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What is AAA?

> What is the AAA format?
>
AAA = Adult Album Alternative. That's all I know.
Anyone got anything else?<P ID="signature">______________
Tidewater MediaZone TV/Radio Audio Clips and ScreenCaps</P>
 
> > What is the AAA format?
> >
> AAA = Adult Album Alternative. That's all I know.
> Anyone got anything else?
> "Alternative" only in the sense that a good portion of what you hear is considered too outside of the box for classic rock stations and adult contemporary stations. You'll hear alot of new, but not neccesarily risk-taking artists and bands (The Fray, Josh Ritter, and My Morning Jacket) along side recent releases by more established acts that some of the other stations don't play anymore(Mark Knopfler, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, R.E.M. etc). Also a little Classic Rock thrown in for variety's sake. Also, unlike other formats, each station seems to be slightly different from the next-maybe AAA relies less on research and consultimg than other formats?
 
> What is the AAA format?
>
You should check out a stream of one of the best AAA's in the country, Seattle's KMTT

www.kmtt.com

Remember, it's a 25-54 geared station, so keep that in mind if you're not in that demo...
 
> > > What is the AAA format?
> > >
> > AAA = Adult Album Alternative. That's all I know.
> > Anyone got anything else?
> > "Alternative" only in the sense that a good portion of
> what you hear is considered too outside of the box for
> classic rock stations and adult contemporary stations.
> You'll hear alot of new, but not neccesarily risk-taking
> artists and bands (The Fray, Josh Ritter, and My Morning
> Jacket) along side recent releases by more established acts
> that some of the other stations don't play anymore(Mark
> Knopfler, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, R.E.M. etc). Also a little
> Classic Rock thrown in for variety's sake. Also, unlike
> other formats, each station seems to be slightly different
> from the next-maybe AAA relies less on research and
> consultimg than other formats?
>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_album_alternative

Adult Album Alternative: a radio format which has a broader, more diverse playlist than most formats and tends to appeal more to adults than to teenagers. Less played tracks are also common. Musical selection tends to be on the fringe of mainstream popular music and rock music as well as many other music genres such as alternative rock, alternative country, jazz, folk music, world music and blues. The musical selections tend to shy away from hard rock and rap music. Some Triple-A stations bill themselves under the slogan "World Class Rock".
 
> What is the AAA format?
>

It's where new bands come to get airplay and old artists go to die.

actually it's the best format in the world....in fact it's...world class!
g.
 
As mentioned, it's a acronym for Adult album alternative.You could parse the three words to mean a combination of three vastly different formats, and to imply another.1.Adult rock( rock without the hard edge, mellow rock,singer-songwriter etc)2. album rock (AOR, tight playlists consisting of 50-60 cuts from the best selling rock albums from he past 10-38 years)3. alternative rock ( new rock for the 15-35 year old demo, or that mixed with punk,80's alternative/new wave, electronica, and trance mixed with art rock from the 70's)Most stations that declare themselves AAA stop there.But the best AAA stations in my opinion, have sets of those three categories plus Americana( Folk and Blues ) in the every day playlists in all day parts.The trick is in the transition and flow,theme sets, and the choice of how to showcase the different genres while keeping TSL high.It's been done before eg: WXRT in the 70's, 80's and early 90's.The best AAA's do not have outside programming consultants, but have very knowledgeable, visonary and passionate PD's who do twice the work of most consultants and PD's and leave the rest to the DJ's.
 
What is AAA?


Try KPIG.COM...it's a hoot.

It's everything from Led Zeppelin to Emmylou Harris, Wilco to the Dead, Bob Marley to Lovin' Spoonful.
 
wangchung wrote It's everything from Led Zeppelin to Emmylou Harris, Wilco to the Dead, Bob Marley to Lovin' Spoonful. - WANGY, DON'T FORGETSON VOLT... ;)
 
WXRT-FM, Chicago (http://www.wxrt.com/) has been AAA since the format was called "Progressive." For those keeping score, WXRT has been on the air with the same format since 1972! They have had the same PD since 1981 and mid day personality Terri Hemmert has been on the air since 1973.

Most researches will tell you that AAA formats don't last long. If you do a quick survey, you will find that most AAA's have been around 10+ years.
 
If you have the chance to vacation up in Vermont, check out Montpelier's 104.7/WNCS, The Point. They've been AAA for 25 years or so--a perfect match for all those granola crunchers up there. Truth is, a very well crafted radio station by people who obviously love the music and llive the lifestyle. Big signal--booms down the mountain into Burlington, another very cool town.

Actually, Montpelier & Burlington are both such neat burgs, it's worth the trek no matter what your excuse. And on the way, you'll be able to check out a great Triple A station, too. (No, I don't live there--just wish I did).
 
I’ve often thought that if some of the heritage classic rock stations that are dead and gone would have evolved into "AAA" they would have gracefully maintained their aging audience and brought in new listeners too.
 
Funny thing is that AAA doesn't -- have -- to be old. Sure, some of the stations do skew more towards the "classic rock" mindset, but some of the more recent AAA's are skewing younger... like the early 30's.
 
AAA's biggest problem as a format is that it appeals to an audience that has for the most part given up on commercial radio. It's not so much an age thing. I get my AAA and other formats from satellite radio in the car, and internet radio at home and work. Broadcast radio is not programmed for people who have serious music tastes of any kind period.
 
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