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All Christmas format for Urban ACs?

D

danikayser84

I wonder if any Urban ACs have run an all Christmas format featuring Christmas R&B, soul and gospel songs, even for just Christmas Eve and Day? I'd think it could be a great idea if executed correctly...
 
Most Urbans go automated on Christmas Eve and the Ho Ho Ho tunes start at either 3pm 5pm or after 7pm. All night until Christmas Day and it stops around 7pm. KPRS would do air syndcatied show called Kickin at Christmas with John Monds years ago. Even for Urban stations its just safe to mix in holiday music with regular music.
 
I remember V103 here in ATL doing an al Christmas Quiet Storm on Christmas Eve and continous holiday songs Christmas day. Hip-Hop heavy HOT 107.9 just mixes in Urban Christmas songs in it's regular rotation. The first week of December is when they usually start the holiday jamz.
 
V103 in Chicago always does Christmas r and b music in a big way. I think they often have a day or two of all Christmas music. Not aware of any urbans that do anything like the AC stations with the 2 months of Christmas.
 
I remeber KHHT would also do a Quiet Storm Christmas a few years back with Sean Andre that would last until Christmas morning. Then theyll kick off their Hot 500 countdown Christmas Day until New Years Days. I can imagine Urban AC radio doing the All Christmas format but Mainstream not such a good idea. It will run off the young kids. There was some good holiday music on the Urban charts in the 80's and 90's. 2000's not really. Toni Braxton and Anita Baker are the only holiday albums from the 2000's that I remeber. Whitney Houston and Ashanti did holiday albums too in the 2000's but I never heard them. Every major U.S. city has a holiday station after Thanksgiving
 
As a whole, Urban stations begin playing Christmas music on Thanksgiving. Occasionally some UACs will do a weekend of all Christmas music. My 92.7 here in Charlotte does this in December.
 
How could I forget Quad City Dj's, "What you gonna get for Christmas." That has to be the crunk Christmas jam on every Urban/Rhythmic station since the late 90s.
 
wdb2003 said:
I remeber KHHT would also do a Quiet Storm Christmas a few years back with Sean Andre that would last until Christmas morning. Then theyll kick off their Hot 500 countdown Christmas Day until New Years Days. I can imagine Urban AC radio doing the All Christmas format but Mainstream not such a good idea. It will run off the young kids. There was some good holiday music on the Urban charts in the 80's and 90's. 2000's not really. Toni Braxton and Anita Baker are the only holiday albums from the 2000's that I remeber. Whitney Houston and Ashanti did holiday albums too in the 2000's but I never heard them. Every major U.S. city has a holiday station after Thanksgiving
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Faith Evans had a holiday album that came out in 2005 called "A Faithful Christmas" too.
 
http://www.radio-info.com/programming/urban/urbans-most-played-holiday-songs
http://www.radio-info.com/programming/urban/urban-acs-most-played-holiday-songs

I welcome the Urban ACs that go with holiday music--they provide a needed alternative to the non-urban stations that rely on non-urban artists. Inevitably, though, both the urban and non-urban holiday playlists suffer from severe cover tune burnout, from traditional carols to hymns to purposely themed secular/inspirational standards.

You can be flexible with tunes like "Silent Night"; It's possible for one act (Temptations?) to have a version loved enough to cover several formats, or use various artists specifically for urban, for urban AC, and urban gospel.

But at the other extreme, there are some songs that I think we ought to declare ownership to--the newer covers just can't match the earlier recording. For my tastes, don't give me "This Christmas" if its not by Donny Hathaway. We need more original songs. If they're great, they can become standards--you know, like "This Christmas". :D
 
That is the stand out Christmas song by African Americans Donny Hathaway This Christmas. Didnt care for Chris Brown verison. Gloria Estefan verison from the 90's was okay with the childrens choir in the background. I like BeBe and CeCe Winans Jingle Bells and a few hits from The Whispers, En Vogue and Mariah Carey. Its great hearing those songs during the holidays but the day right after Halloween it doesnt make any sense. I know stations do it (mostly AC and Oldies) to boost ratings but I perfer right after Thanksgiving Day.
 
wdb2003 said:
That is the stand out Christmas song by African Americans Donny Hathaway This Christmas. Didnt care for Chris Brown verison. Gloria Estefan verison from the 90's was okay with the childrens choir in the background. I like BeBe and CeCe Winans Jingle Bells and a few hits from The Whispers, En Vogue and Mariah Carey. Its great hearing those songs during the holidays but the day right after Halloween it doesnt make any sense. I know stations do it (mostly AC and Oldies) to boost ratings but I perfer right after Thanksgiving Day.
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What station would start playing Christmas music on November 1st ??? That's very preposterous.
 
AC stations in some markets start Christmas music Nov. 1st. Most AC stations do very well in the PPM ratings playing Christmas music early. My hometown AC stations Star 102 and KUDL would do it and others follow right after. Neither of those station are on the air anymore. Also some radio stations that plan to flip to a new format after the first of the year will stunt with Christmas music until New Years Day when the new format begins. December 26 or January 1st youll see alot of stations in other markets flipping to new formats
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
I remember V103 here in ATL doing an al Christmas Quiet Storm on Christmas Eve and continous holiday songs Christmas day. Hip-Hop heavy HOT 107.9 just mixes in Urban Christmas songs in it's regular rotation. The first week of December is when they usually start the holiday jamz.
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Actually, V-103 does both. They begin to mix urban Christmas songs in its regular rotation starting immediately on Thanksgiving weekend through Christmas Eve and goes all Christmas music (including some mainstream hits) on Christmas Eve through noon on Christmas Day. They began to spin some mainstream Christmas hits during the all Christmas music period on the Christmas holiday in the past 2 years after becoming the CBS urban/rhythmic division flagship.
 
I'm revisiting this thread as we're closer than ever to Christmas/Holiday music time. One 'new' song I've just added to my playlists: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, "Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects" (2009)
http://youtu.be/bh5Caj2q-_w

Even before I found that gem, there's an 2004 compliation album called Christmas Gumbo that had a few enjoyable tunes with a New Orleans/Louisiana sound or theme. Houseman's "Pimp My Sleigh" is cheesy, but in a fun 'Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer' way. So goes Art Neville's title track "Christmas Gumbo".

And if Art's brother singing "Christmas Prayer" doesn't do something to you, you don't have a soul.
http://youtu.be/yZYGvaR2TT4
 
WGVN AM 1580 Lexington, KY is all urban Christmas music....a first for this area and a welcomed change!!
 
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