What’s the hottest format in radio roght now
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What’s the hottest format in radio right now
- Thread starter Dj mr fresh
- Start date
News/talk - according to chat gpt. Also AC, country, classic hits and CHR. But I guess it depends on the age group. The only format I like of those is classic hits but I am over 60. Yesterday I listened online to Totally Hits 93.3 Nashville (WPRT HD4) - they had a good set of songs and no commercials. Probably about a half hour.
Also, according to ChatGPT, humans are quickly becoming irrelevant...
Here's what the Nielsen ratings say are the top radio formats based on 6+ share:
www.insideradio.com
Hot AC Up, CHR Down Among Nielsen Format Trends For 2026-To-Date.
Which radio formats have grown in popularity in 2026, and which show movement in the opposite direction? As always, there are key trends in Inside Radio’s analysis of Nielsen’s average-quarter-hour
I’d rather live without Chat than people then. But I’ve had a lot of fun with it making fan fiction and even fake radio stations- better than scrolling TikTok. Maybe AI is not the best source to find out which radio stations are hottest -I agree with that.
Christian Contemporary is getting more and more popular, even hitting #1 in some markets. More are turning away from the sex/drug references in today's pop music and turning to Jesus. I say keep it going. It's safe for kids' ears and encouraging and positive for everyone, even if they don't attend church regularly.
ChatGPT is not a credible source. Neither is Wikipedia for that matter.
Are you talking about most successful as most in the thread are responding or what formats are showing the most new growth in terms of format launches? The question could be interpreted in different ways.
I once asked Chat GPT to give me a list of the largest AM radio stations in Chicago. It provided me a list of a few Chicago stations, and then included several others from the east and west coast. Then I asked it to list the ERP of each station, and it totally botched.
Needless to say, ChatGPT has a lot to learn about radio broadcasting.
Needless to say, ChatGPT has a lot to learn about radio broadcasting.
It has killed the art of researching (at least in our kids). We used to get a list of library books we could check out to research an animal...and also the encyclopedia. Then we would have to write a 2-page report. (late elementary school)
Now a kid can just use the Google Generative AI to come up with an answer. ChatGPT and other AI is not even close to credible at times. Let alone Wikipedia.
Now a kid can just use the Google Generative AI to come up with an answer. ChatGPT and other AI is not even close to credible at times. Let alone Wikipedia.
No matter where you get your info - books, radio, google, Chat GPT - you still got to verify your sources! There’s a lot of incorrect information shared on the radio, too.
Which brings us back to the hottest format - News/Talk.
I guess that makes sense to me. As people move away from traditional radio for music listening, there’s something about the News/Talk format that almost requires a radio broadcast format. Podcasts are fine alternative to radio, but they are asynchronous, so they don’t compare to traditional radio in the same way.
Which brings us back to the hottest format - News/Talk.
I guess that makes sense to me. As people move away from traditional radio for music listening, there’s something about the News/Talk format that almost requires a radio broadcast format. Podcasts are fine alternative to radio, but they are asynchronous, so they don’t compare to traditional radio in the same way.
Chat GPT fir me is good for creativity and fan-fiction. I won’t use it anymore for radio-fact stuff on this board! LOL I didn’t know it was not a good source for this topic. Coulda woulda shoulda.
Does it have to be a format launch? Why not new growth in an existing format?
To me, the standout is Triple-A. WXRT, KEXP, WXPN, KCMP "The Current", and now KUTX all with impressive growth, some reaching new highs, sitting at #1 or #2 in their market for the first time.
I’m say classic rock
Triple A has really grown over the past few years. I think people like the format because it mixes new music with classic hits in a way that pleases everyone.
Triple A stations also do a good job listening to their markets - KCMP mixes in a lot of Americana because Minnesota is more rural. WXRT does a lot of special shows that seem to hook their audiences.
Triple A stations also do a good job listening to their markets - KCMP mixes in a lot of Americana because Minnesota is more rural. WXRT does a lot of special shows that seem to hook their audiences.
According to this, the format that is growing the most is religion:
www.insideradio.com
Format Counts: Religion Has More Than Doubled Its Lead Over Country.
Since February, the religion format has been the most programmed in the U.S., ending country’s long run at the top, based on Inside Radio’s monthly station counts. Over the past
Only 45% of America's Gen Z identify as Christian:
A shift in Christianity across the U.S. may continue as Gen Z ages
Although Gen Zers generally identify as spiritual, Christianity doesn’t seem to resonate as much as it did with previous generations.
cnsmaryland.org
And the religious format is only growing because K-Love keeps buying up failing stations, and mega-churches are raking in the dough and spend it on popping up LPFMs and translators everywhere.
Nielsen/Edison Research: News/Talk Is Most Listened And Most Streamed Radio Format In Q1
Nielsen and Edison Research published their quarterly review of US audio listening trends. For the first quarter of 2026 (January
radioinsight.com
The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Only 45% of America's Gen Z identify as Christian:
A shift in Christianity across the U.S. may continue as Gen Z ages
Although Gen Zers generally identify as spiritual, Christianity doesn’t seem to resonate as much as it did with previous generations.
And the religious format is only growing because K-Love keeps buying up failing stations, and mega-churches are raking in the dough and spend it on popping up LPFMs and translators everywhere.
All the stations with the genres I like are the hottest 🔥 🤓🤭
Interesting how it's religious formats in general, but not Contemporary Christian in that post. Young people are *not* listening to AFR, BBN and Bott, I guarantee. It's the 55+ evangelical audience.
The younger generations are going to church in ways that outpace older generations, and it's men, especially. Here's the Barna Group evidence:
religionunplugged.com
The younger generations are going to church in ways that outpace older generations, and it's men, especially. Here's the Barna Group evidence:
Gen Z and Millennial Men Driving New Church Attendance Trend
In the early 2000s, women were more regular churchgoers than men, and according to researchers, it is unclear whether this new shift “is a story of women stepping back or men stepping up.”
religionunplugged.com