Westwood One Introduces New Lite AC 24/7 Format

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, June 16, 2016 | 2:13pm CT

Westwood One will launch a traditional Lite AC 24-hour format, fully hosted and featuring a wide variety of music from the 70's through today. The new satellite-delivered format will launch on Monday, July 11. Lite AC will feature core artists such as Billy Joel, Celine Dion, Chicago, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac and Hall & Oates, and will also include artists like Adele, Michael Buble and Whitney Houston.

The format will offer personalities with warm, family-friendly presentations, bringing back an "at work" listening experience. Lite AC will be offered on Westwood One's Total platform, with a structured-break, exact-timed hour, but with numerous opportunities for station and market ids.

Lite AC joins other current-based contemporary formats Hits Now and Hot AC on the Westwood One lineup. The new format will be programmed by Cheri Marquart, VP/Programming, Contemporary Formats and Director of Operations Jonathan Steele.

"Our affiliates have asked for an alternative to our Adult Contemporary format, which, in keeping with the evolution of AC, is a little more upbeat now. Lite AC will fit a nice slot between our Adult Standards, on the gold side, and our current-based AC and Hot AC formats," commented Westwood One President of Programming Kirk Stirland.