Trying to develop a new radio format, or even a new version of an existing format, is always a gamble. So it only makes sense that a new iteration of the Adult Hits format would launch in the city best known for placing bets — Las Vegas, where iHeartMedia recently flipped Classic Rock KYMT to “Neon 93.1,” which they describe as a high-energy adult hits station playing a mix of music from the nineties and 2000s that includes pop, rock, and hip-hop.
But just how similar or different is the new station from other Adult Hits stations across the country? I decided to look under the hood to find out. Using Mediabase, I compared one day of music (6 a.m. to midnight) on Neon 93.1 to the same day on 93.1 Jack-FM (KCBS/Los Angeles) and 103.5 Bob-FM (KBPA/Austin).
It turns out this really is a whole new approach.
The first, most notable difference is the eras of music the stations focus on. Of the two traditional Adult Hits stations, KCBS is a little more contemporary, with 56% of the titles played coming from before 1990, while KBPA approaches 70%. For the new Neon 93.1, pre-nineties music is only 6% of the playlist. Instead, over 60% of Neon’s songs were released after the nineties, compared to just over 10% of KCBS and Bob-FM’s titles.
| Eras | KYMT | KCBS | KBPA |
| Pre-1990’s | 6% | 54% | 69% |
| 90’s | 31% | 33% | 21% |
| Post 90’s | 63% | 12% | 11% |
That makes a huge difference in the average year of a song played on the stations, with Neon coming in at 2003.2 while the other stations average 1988 — a difference of fifteen years. Looking at the ten-year span that each station focuses on the most, both traditional Adult Hits stations are centered on 1980–1989, while Neon’s core decade is 1994–2003.
Looking at the music by genre, Neon isn’t as attached to rock-based sounds as the other two stations. Titles that would fall under Classic Rock, Classic Hits, or Active Rock make up 25% of KCBS’ playlist and 30% of KBPA’s. Those same sounds make up just 3% of what Neon played.
Instead, Neon’s playlist leans toward pop and rhythmic sounds, which make up just under 60% of the songs they played. Those pop-leaning titles make up 20% and 35% of KCBS and KBPA, respectively. The overlap between the three stations is with alternative-leaning songs, which make up a third to half of each station’s list.
| Genre | KYMT | KCBS | KBPA |
| Pop & Rhythmic | 58% | 19% | 35% |
| Rock | 3% | 26% | 30% |
| Alternative | 38% | 55% | 34% |
Breaking the sounds down a little further, of the nearly 60% of Neon’s playlist that is pop-leaning, about 20% comes from the 2010s, another 20% from the 2000s, and the rest is from before the turn of the century. Bob-FM and KCBS barely touch any pop titles from after 1999.
On the day I looked at, there was a list of pop artists that included Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Nelly, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Usher, and Lady Gaga, who all got three to five spins on Neon but didn’t appear on KBPA or KCBS.
While I’ve been writing about how Adult Hits stations are struggling to add nineties music to their mix, Neon skipped right over that issue, embracing music released in the 2000s and 2010s. It will be interesting to see how the new approach plays out in the roulette-like game known as the Nielsen ratings.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
