justin Bieber , Selena Gomez , Ariana Grande , Nick Jonas and
5916-475: The 1990s, to improve their appeal among changing demographics, some soft AC stations began to widen their playlist to include selections from contemporary acts with 80s, & 90s, musicians & bands such as Bon Jovi , Bryan Adams , Celine Dion , Roxette , Mariah Carey , Eric Clapton , Phil Collins , Elton John , Cher , Whitney Houston , Journey , and Queen . On the other hand, by 1996, New York's WLTW had begun to phase out its softer music in favor of
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#17328765883326032-588: The 2000s, country music / countrypolitan musicians such as Kelly Clarkson , Clay Aiken , Billy Joel , Garth Brooks , Shania Twain , LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood scored hits on soft AC, particularly in Southern states. A popular trend in the late 1990s and 2000s was remixing dance music hits into adult contemporary ballads, especially in the US, (for example, the "Candlelight Mix" versions of " Heaven " by DJ Sammy and Yanou , "Listen To Your Heart" by D.H.T. , and " Everytime We Touch " by Cascada ). Key to
6148-556: The 2000s, the AC market gained an increased presence in the music industry, as its radio formats were popular nationwide—Smooth jazz and "Urban AC" stations were ubiquitous in the East Coast, while Soft rock and "adult standards" stations were common in the Midwest, and pop-oriented "Hot AC" and "world music"/Hispanic AC stations were easily found in the West Coast and the "Sun Belt". This led to
6264-536: The AC chart during this time. In 1996, Billboard created a new chart called Adult Top 40 , which reflects programming on radio stations that exists somewhere between "adult contemporary" music and "pop" music. Although they are sometimes mistaken for each other, the Adult Contemporary chart and the Adult Top 40 chart are separate charts, and songs reaching one chart might not reach the other. In addition, hot AC
6380-425: The AC charts with greater frequency. Collins has been described by AllMusic as "one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the '80s and beyond". However, with the combination of MTV and AC radio, adult contemporary appeared harder to define as a genre, with established soft-rock artists of the past still charting pop hits and receiving airplay alongside mainstream radio fare from newer artists at
6496-447: The AC charts. In addition to Celine Dion , who has had significant success on this chart, other artists with multiple number ones on the AC chart in the 1990s include Mariah Carey , Phil Collins , Michael Bolton , Bryan Adams , Whitney Houston and Shania Twain . Newer female Adult album alternative singer-songwriters such as Sarah McLachlan , Natalie Merchant , Jewel , Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow also broke through on
6612-598: The DJs during the Top 40/Classic Rock format were Kyle Leslie, Captain Jack Taylor, Michael Thomas, Dave Austin, and Pat Diamond. WMTG was shut down with very little warning on October 15, 1986. WMET went on the air in December 1986 as "Metro Radio", with an adult contemporary format. Some of the DJs when WMET began were Bob Appel, Shawn Anderson and Katie Christopher. Around 1988 WMET went with
6728-729: The Disco , Neon Trees , X Ambassadors , Sheppard , Bastille , American Authors , Fitz and the Tantrums , Foster the People , Twenty One Pilots , Walk the Moon and Milky Chance . During the middle of the decade, newer artists such as CeeLo Green , OneRepublic , Rachel Platten , Christina Perri , Andy Grammer , James Bay , Sara Bareilles , Shawn Mendes , Sia , Sam Smith , Gavin Degraw , Charlie Puth and Colbie Caillat as well as acts that were popular in
6844-582: The Hot 100. In 1989, Linda Ronstadt released Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind , described by critics as "the first true Adult Contemporary album of the decade", featuring American soul singer Aaron Neville on several of the twelve tracks. The album was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone and became a major success throughout the globe. The Grammy Award -winning singles, " Don't Know Much " and " All My Life ", were both long-running No. 1 Adult Contemporary hits. Several additional singles from
6960-530: The MW band consists of 120 channels with carrier frequencies from 531 to 1602 kHz spaced every 9 kHz. Frequency coordination avoids the use of adjacent channels in one area. The total allocated spectrum including the modulated audio ranges from 526.5 to 1606.5 kHz. Australia uses an expanded band up to 1701 kHz. North and South America use 118 channels from 530 to 1700 kHz using 10 kHz spaced channels. The range above 1610 kHz
