Format Counts: Classic Hits Moves Up In Ranking, While Christian’s Total Grows Again.

For the second time in the past six months, classic hits moves up from seventh-ranked to sixth, according to Inside Radio/PrecisionTrak’s format counts for May. While the variety format, which includes stations with three or more distinct formats, either block-programmed or simultaneously, usually places sixth, classic hits adds five outlets from April, putting it just one ahead of variety, as was also the case in December 2024.

As for the rest of the top 10, the order stays the same as in April, with country, religion (including religious teaching, hymns, and other related content), and news/talk again finishing 1-2-3. Like classic hits, news/talk also adds five stations from April, while just below in fourth, contemporary Christian makes it an eighth consecutive month in the plus column, with its total up every month since September 2024, adding 37 new stations.

Also up are fifth-ranked Spanish-language formats, having added six outlets from April and 15 since March. The only other format in the top 10 to bring in new stations is religion, adding two to its April total.

Comparisons to a year ago and to January 2025 give similar results when it comes to the biggest-gaining formats. Religion has added the most either way, with contemporary Christian second and Spanish third year-over-year, while Spanish leads Christian by one outlet year-to-date.

Classic hits is the only other format up each way, adding two stations since May 2025 and four since January, while classic rock, which places its usual eighth, adds three year-over-year but none year-to-date.

Variety and the 10th-ranked Top 40 tie for having lost the most outlets from a year ago, 32, while news/talk and ninth-ranked sports shed 12 and 11, respectively, with country off by just three. Since January, sports and top 40 have both lost 13, with both country and news/talk are down by 11, and variety down by three.

As for formats just below the top 10, the year-over-year and year-to-date changes are: adult contemporary (ranked 11th), -2 and -9; hot AC (12th), -15 and +2; and alternative rock (13th), -6 and -5. None of these three formats added more stations since April.