The Phenomenological Nature of Quasar-type Blazars (BZQ). I. Revisiting the Flat-Spectrum Paradigm

We reevaluate 610 sources classified as Flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) in the 5th edition of the Roma-BZCAT. Optical spectra from SDSS DR16 confirm broad emission lines within $0.11 \leq z \leq 5.28$. To assess their blazar-like behavior, we combine ZTF optical variability with radio morphologies from FIRST, LOFAR, and VLBI, defining Confirmed, Possible, and Non-Confirmed BZQs. Rest-frame 1.4--10 GHz radio spectra were homogenized and fitted with error-weighted power laws. We show that the scheme of Park et al. (2013) often misclassifies nearly flat spectra as inverted and some prominently steep spectra as flat. Using the individual uncertainty $\sigma_{\alpha,i}$, we classify spectra as flat if $|\alpha_i| \leq 2\sigma_{\alpha,i}$, prominently steep if $\alpha_i > 2\sigma_{\alpha,i}$, and inverted if $\alpha_i < -2\sigma_{\alpha,i}$. This source-by-source criterion, intended as a phenomenological classification for this sample, better reflects the observed spectral shapes and confirms that most BZQs are consistent with being flat within measurement precision, although a non-negligible fraction departs from strict flatness. We also classify full spectral morphologies as power-law, peaked, restarted-peaked, or inverted-peaked, associated with distinct jet processes and activity cycles. About 60% of the sources with at least two decades of frequency coverage exhibit restarted-peaked spectra, suggesting recurrent jet activity. The observed diversity indicates that the label "Flat-spectrum radio quasar" does not fully describe this population, and that the more general term BZQ may better reflect its phenomenological diversity.