S.A.M.: Simply About Music (pronounced "Sam") was a 24-hour satellite-driven format produced by

Westwood One Westwood One, Inc. is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1976. The co ...

, based on the adult hits format. Its playlist consisted of a wide variety of popular adult music from the 1960s through today, from artists ranging from

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

. The format's name, other than the acronym, derives from other "Male First Name FM" formats such as

Jack FM Jack FM is a radio network brand that is licensed by Sparknet Communications, with the exception of the European Union where it is licensed by Oxis Media. It plays an adult hits radio format, format, in most cases not using disc jockey, DJs. F ...

Bob FM BOB FM is the on-air brand of a number of FM radio stations in the United States and formerly in Canada. The BOB FM format mostly concentrates on album rock, alternative rock and pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s, especially those popular duri ...

and

Hank FM Hank FM is the on-air brand name of several radio stations in the United States and Canada. Stations using the Hank FM brand name typically air a country format, in configurations of classic country, contemporary country, or a less tightly format ...

. The network was founded by the original

in 2005 in response to the rapid rise in popularity of such formats. S.A.M. has absorbed Jones Variety Hits upon acquisition of

Jones Radio Networks Jones Radio Networks & Jones Media Group were branches of Jones International before being sold to Triton Media Group. JRN and JMN provide local radio stations with satellite-delivered formats. They also offer other services to local radio su ...

Triton Media Group Triton Digital, LLC, formerly Triton Media Group, is a digital audio technology and advertising company based in the US, with offices in New York, Paris, Montreal, London, and more. The group was formerly owned by E. W. Scripps Company, which sol ...

's Dial Global division (now the modern Westwood One) effective September 30, 2008. The modern Westwood One, now a subsidiary of

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...

, shut down S.A.M. on August 31, 2015 to avoid duplication with its ownership of the

national rights. Four years later, the network lost the rights to Jack FM to Skyview Networks and relaunched two variety hits networks: ''Variety Hits Pop'' and ''Variety Hits Rock'' (the latter of which has a

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

lean).
After losing Jack, Westwood One launches two new variety hits networks] from Radio Insight (September 2019)

References

Radio formats 2005 establishments in the United States 2015 disestablishments in the United States Defunct radio networks in the United States Radio stations established in 2005 Radio stations disestablished in 2015 Defunct radio stations in the United States {{US-radio-station-stub