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Early on in the 1940's and 50's, FM radio stations begin to gradually spring up over the country, generally along side its parent AM station. Most stations, especially in medium and smaller markets held their FM licence by simulcasting the programming of its AM parent. In major markets there was enough of a potential audience to justify a separate board operator to broadcast a separate format. Most of the time it was of an "easy listening" variety, best described as "beautiful music." The format lended itself to being background music in offices and in retail establishments. In fact when there was a stand alone FM licence issued, many times during the 1950's it was to a retail establishment who simply wanted to bring its own background music services to their retail outlets. In the 1960's, though, it became evident that the future listening habits of the public were changing. Those once small audiences of those heritage FM stations, began to grow. Music was splintering into different formats. Top 40 was spining off Album Rock, Vintage Top 40(Oldies), Soul(Urban) and Adult Contemporary. Many of these specialized formats were popping up on those FM stations in the major markets, so it was only time before those formats spread into the medium markets. It was nearing the end of the golden era of Top 40. The audience was changing and the high personality, over commercialization of the AM's and the need to appeal to these niche markets with the interference free FM stations become a natural way for stations keep audience.

Sales material from them stated their "formats are designed to be run on standard automation equipment readily available from several manufactures. A basic system sufficient to run the complete formats, 24-hours a day, can be purchased for as little as $18,000 or leased for as little as $425 a month."

Drake-Chenault also produced the long form program "The History of Rock and Roll."