7076-615: The MW band is thinning out, many local stations from the remaining countries as well as from North Africa and the Middle East can now be received all over Europe, but often only weak with much interference. In Europe, each country is allocated a number of frequencies on which high power (up to 2 MW) can be used; the maximum power is also subject to international agreement by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In most cases there are two power limits:
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#17328765883327192-542: The Program Director. In the second year, with advertising down, the original staff left for greener pastures and stronger signals and WJOK was run by Mike Kelly (PD) and Eric Lynch as (Operations Manager) with Eddie "The Kat" Katz, Max Garner, Mike Mahaffie, Dana Cloud, Charlie Kendall, Jack Taylor, Marita McGill, Tony DeNardo, Mac Clift, Tom Jackson, and more. Some recurrent listeners (notably redneck "Jee-im (Jim) from Poolesville") were integrated into some games. However,
7308-546: The UK, Spain and Romania. In the Netherlands and Scandinavia, some new idealistically driven stations have launched low power services on the former high power frequencies. This also applies to the ex-offshore pioneer Radio Caroline that now has a licence to use 648 kHz, which was used by the BBC World Service over decades. In Italy, the government closed its high power transmitters but low power private stations remain. As
7424-622: The airstaff and developed the programming for the World's first all-comedy radio station. The disc jockeys of WJOK provided patter in between selections and played interactive radio games with the audience for prizes such as tickets to comedy shows at comedy clubs in Washington, DC, including the Comedy Cafe and Garvin's, a comedy club chain with three branches at its height. Their first year's DJs included Brad Krantz, Uncle Walt Howard, Mike Morin, K. Michael Silva, Evan Haning, Steve Willett, and Ron Rubin as
7540-803: The audio is reproduced. This is a major disadvantage compared to FM and digital modes where the demodulated audio is more objective. Extended audio bandwidths cause interference on adjacent channels. Wavelengths in this band are long enough that radio waves are not blocked by buildings and hills and can propagate beyond the horizon following the curvature of the Earth; this is called the groundwave . Practical groundwave reception of strong transmitters typically extends to 200–300 miles (320–480 km), with greater distances over terrain with higher ground conductivity , and greatest distances over salt water. The groundwave reaches further on lower medium wave frequencies. Medium waves can also reflect off charged particle layers in
7656-684: The brand (among others) being adopted by competitors such as Entercom . Industry analyst Sean Ross argued that older demographics were becoming more lucrative due to changes in listening habits among younger audiences, which prefer digital platforms such as music streaming services over linear terrestrial radio, and also noted how mainstream AC was dependent on the Top 40 charts to break new songs. Current soft AC stations have continued to feature recurrents such as Michael Bolton , Celine Dion , Elton John, Fleetwood Mac , Hall & Oates , and Whitney Houston, while contemporary musicians such as Adele and Michael Bublé have also become modern fixtures of
7772-462: The business news format full-time from WPGC. The station's most popular show was The Don MacDonald Show. Show host from various sectors of the financial world would purchase air time on the station. The station also became known as an affiliate of the Frederick Keys (a Baltimore Orioles minor league affiliate) and affiliate of Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers men's basketball . The station's feed
7888-453: The comedy format was short lived and WJOK went off the air due to insufficient growth in ratings. A very weak signal (1000 watts during the day, 500 watts at night), was partially to blame and it was permanently ended at midnight on December 31, 1984. The station became WMTG playing oldies until June 1986. Later in June 1986, WMTG format was changed to Top 40 with a mix of classic rock . Some of
8004-490: The country and/or abroad), no longer having to broadcast weather and government reports on a different frequency than entertainment. Class A and B stations were segregated into sub-bands. In the US and Canada the maximum transmitter power is restricted to 50 kilowatts, while in Europe there are medium wave stations with transmitter power up to 2 megawatts daytime. Most United States AM radio stations are required by
8120-428: The current hits at a given time, hot AC airplay can build and sustain a song's popularity over a long-term period. This effect has been credited in helping build an audience for early singles from new acts such as Adele , Rachel Platten (" Fight Song ", which gained prominence for its use during Hillary Clinton 's 2016 US presidential election campaign ), and Max Schneider (whose 2016 single " Lights Down Low ", over
