Rock radio stations

Rock has many approaches to songwriting and performance. Guitars are often prominent, but the difference between a concise melodic song, a longer instrumental passage and a heavier recording is more than a question of volume. Live performance, a presenter's choice of records and the period from which songs are drawn can all give a rock station a distinctive character. A broad service may cross decades, while a specialist programme follows one branch much more closely. This category is for stations where rock is a significant part of the music, rather than an occasional familiar track within a mainly pop schedule. It does not equate all rock stations with heavy metal, classic rock or recent alternative releases. Those are related directions with different audiences and emphases. The station descriptions provide the detail needed to tell a broad presenter-led service from a channel with a narrower style, period or editorial approach.