Editing Music radio (section)

===Freeform and progressive rock===
A later development was [[freeform (radio format)|freeform]] radio, later commercially developed as [[progressive rock (radio format)|progressive rock]] radio, and still later even more commercially developed as AOR (Album-Oriented Rock), in which selections from an album would be played together, with an appropriate introduction.

Traditional free-form stations prided themselves on offering their disc jockeys freedom to play significant music and make significant social commentary and humor.  This approach developed commercial problems because disc jockeys attracted to this freedom often had tastes substantially different from the audience, and lost audience share.  Also, freeform stations could lack predictability, and listeners' loyalty could then be put at risk. Progressive rock radio (not to be confused with the [[progressive rock]] music genre) was freeform in style but constrained so that some kind of rock music was what was always or almost always played.

Responsible jocks would realize their responsibility to the audience to produce a pleasant show, and try to keep the station sound predictable by listening to other jocks, and repeating some of their music selections. [[WNEW-FM]] in New York during the 1970s exemplified this approach to progressive rock radio.

At their best, free-form stations have never been equaled for their degree of social activism, programmatic freedom, and listener involvement.  However, to succeed, the approach requires genius jocks, totally in-tune with their audience, who are also committed to the commercial success of the radio station.  This is a rare combination of traits.  Even if such people are available, they often command extremely high salaries.  However, this may be an effective approach for a new station, if talented jocks can be recruited and motivated at low salaries.

Freeform radio is particularly popular as a college radio format; offshoots include the recent (and somewhat controversial, due to its lack of on-air personalities) eclectic-pop format known as [[variety hits]], which plays a wide assortment of mostly top-40 music from a span of several decades; and [[podcast]] radio, a mostly talk format pioneered by Infinity Broadcasting's [[KZDG|KYOU]] station in California and Adam Curry's Podcast show on [[Sirius Satellite Radio]].