8236-460: The disc made the AC Top 10 as well. The album won over many critics in the need to define AC, and appeared to change the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day to day radio play. The early 1990s marked the softening of urban R&B in the shape of new jack swing, at the same time alternative rock emerged and traditional pop saw a significant resurgence. This in part led to a widening of
8352-511: The early 1970s, softer songs by The Carpenters , Anne Murray , John Denver , Barry Manilow , and even Barbra Streisand , began to be played more often on "Top 40" radio. Top 40 radio stations played the Top 40 hits regardless of genre. As the texture of much of the music played on Top 40 radio began to soften, the Hot 100 and Easy Listening/AC charts became more similar. Easy Listening radio began playing songs by artists who had begun in other genres, such as rock and roll or R&B . Much of
8468-604: The end of the Cold War and the increased availability of satellite and Internet TV and radio, although the cross-border reception of neighbouring countries' broadcasts by expatriates and other interested listeners still takes place. In the late 20th century, overcrowding on the Medium wave band was a serious problem in parts of Europe contributing to the early adoption of VHF FM broadcasting by many stations (particularly in Germany). Due to
8584-505: The evolution of pop/rock music. Adult contemporary tends to have lush, soothing and highly polished qualities where emphasis on melody and harmonies is accentuated. It is usually melodic enough to get a listener's attention, abstains from profanity or complex lyricism, and is most commonly used as background music in heavily-frequented family areas such as supermarkets , shopping malls , convention centers , or restaurants . Like most of pop music , its songs tend to be written in
8700-412: The evolution of the AC radio format was the popularity of easy listening or " beautiful music " stations, stations with music specifically designed to be purely ambient . Whereas most easy listening music was instrumental, created by relatively unknown artists, and rarely purchased (especially as singles, although Jackie Gleason 's beautiful music albums sold well in the 1950s), AC was an attempt to create
8816-437: The format during the 2010s. These developments helped to expand the popularity of the format among younger listeners such as millennials ; Nielsen Audio ranked hot AC as the third most-popular format among millennials, behind pop and country music . Of the format's expanding demographic reach, WOMX-FM program director Dana Taylor stated that hot AC stations "may not be the radio station that everybody agrees on, but it's
8932-540: The format is fairly uncommon, with KTCZ in the Minnesota Twin Cities and KMXP in Phoenix, Arizona being some of the few modern AC stations left. The Soft adult contemporary format typically targets women 25–54 and at-work listening. Soft AC playlists are generally conservative in comparison to hot AC, focusing on pop and power ballads , soft rock , and other familiar, light hits. Upon its establishment in
9048-529: The format until the early 1970s), new age songs and most pre-1964 artists were gradually phased out from AC radio throughout the early to mid-1990s. Unlike the majority of 1980s mainstream singers, the 1990s mainstream pop/R&B singers such as All-4-One , Boyz II Men , Christina Aguilera , Backstreet Boys and Savage Garden generally crossed over to the AC charts. Latin pop artists such as Lynda Thomas , Ricky Martin , Marc Anthony , Selena , Enrique Iglesias and Luis Miguel also enjoyed success in
9164-590: The format. In addition, the soft AC sound has diversified to include more songs that are "safe and universal" but not necessarily "soft", with Ross presenting examples such as Simple Minds ' " Don't You (Forget About Me) ", the retroactively-defined genre of yacht rock , and noting that KSWD in Seattle—one of the stations that had launched in the soft AC "boom" of the late-2010s—had featured dance- and synth-pop songs such as " Poker Face ", " Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) ", and " Uptown Funk " in its final days as
9280-578: The frequency. Because such tall masts can be costly and uneconomic, other types of antennas are often used, which employ capacitive top-loading ( electrical lengthening ) to achieve equivalent signal strength with vertical masts shorter than a quarter wavelength. A "top hat" of radial wires is occasionally added to the top of mast radiators, to allow the mast to be made shorter. For local broadcast stations and amateur stations of under 5 kW, T- and L-antennas are often used, which consist of one or more horizontal wires suspended between two masts, attached to
9396-423: The ground. Shunt-excited masts, in which the base of the mast is at a node of the standing wave at ground potential and so does not need to be insulated from the ground, have fallen into disuse, except in cases of exceptionally high power, 1 MW or more, where series excitation might be impractical. If grounded masts or towers are required, cage or long-wire aerials are used. Another possibility consists of feeding
