106.7 LITE FM GOES INTO HOLIDAY FORMAT ON FRI. 11/20/09

[pjc1961]

As expected, Friday, November 20th, 2009 is the start date for WLTW's foray into all Holiday music.

"Share the joy of the holiday season listening to holiday favorites on Lite FM" - words to that effect used in a sweeper using a "listener in the street interview" clip saying that the listener enjoys holiday music.

 

[wgliradio]

I'm told it's for this weekend only and that the non-stop Christmas music starts Thanksgiving.

 

[pjc1961]

I'm told it's for this weekend only and that the non-stop Christmas music starts Thanksgiving.

IIRC, this was similar to last year's rollout.

 

[carolinaradio]

Wow, they're pretty late. A lot of stations have been in it for 2 weeks.

 

[Seltzer]

No. Actually as the highest rated radio station in NYC, Lite can choose when to flip. With Black Friday just a week away now, it now is the right time.

 

[andreajesus]

That's the whole point - with 'LTW being the #1 station in NYC, they shouldn't even have to flip this early - look at CBSFM as an example...

2008 - CBSFM flipped to ALL-Christmas around this time (and hey, how can you go wrong with ANYTHING from the Phil Spector Christmas Album?)
2009 - CBSFM has TAKEN OFF IN THE RATINGS; PD Brian Thomas basically says, "hey, our ratings are kicking butt, we can hold off on the Christmas thingie for a few weeks or something....")

As for NYC radio stations flipping ALL-Christmas now?? Hmmm....i have my own thoughts about that...

 

[wprt949]

nyc is too big of a market to be doing all christmas in

 

[andreajesus]

i don't have a problem with the size of the market (been a New Yorker ALL my 50 years... ) - my whole thing, as I indicated above, was that why is Lite-FM even jumping over this E-A-R-L-Y to doing A-L-L Christmas music? They're the #1 station in the market - they coulda waited another week or so...

 

[Seltzer]

I really don't expect anybody, except on a HD 2 channel, to challenge Lite in the Christmas arena this year.

This move should put LTW even farther ahead of it's nearest competitor. And wait for the 13th month, December 10th thru Christmas. $s should be in the stratosphere

 

[vinceapple]

Big deal. Let's hear it for the number one station in the number one market. They've joined hundreds of small and medium market stations all around the country as an all Christmas music station. Actually, there's nothing whatsoever festive or attractive about listening to all Christmas music long before Thanksgiving. But then, Christmas has long since become a corporate infestation. The most important thing about the holiday season anymore is how much money can I make on it. It's a very sad commentary about where our society is today. Peace to all. Enjoy the holidays in your way. ???

 

[stationless listener]

Lite FM can basically do what they want because they're the top station in the market right now.

 

[DToTheJ]

It certainly hasn't stopped them from using jingles and talking up songs...

 

[DToTheJ]

And not to be outdone... New York-based Internet station The Cockroach has even gone all-Christmas - albeit only for about 36 hours or so...

 

[disney fanatic]

Now that WLTW's "Lite-FM" went all Christmas in NYC, look what happened in the Albany area which is north of New York City, WTRY went all Christmas back on Veteran's Day when they flipped from a Greatest Hits format, and so does WKLI's "Magic 100.9". As of last week or so in the Hudson Valley area, WRNQ which is the Poughkeepsie version of "Lite-FM" at 92.1 went all Christmas this year. WCTW at 98.5 hasn't flipped to Christmas after the flip from "Lite-FM" back to "The Cat" since August. WHUD hasn't gone all Christmas this year. But I'm not really sure if this is going to happen.