Glossary
On-Air & Programming
Hot Clock (Format Clock)
A circular map of one broadcast hour showing exactly when music, talk breaks, spots, and features air.
A hot clock — also called a format clock — is a template for a single hour drawn as a circle, with each wedge marking what airs and when: songs, stop sets, talk breaks, news, weather, and imaging. It keeps the sound of the station consistent hour to hour and shift to shift.
Program directors build clocks to balance music and non-music elements and to place commercial breaks predictably. Talent works within the clock, filling the talk positions with prepared content.