Mainstream urban
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Mainstream urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an urban contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic. The majority of the stations cater to younger listeners; they tend to have a more hip-hop-heavy playlist compared to the R&B-heavy playlist that is very common among urban contemporary-formatted radio stations. Also, mainstream urban stations tend to target both genders with its playlist compared to urban contemporary station that tend to target mainly females[citation needed]. The term 'mainstream urban' was coined in the mid-1990s when radio stations started featuring primarily different styles of current hip-hop and R&B when it became very popular. The target demographic of the format is usually the 16- to 34-years-old males and females[citation needed]
The format features various styles of hip-hop and R&B from different regions of the country that are popular at the moment. However, the format does feature numerous classic hip-hop and R&B songs from the late '80s and '90s.
[edit] List of mainstream urban radio stations
- WJHM, 101.9 FM,"102 Jamz", Orlando, FL
- WQHT, 97.1 FM, "Hot 97", New York City
- WWPR-FM, 105.1 FM,"Power 105.1", New York City
- KDAY, 93.5 FM,"The Beat", Los Angeles
- KPWR, 105.9 FM, "Power 106", Los Angeles
- KUBE, 93.3 FM, "KUBE 93", Seattle
- WGCI, 107.5 FM,"107.5 WGCI", Chicago
- WPWX 92.3 FM,"Power 92", Chicago
- WKKV-FM 100.7 FM, "V-100.7 Jams", Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- WHHH, 96.3 FM,"Hot 96.3", Indianapolis
- WHTA, 107.9 FM, "Hot 107.9", Atlanta
- WQUE-FM, 93.3 FM,"Q93", New Orleans
- KKND, 102.9 FM,"Power 102.9", New Orleans
- KBXX-FM, 97.9 FM,"97.9 The Boxx" Houston, Texas
- WUSL-FM, 98.9 FM,"Power 99FM", Philadelphia
- WPHI-FM, 100.3 FM,"100.3 The Beat" Philadelphia
- WERQ, 92.3 FM, "92Q Jams" Baltimore
- KMEL-FM, 106.1 FM,"106KMEL", San Francisco
- KXJM, 107.5 FM, "Jammin' 107.5", Portland, Oregon
- KKDA-FM, 104.5 FM,"K-104", Dallas
- XHTO, 104.3 FM, "104.3 Hit FM", El Paso, Texas
- WPGC-FM, 95.5 FM,"WPGC 95.5", Washington, D.C.
- WJLB-FM, 97.9 FM,"FM98 WJLB", Detroit
- KTTB 96.3 FM,"B96", Minneapolis
- WEDR, 99.1 FM,"99 Jamz" Miami
- KATZ-FM, 100.3 FM,"100.3 the Beat", Saint Louis
- KVSP, 103.5 FM,"Power 103.5", Oklahoma City
- WCDX, 92.1 FM, "Power 92 Jamz", Richmond
- WOWI-FM, 102.9 FM,"103 Jamz", Norfolk
- WCKX, 107.5 FM,"Power 107.5", Columbus, Ohio
- WENZ, 107.9 FM,"Z107.9", Cleveland, Ohio
- WAMO-FM, 106.7 FM,"106.7 WAMO" Pittsburgh
- WBLK, 93.7 FM, "93.7 WBLK", Buffalo, New York
- WDKX, 103.9 FM, "103.9 WDKX", Rochester, New York
- WJMN, 94.5 FM, "Jam'n 94.5" Boston
- WWKX, 106.3 FM, "Hot 106", Providence, Rhode Island
- WVBE-FM, 100.1 FM,"Vibe 100" Lynchburg, Virginia
- WPEG, 97.9 FM, "Power 98", Charlotte, North Carolina
- WQOK, 97.5 FM, "K97.5", Raleigh, North Carolina
- WJMZ, 107.3 FM, "107.3 Jamz", Greenville, South Carolina
- WWWZ, 93.3 FM, "Z-93 Jamz!", Charleston, South Carolina
- WEUP-FM, 103.1 FM,"103.1 WEUP", Huntsville, Alabama
- WBLX-FM, 92.9 FM, "93BLX", Mobile, Alabama
- WBHJ, 95.7 FM, "95.7 Jamz", Birmingham, Alabama
- WJWZ, 97.9 FM, "97.9 Jamz", Montgomery, Alabama
- WUBT, 101.1 FM, "101.1 The Beat Jamz", Nashville, Tennessee
- WKHT, 104.5 FM, "Hot 104.5", Knoxville, Tennessee
- WHRK, 97.1 FM, "K-97.1", Memphis
- WGZB, 96.5 FM, "B96.5", Louisville, Kentucky
- WBTF, 107.9 FM, "107.9 The Beat", Lexington, Kentucky
- WJMI, 99.7 FM, "99 Jams", Jackson, Mississippi
- WIZF-FM, 100.9 FM,"100.9 The Wiz", Cincinnati, Ohio
- WJQM-FM, 93.1 FM,"93.1 Jamz", Madison
- KIPR-FM, 92.3 FM, "Power 92 Jams", Little Rock
- KIIZ, 92.3 FM,"Z 92.3", Killeen
- WKYS, 93.9 FM,"93.9 Kiss Fm", Washington, DC
- WBTP, 95.7 FM,"95.7 The Beat",Tampa, Florida
- KFAT, 92.9 FM,"92.9 K-Fat", Anchorage, Alaska
[edit] Canada
Canada used to have several urban stations. Those stations were in Toronto (CFXJ-FM), Vancouver (CFBT-FM) and Calgary (CHRK-FM and CIBK-FM). CFBT-FM and CIBK-FM opted for top 40 music in 2004, since those stations were urban in the first year, flipping to rhythmic top 40 the following year. CHRK-FM flipped to the Jack FM adult hits format on April 1, 2003 as CKIS-FM, making it Canada's first urban station to change formats. CFXJ-FM was Canada's first urban station, signing on the air in 2001. Four years later, CFXJ-FM changed to its current rhythmic top 40 format, as CFXJ-FM was the last remaining urban station in Canada.
Low-powered community radio station CKRK-FM in Kahnawake, Quebec (a Montreal suburb) airs urban music from Mondays-Thursdays 7pm-midnight, with the show name known as Street Sounds. The show had been airing since 1995.
[edit] See also
- Urban contemporary
- List of urban-format radio stations in the United States
- R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay panel
- WRKS-FM - one of the first Mainstream Urban radio stations
