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A large Christian music station in the Midwest just played a song by Chris Tomlin.

Listeners all over town heard it. Some were at the office, others were in the car or the minivan. Some know all the words, so they were singing along. Others were hearing the song for the first time. None, however, realized that the playing of that song, that one song, was the result of months of effort, research, and consternation by people not just at that radio station, but far beyond.

The decision to play certain songs on the radio does not typically rest with the disc jockey spinning the CDs—or, more accurately, playing digital versions of the songs off of a computer. (And "disc jockey" is even a misnomer these days; most are now called "on-air personalities.")

The vast majority of the songs played, the order in which they are played, and the time at which they are played are all dictated in advance. It's the deejay's job not just to play the music, but to give the songs, promotions, events, and the entire station a human voice.

So, if the deejay isn't choosing the music, who is?

Large stations have two important people who are involved in deciding what songs are played: the Music Director and the Program Director (PD).

These individuals, who often have an on-air shift as well, start by developing a finite list of songs from which to choose a play rotation. This list, called the "playlist," is a bit like a football field. Just like the superstar athletes are always on the field, there are a few very familiar artists whose songs are almost always on the playlist. On the sidelines, there are second-string athletes, energetic and aspiring rookies, and veterans hoping to make a comeback—to make it onto the field. Musicians in each category seek the same hallowed ground.

A commercial station can play about 12-14 songs per hour, considering that traffic, weather, news, promos, commercials, and deejay spots take up about 15 minutes per hour. The numbers vary depending on time of day, song length, and how many commercials a station plays, but a typical 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. broadcast has slots for about 200 songs—but that doesn't mean that 200 different songs get played every day.

The playlist is divided into categories of heavy, medium, and light rotation. A song in heavy rotation is repeated several times throughout the day, while a light rotation tune might not get played at all. The heavy rotation category is fiercely competitive because it translates into enhanced exposure for an artist—and that can mean both expanded ministry and more CD and concert ticket sales.

Landing a spot on the playlist—called an "add" in industry parlance—and, in particular, the heavy rotation category, is a formidable task; Derek Webb likens it to "trying to break into Fort Knox."

A program director may receive 200 new singles every week to consider for only 1 or 2 slots. And the playlist is finite, so when one song is added, another must be dropped.

"A song has to win its way onto the playlist," notes Scott Lindy of Sirius Satellite Radio. Sirius selects songs at a music meeting each week. Individuals tend to campaign for certain songs, but PDs look for more than just unbridled passion for a particular song.

"You must bring warranted unbridled passion into the music meeting," says Lindy. "You're making a decision not just for yourself, but for your entire audience."

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