Talk:Free-form radio

First, some bias disclosure...I've been involved with this radio station since 1993. On this and other lists, arbiters of freeform have excluded KDVS about as often as they've included KDVS on these lists. I've added KDVS to the list of freeform stations because DJ's and hosts are indeed granted full control over content of their own programs, and this has always resulted in an overall program with tremendous variety. I feel like someone should add that Indie 103.1 is not a fulltime freeform broadcaster. Exactly how many hours per week does that station broadcast freeform shows? As a rare example of commercial freeform radio, KYOU seems more relevant. Without specific knowledge of each station's policies, however, I don't feel qualified to make such an edit. --RickEle 03:30 , 14 April 2006 (UTC)

Is this article incorrect?
KEXP is not a freeform radio station. Other stations identified as freeform are also not freeform. This list is largely incorrect and should be examined more thoroughly. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.18.226.180 (talk) 06:10, 21 December 2009 (UTC)

Many stations that identify themselves as "eclectic" fit the definition of "freeform" given here, such as KCRW. There, the station varies widely in genres and the DJs have full control of their playlists. Is that station incorrectly identifying itself or is the description here arbitrary/out-of-date?

01:02, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

I think that the definitions are clear. Freeform - no prescribed playlist vs. Eclectic - prescribed playlist. The question is, does KCRW or Indie 103.1 tell their DJ's what to play? If it's incorrectly identified and you know it, then change it. --Exshpos 02:16, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

KCRW grants content control to several--if not all--of its hosts and DJ's, but they do have block formatting, which runs counter to freeform. So, no, they do not belong on the list. I'm not as familiar with the Indie 103.1 overall programme, but I suspect that they rigidly block-formatted, and I know they play very little music outside of the "rock" category.

Similarly, I believe KCMP to be misplaced under Eclectic. The DJ's claim to pick their own playlists, and they quite often do the 'arbitrary theme' pattern listed as a feature of Freeform radio. Does anybody know whether the KCMP DJ's really do pick their own playlists like they say they do? If nobody can prove otherwise, I will take them at their word and move KCMP to the freeform list. Harperska 13:58, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

In answer to the original question, yes, this article is incorrect. The terms being used are defined by the article and not by any authoritative independent source. "Eclectic," for example, does not imply the use of prescribed playlists; it indicates that the material within a program is diverse yet somewhat restricted compared to freeform, because eclectic shows and programs tend to limit the range of genres covered. On that count, WXPN, for example, doesn't belong here at all, because it's a strictly-formatted, playlist-oriented station (Adult Album Alternative) that could only be considered electic relative to commercial, single-format stations. The problem is in general a result of the OCD desire to categorize everything (anathema to the concept of freeform) and specifically the result of a lack of definitive sources to nail down the terms. Allreet (talk) 00:01, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

Oldest station
The claim that WFMU is the oldest freeform station was on this page and WFMU's article, both, but I've removed both instances: my station, KUOI, is nearly 62 years old, about twelve years older than WFMU. Mkilly 19:01, 11 June 2007 (UTC)

Freeform Definition
Freeform is characterized by more than simply disc jockey control. Freeform also implies a disregard for genres, time periods, and other categorizations, a sense that anything goes. Many legendary deejays from the 50s and underground jocks from the 60s had control over their programs, in the same way that today's program hosts at stations like KCRW and WFUV have over theirs. But for all of them, the form is set, and only within their given formats or genres are they free to play what they want.

There are points about this that are arguable, but what is not is that under the current definition, the vast majority of college and community radio program hosts in the country would have to be classified as freeform. While these programmers can pretty much play what they want, most of them are doing either genre shows within block formats or AAA programs. So there is form, a set of prescribed rules, that governs what they play, as there is on KCRW and WFUV, which are AAA stations where program hosts may not be restricted playlists but still follow current genre charts fairly closely. Contrast this with the freeform programming on WFUM today and what used to be played on stations like WXPN before the researchers showed up in the mid-80s. Completely different worlds, but as currently written, the definition fits them all. Allreet (talk) 06:06, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

No mention of KSAN?
—Wiki Wikardo 00:13, 17 October 2013 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Freeform (TV channel) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 14:44, 21 July 2017 (UTC)

Lol! Terrible article
Really should be a candidate for deletion.

It's a list of everyone's favorite station from when they were a kid (regardless of when that was).

--plaws (talk) 16:40, 24 June 2021 (UTC)

Shouldn't necessarily be deleted, an article on the history/concept of freeform radio is valuable, but agree a major overhaul is needed Smt42 (talk) 12:51, 14 September 2022 (UTC)