9512-528: The growth is due to these stations being able to use content produced by the Eternal Word Television Network and its radio broadcasting arm. Effective May 30, 2019, Huffines Media sold WMET to La Promesa Foundation for $ 1.5 million. The call letters WMET were used for a radio station in Chicago at 95.5 FM from December 1, 1976, to 1986. Mediumwave Medium wave ( MW ) is a part of
9628-673: The high demand for frequencies in Europe, many countries set up single frequency networks; in Britain , BBC Radio Five Live broadcasts from various transmitters on either 693 or 909 kHz. These transmitters are carefully synchronized to minimize interference from more distant transmitters on the same frequency. In Asia and the Middle East, many high-powered transmitters remain in operation. China , Indonesia , South Korea , North Korea , Japan , Thailand , Vietnam , Philippines , Saudi Arabia , Egypt , India , Pakistan and Bangladesh still use medium wave. Israel returns to mediumwave after
9744-498: The hits had become established. An article on MTV 's website by Corey Moss describes this trend as: "In other words, AC stations are where pop songs go to die a very long death. Or, to optimists, to get a second life." As adult contemporary has long characterized itself as family-friendly, "clean" versions of pop songs began appearing on the AC chart, as were the cases of " Perfect " by P!nk , and " Forget You " by Cee Lo Green , both in 2011. AC radio's shift into more mainstream pop
9860-462: The in-house news staff. The most unique program was the Rocky Road show on Friday and Saturday nights which featured an eclectic mix of blues, country, oldies and rock music. In the 1990s, WMET simulcast the business news format of WPGC (1580 AM) while airing brokered talk shows on the weekend. The 1994 College World Series final game was broadcast on the station. By the mid-1990s, WMET picked up
9976-408: The late 2000s, certain pop songs began entering the AC charts instead, generally after having recently fallen off the Hot 100. Adrian Moreira, senior vice president for adult music for RCA Music Group , said, "We've seen a fairly tidal shift in what AC will play". Rather than emphasizing older songs, adult contemporary now began playing many of the same songs as top 40 and adult top 40 , but only after
10092-407: The late-1970s. This led to specialized radio stations that played specific genres of music, and generally followed the evolution of artists in those genres. On April 7, 1979, the Easy Listening chart officially became known as Adult Contemporary, and those two words have remained consistent in the name of the chart ever since. Adult contemporary music became one of the most popular radio formats of
10208-578: The limited number of available channels in the MW broadcast band, the same frequencies are re-allocated to different broadcasting stations several hundred miles apart. On nights of good skywave propagation, the skywave signals of a distant station may interfere with the signals of local stations on the same frequency. In North America, the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) sets aside certain channels for nighttime use over extended service areas via skywave by
10324-427: The market, not only allowing to cater to more niche markets, but it also became customary for artists to make AC-friendly singles. At the same time, the genre began adopting elements from hard rock as tastes were shifting towards louder music, while AC stations in general began playing more rock acts. "Softer" features such as light instrumental music (carried over from the beautiful music format—many AC stations carried
10440-486: The mast or the tower by cables running from the tuning unit to the guys or crossbars at a certain height. Directional aerials consist of multiple masts , which need not to be of the same height. It is also possible to realize directional aerials for mediumwave with cage aerials where some parts of the cage are fed with a certain phase difference. For medium-wave (AM) broadcasting, quarter-wave masts are between 153 feet (47 m) and 463 feet (141 m) high, depending on
10556-613: The most common antenna for broadcast reception is the ferrite-rod antenna , also known as a loopstick antenna. The high permeability ferrite core allows it to be compact enough to be enclosed inside the radio's case and still have adequate sensitivity. For weak signal reception or to discriminate between different signals sharing a common frequency directional antennas are used. For best signal-to-noise ratio these are best located outdoors away from sources of electrical interference. Examples of such medium wave antennas include broadband untuned loops, elongated terminated loops, wave antennas (e.g.
