181.FM - Smooth AC

181.FM Smooth AC operates at 128 kbps and targets listeners who want music without friction. Adult contemporary radio has a terrible reputation among critics - too polished, too bland, designed for waiting rooms and office hold queues. But Smooth AC demonstrates that the format doesn't have to feel apologetic. The playlist glides between 70s and 80s soft rock, contemporary pop that leans melodic, and occasional country crossovers that sit well in this context. The station plays Michael McDonald, John Mayer, Lionel Richie, newer artists like Hozier who inherit these sensibilities. The between-s…