When is a station not Hot AC?

Radio formats are a continuous spectrum, like a rainbow.  Some stations may just barely be Hot AC while bordering on CHR or AC, but you have to draw a line somewhere. Different radio monitoring companies (BDS, Mediabase) have different rules on what stations report to which chart. Those rules are not available to the general public, such as myself. However, I believe that there should be one criteria that will move a station from Hot AC to CHR: rap. Hot AC evolved in the 1990s, in part, from CHR stations that played “Today’s Hits without the Rap”.  That’s what HAC should still be today, IMHO. Where would I go to get current music without rap? AC? Not likely, as AC is too slow and based on older established hits. CHR is filled with rap. Thus HAC should be the middle ground.

If a station plays Eminem, Kanye West, etc, they should go to the CHR panel. Some stations labeled as HAC are really more well rounded CHR stations that should be reporting to CHR. CHR used to be about playing all types of music, not just focusing in on Rhythmic material.

I once was listening to a local HAC station that played a version of “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse with a rap interlude. Why? Why risk alienating listeners when there is a perfectly good version without the rap?