10672-414: The music recorded by singer-songwriters such as Diana Ross , James Taylor , Carly Simon , Carole King and Janis Ian got as much, if not more, airplay on AC stations than on Top 40 stations. AC stations also began playing softer songs by Elvis Presley , Linda Ronstadt , Elton John , Rod Stewart , Billy Joel , and other rock-based artists. Soon after, the adult contemporary format began evolving into
10788-416: The outbreak of Israel-Hamas war . China operates many single-frequency networks across the country. As of May 2023, many Japanese broadcasters like NHK broadcast in medium wave, with many high power transmitters operating across Japan. There are also some low power relay transmitters for rural areas. Some countries have stopped using mediumwave, including Malaysia and Singapore. Stereo transmission
10904-738: The presence of numerous genres on the AC charts, often crossing to the "pop" charts, winning over many critics in the need to define AC, and increased the tolerance and acceptance of AC music into mainstream day-to-day radio play. Josh Groban 's single " You Raise Me Up " and Michael Bublé 's cover of "Fever" are often cited as key examples of the high production values and ballad-heavy sound that defined 2000s-era AC, often dubbed as "jazz-pop", heavily carrying classical, jazz and traditional pop influences. Artists such as Nick Lachey , James Blunt , Jamie Cullum , John Mayer , Jason Mraz , Norah Jones , Diana Krall , Amy Winehouse and Susan Boyle also achieved great success during this period. During most of
11020-545: The radio will decode C-QUAM AM stereo, whereas a set labelled "FM Stereo/AM Stereo" or "AMAX Stereo" will support AM stereo. In September 2002, the United States Federal Communications Commission approved the proprietary iBiquity in-band on-channel (IBOC) HD Radio system of digital audio broadcasting , which is meant to improve the audio quality of signals. The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) system standardised by ETSI supports stereo and
11136-487: The reading of top-of-hour news headlines, so that listeners wouldn't be tempted to tune away to an all-news station to learn more. Soft AC stations tend to be more selective in their music libraries than other adult contemporary stations, preferring proven songs over current hits. Upon the onset of the format's popularity, core artists typically included singers such as Nat King Cole , Perry Como , Neil Diamond , Barry Manilow , Johnny Mathis , and Barbra Streisand . By
11252-411: The reception of much longer distance signals (within a range of about 2,000 km or 1,200 miles). This can cause increased interference because on most channels multiple transmitters operate simultaneously worldwide. In addition, amplitude modulation (AM) is often more prone to interference by various electronic devices, especially power supplies and computers. Strong transmitters cover larger areas than on
11368-539: The reformed Fleetwood Mac , whose Rumours (1977) was the best-selling album of the decade. By 1977, some radio stations, notably New York's WTFM and NBC -owned WYNY , and Boston's WEEI , had switched to an all-soft rock format. As Softrock 103 , WEEI was famous for its promotional campaigns, featuring slogans such as " Joni , without the baloni." and " The Byrds , without the nyrds." However, different forms of popular music targeted to different demographic groups, such as disco vs. hard rock , began to emerge in
11484-566: The same part of the country broadcast simultaneously the resultant interference meant that usually neither could be heard clearly. The Commerce Department rarely intervened in such cases but left it up to stations to enter into voluntary timesharing agreements amongst themselves. The addition of a third "entertainment" wavelength, 400 meters, did little to solve this overcrowding. In 1923, the Commerce Department realized that as more and more stations were applying for commercial licenses, it
11600-530: The slot, which remains available for live-streaming on the internet and other stations that carry it nationally. WMET was purchased in February 2010 for $ 4 million by the Dallas-based Huffines Media , owned by land developers Donald and Phillip Huffines. WMET had previously been owned by Delaware-based CTM Media Holdings . On May 3, 2010, WMET switched formats to all-Catholic radio. The programming
11716-549: The soft AC format had become increasingly irrelevant in comparison to mainstream and hot AC, due to PPM markets preferring uptempo music. At the same time, however, soft AC began to experience a resurgence. In April 2016, iHeartMedia flipped its San Francisco classic soul station KISQ to soft AC as The Breeze ; as of November 2018, it was the top station in the Bay Area. The trend continued into 2017 and 2018, with iHeartMedia extending its Breeze brand to other soft AC flips, and
11832-450: The sound that later defined it, with rock-oriented acts as Chicago and the Eagles , becoming associated with the format. In addition, several early disco songs, did well on the Adult Contemporary format. Soft rock reached its commercial peak in the mid-to-late 1970s with acts such as Toto , England Dan & John Ford Coley , Air Supply , Seals and Crofts , Dan Fogelberg , America and
11948-564: The station into one of the D.C. area's first progressive rock stations and the only one on the AM band. The station also sponsored a series of rock concerts underneath the towers (which were on a grassy hillside in Gaithersburg, Maryland ) that were well-attended by area teens. WHMC was shut down on October 29, 1973, after the FCC denied renewal of its license over "issues of misreprentation" by owner Nick Chaconas. There were nine competing applications for what
