Howard Rosen Promotion offers a variety of choices in the formats we work with. You will find a more in depth explanation of each of these formats below. We provide you with weekly reports reflecting comments from programmers and tracking of spins obtained not only from the stations but also from industry monitored websites: R&R, Mediabase, CMJ, and FMQB. If you don't find the answers to all your format related questions please contact us.

Radio Formats:

Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)
Akon, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Fall Out Boy & Rihanna. Commonly referred to as Top 40, CHR features the most popular hits today from some the most profitable stars. Whereas other formats tend to stick to one particular genre of music (i.e. Hot AC plays mostly lighter rock and pop), CHR is often a crossover format - especially for R&B, rap, and hip-hop artists.

Hot Adult Contemporary
Hot AC cuts a wide format path. For years it has lived on a diet of matchbox twenty, Jewel, Nickelback , Goo Goo Dolls and the like. While many Hot AC’s stations still do, in recent years, more Top 40 crossovers like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake have made their way on to the chart in markets where they may not be a mainstream Top 40 station. This format is basically a younger version of AC and there is next to no airplay for Hip Hop and R&B songs. While crunchy guitars are not a staple, it is still common to hear rock bands and artists such as Bon Jovi, Creed and the Killers.

Alternative Specialty
The Donnas, Sigur Ros, Jets To Brazil, The Streets, and the Transplants. Unlike Active Rock Specialty, Alternative Specialty tends to be open to, other splinter genres of the Alternative spectrum (i.e. ska, hip-hop, punk, etc.) It is a great place for new, unsigned, or independent label bands to surface in the realm of commercial rock radio. Alternative Specialty shows offer an excellent opportunity to garner commercial airplay in the very competitive commercial radio marketplace. Alternative Specialty airplay is also an excellent branding tool. As in Active Rock Specialty, it helps familiarize programmers with the band, their material, and their label, so that future promotional campaigns of the band and their label are easily recognized among the myriad of releases.

College Radio
Queens Of The Stone Age, The Used, Superdrag, Built To Spill, Apples In Stereo, The Donnas, and Bjork. Often considered the proving grounds for many artists seeking to make it in more commercial formats, College Radio tends to showcase bands that you typically won't find on the more commercial radio stations. Many artists that start out in College go on to have great success at mainstream radio (R.E.M., U2, Blink 182, and Nirvana).

Active Rock
System Of A Down, Korn, Mudvayne, Tool. These stations tend to play louder, more aggressive music than Mainstream rock stations. They might even lean toward an Alternative sound (Foo Fighters, The Used, The Hives), and/or play some more straight-ahead rock or even classic rock like Metallica or AC/DC. Overall, these stations have more of an edge to them than any other format with the exception of College or Active Rock Specialty.

Adult Contemporary (AC)
Phil Collins, Sheryl Crow, Sade, John Mayer, Elton John, Celine Dion. AC serves the 25-54 female demos primarily. It ranges from "Soft Hits of the 80s" types of stations to hip, young music and everywhere in between. Softer songs from hard rockers (Nickelback, 3 Doors Down) can get airplay right along with Josh Groban and Norah Jones. Traditionally an adult format, AC stays on the gentler side of the radio spectrum, but don't be surprised if you hear No Doubt or Coldplay thrown into the mix.

Triple A:
David Gray, Ryan Adams, KT Tunstall, Mat Kearney, John Mayer, U2, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews.
Tripple A stands for Adult Album Alternative, and is an eclectic format driven by a mix of heritage artists, singer songwriters and rootsy bands.

Country:
Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Bucky Covington.
Country is one of the top formats in the US and fastest growing. It's more progressive than it's ever been crossing over formats and reaching new audiences.

Mainstream Rock
Tom Petty, Rolling Stones, Nickelback, Puddle Of Mudd. It’s straight-ahead rock that isn't overly aggressive, but still harder than what you'd find on adult formats such as Hot AC or CHR. Mainstream rock can border on Active Rock - many Mainstream stations incorporate new rock artists as well as classic rock artists into their programming.

Alternative
System Of A Down, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, White Stripes and The Killers. Alternative broke Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and U2, and has also made bands such as Korn, No Doubt, and Sublime household names. This format is rock-based, but a little more adventuresome than its Active Rock counterpart. Overall, this format encompasses the leading front of rock today.

Active Rock Specialty
This is the perfect place to introduce new, unsigned, and/or upcoming Active Rock-type bands to corporate radio. Specialty shows are a great venue to get airplay in otherwise highly-competitive markets and be showcased along with other bands on their way up. Specialty show airplay is also a good way to familiarize DJs and programmers with a band's material, so that when they get bigger, the name recognition is there to help bolster airplay.

Gospel:
Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Mississippi Mass Choir, CeCe Winanas, Isreal & New Breed, Take 6. Gospel has been around longer than the charts and has a passionate, religious audience.