The idea of a format based in the pop music of the ’90s has always had its challenges, among them a Top 40 format that went through at least five musical changes in 10 years and was often represented by low-rated stations (or no stations) in many markets. The Alternative titles of the ’90s endured – and were generally stronger than anything today’s Rock radio had to offer. The pure pop titles – those that existed – became part of Mainstream AC, which also took the late ’90s female singer/songwriters.

Then there were the Rhythmic titles, which looked like they would be the calling card for the Movin’ format and other younger-leaning Rhythmic AC s. But liking the Black Eyed Peas turned out to be no guarantee that you would also like the late ’80s Hip-Hop that they were referencing. At those stations where Rhythmic Hot AC actually took, the ’90s became spice at best. The new music was much more compelling for more people.

But broadcasters weren’t going to leave the ’90s to Sirius XM indefinitely. For an increasing number of decision-makers, it was the music of their life. And even ’70s pop struggled on the radio for many years before songs like “Let Your Love Flow” or “If I Can’t Have You” finally became radio mainstays. Earlier this year, Radio-One debuted a ’90s-based Urban AC at WRNB Philadelphia. Then, over the course of the summer, we saw some variant of the ’90s format roll out at Entercom’s KBZC (the Buzz) Sacramento, Calif., Impact Radio Networks affiliate KHTE (K-Hits 96.5) Little Rock, Ark., and Clear Channel’s new WLGX (Gen-X Radio) Louisville, Ky. The ’90s also play a significant role on the “Old School” Hip-Hop/R&B format at KDAY Los Angeles.

So far, the Buzz is the only station that has positioned itself as all-’90s. K-Hits plays recurrent and early ’90s titles; (and these days, “Case of the Ex” is every bit as lost as any ’90s song). Gen-X Radio has tentacles into the ’80s (and given the generational break that they represent, there’s no reason not to include Bon Jovi, Poison, and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” as part of a ’90s format anyway). K-Hits, on the occasions when I’ve heard them seems to delve further into “songs that almost never perform well in research”; the Buzz has longer stretches of songs that you would hear on other stations in other formats. Gen-X radio was somewhere in between.

This article is being written at a time when you can still easily count and listen to everybody doing a ’90s-based approach. That always changes. KBZC’s first few 12-plus monthlies have been modest, but with the expected success story among the appropriate cells. But it’s likely that the ’90s will yield a flagship in Sacramento, Louisville, Little Rock, or somewhere; and even if it doesn’t, we will all probably live to see the day where it usurps a ’70s-based radio station because the demos are better.

Here’s 106.5 The Buzz on its “Songs Your Parents Hated Weekend,” at 4:50 p.m. on Aug. 23. Special weekend songs are asterisked.

Natalie Merchant, “Jealousy”

Nirvana, “The Man Who Sold The World”

Naughty By Nature, “O.P.P.”*

Offspring, “Come Out And Play”*

Luniz, “I Got Five On It”*

Aerosmith, “What It Takes”

Bush, “Comedown”

Ini Kamoze, “Here Comes The Hotstepper”

Tal Bachman, “She’s So High”

Melissa Etheridge, “I’m The Only One”

Montel Jordan, “This Is How We Do It”

Savage Garden, “I Want You”

Sheryl Crow, “Strong Enough”

Monifah, “Touch It”*

Barenaked Ladies, “One Week”

Nine Inch Nails, “Closer”*

Lil’ Troy, “Wanna Be A Baller”*

Here’s Gen-X Radio In Its First Hour, at 5 p.m. , on Thurs. Sept. 3

2 Unlimited, “Get Ready For This”

Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Montell Jordan, “This Is How We Do It”

No Doubt, “Just A Girl”

Coolio, “1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin’ New)”

E.M.F., “Unbelievable”

OMC, “How Bizarre”

Blink-182, “All The Small Things”

D-Mob f/Cathy Dennis, “C’mon & Get My Love”

Sublime, “Santeria”

Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch, “Good Vibrations”

Dave Matthews Band, “Ants Marching”

Culture Beat, “Mr. Vain”

Spin Doctors, “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”

Jennifer Lopez, “If You Had My Love”

Finally, K-Hits 96.5 at 8 p.m. on August 23.

Black Crowes, “Hard To Handle”

Vanilla Ice, “Ice Ice Baby”

All-American Rejects, “It Ends Tonight”

Justin Timberlake, “What Goes Around Comes Around”

Seether & Amy Lee, “Broken”

Modern English, “I Melt With You”

Ashanti, “Foolish”

Eagle-Eye Cherry, “Save Tonight”

Prince, “Kiss”

No Doubt, “It’s My Life”

Mario Winans, “I Don’t Wanna Know”

Live, “Lightning Crashes”

Goo-Goo Dolls, “Slide”

Deee-Lite, “Groove Is In The Heart”

Blaque, “Bring It All To Me”

R.E.M., “Losing My Religion”

(Disclosure: Edison Research, where the author is also VP of music and programming, has a working relationship with KBZC.)