12064-400: The success of AC in the 2000s was the 25–34 demographic which had outgrown the pop music offerings of the time, most new rock became too alternative and harsh for AC radio and most new pop was now influenced heavily by dance-pop , hip-hop and electronic dance music . At the same time, the music industry also began to focus on older audiences and markets generally considered "niche". During
12180-410: The target demographic . AC radio often targets the 25–44 age group, the demographic that has received the most attention from advertisers since the 1960s. A common practice in recent years of adult contemporary stations is to play less newer music and more hits of the past, even some songs that never even charted the AC charts. This de-emphasis on new songs slows the progression of the AC chart. Over
12296-504: The time. The amount of crossover between the AC chart and the Hot 100 has varied based on how much the passing pop music trends of the times appealed to adult listeners. Not many disco or new wave songs were particularly successful on the AC chart during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and much of the hip-hop and harder rock music featured on CHR formats later in the decade would have been unacceptable on AC radio. Although dance-oriented, electronic pop and ballad-oriented rock dominated
12412-482: The total height, where they are terminated in insulators and thence outwards to ground anchors . Thus the umbrella antenna uses the guy wires as the top-load part of the antenna. In all these antennas the smaller radiation resistance of the short radiator is increased by the capacitance added by the wires attached to the top of the antenna. In some rare cases dipole antennas are used, which are slung between two masts or towers. Such antennas are intended to radiate
12528-421: The vocalists consisted of artists such as Frank Sinatra , Doris Day , Johnny Mathis , Connie Francis , Nat King Cole , Perry Como , and others. The custom recordings were usually instrumental versions of current or recent rock and roll or pop hit songs, a move intended to give the stations more mass appeal without selling out . Some stations would also occasionally play earlier big band -era recordings from
12644-401: The years, AC has spawned subgenres including "hot AC" (or "modern AC"), "soft AC" (also known as "lite AC"), " urban AC " (a softer type of urban contemporary music ), " rhythmic AC " (a softer type of rhythmic contemporary ), and " Christian AC " (a softer type of contemporary Christian music ). Some stations play only "hot AC", "soft AC", or only one of the variety of subgenres. Therefore, it
12760-417: Was a result of the changes on the broadcasting landscape following the 2005–2007 economic downturn and eventual recession , as advertisers preferred more profitable chart-based formats, which meant the demise of many AC-based formulas, primarily those aimed at older audiences, with tastes changing towards more modern music among all age groups. Diminishing physical record sales throughout the 2010s also proved
12876-702: Was also carried on the Dulles Airport Flight Information Channel on Media General Cable in Northern Virginia. The Greaseman was hired for the morning drivetime slot in November 2005. WMET switched to a brokered (paid) programming format in March 2006. Greaseman's show was among the few weekday programs to be retained in the transition but he later left on hiatus in November 2007. Until the spring of 2010, WMET aired Music of Your Life standards in
12992-424: Was commonly played. From 10:00 p.m. until its midnight sign-off, the station featured "Unexpurgated Comedy", material containing profanity and indecent language. Originally envisioned by Robert "Bob" Cobbins, WJOK was launched out of the shell of the old rock and roll party station of the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the help of some of his old radio buddies including Tomcat Reeder, and Ron Rubin who hired
13108-426: Was not practical to have every station broadcast on the same three wavelengths. On 15 May 1923, Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover announced a new bandplan which set aside 81 frequencies, in 10 kHz steps, from 550 kHz to 1350 kHz (extended to 1500, then 1600 and ultimately 1700 kHz in later years). Each station would be assigned one frequency (albeit usually shared with stations in other parts of
13224-485: Was the last open AM allocation in the Washington market. After several years of wrangling before the FCC, a construction permit was granted to Barto Communications in December 1980. As WJOK, the station ran the first all-comedy format in the country when it went on the air in January 1983. It began before comedy cable TV stations such as Ha! , followed by the successful establishment of Comedy Central , began broadcasting. It
13340-474: Was unique at the time for having been the first radio station to broadcast comedy routines from comedy albums recorded by Bob Newhart , Bill Cosby , Eddie Murphy and older radio programs such as " The Great Gildersleeve " and " Baby Snooks ". Lesser known, older artists were also aired such as Shelley Berman , Henny Youngman , Hudson & Landry and the Duck's Breath Mystery Theater . Music by "Weird Al" Yankovic
13456-482: Was widely replicated by other stations. Many hot AC outlets are among the top stations in their respective market. Initially focused more on pop rock, the format has evolved to reflect changes in the composition of this audience; by the mid-2000s, the format had evolved to include more uptempo pop music, while alternative and indie rock crossovers (such as Foster the People , Imagine Dragons , Lovelytheband , and Twenty One Pilots ) became more prevalent within
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