ALL-CHRISTMAS FORMAT

[RadioAMFM]

1. How many songs are recommended for a local all-Christmas format?

2. What's the best date to launch the all-Christmas format as a bridge from a dead format to the launching of a new format on January 1, 2011?

 

[slarson]

I suggest at least 300 of the most powerful titles and artists, max it at 800 titles, include all genre's, try to stay away from Gayla Peavey's I wanna hippopatumus for chriistmas and Burl Ives. Start the day AFTER thanksgiving, no sooner or your ratings will tank. People do not want to be reminded that they are about to spend every last dime they struggled to earn the last 6 months on crap that people will forget about in March. If you live in a market below 200, trickle them in one awesome power title an airshift starting Nov1, Nov8 two more an airshift, but no more than 3 before thanksgiving, then if you choose to go full blown christmas you'll have already teased them enough with your power christmas songs that your variety will be enough to keep them thru the holiday, Noon Christmas day, scale it back to 2 an airshift and go back to regular programming. Ceasing all christmas tunes on Dec 31st at Midnight. M

 

[travisl5678]

And will you be launching an FM Talker on January 1?

 

[whit979]

I suggest at least 300 of the most powerful titles and artists, max it at 800 titles, include all genre's, try to stay away from Gayla Peavey's I wanna hippopatumus for chriistmas and Burl Ives. Start the day AFTER thanksgiving, no sooner or your ratings will tank. People do not want to be reminded that they are about to spend every last dime they struggled to earn the last 6 months on crap that people will forget about in March. If you live in a market below 200, trickle them in one awesome power title an airshift starting Nov1, Nov8 two more an airshift, but no more than 3 before thanksgiving, then if you choose to go full blown christmas you'll have already teased them enough with your power christmas songs that your variety will be enough to keep them thru the holiday, Noon Christmas day, scale it back to 2 an airshift and go back to regular programming. Ceasing all christmas tunes on Dec 31st at Midnight. M

Agreed with this post. An additional note, if I may. It sounds like you're using Christmas music primarily as a means of wiping the slate clean ahead of a format flip. If that's the case, I don't think you don't have a lot to worry about in terms of programming the daily mix. If you hope to gain any ratings from it, keep the daytime Christmas music rotation super-tight and hit the power classics. In reality there are probably only 20-25 Christmas titles that people really like -- Nat King Cole, Brenda Lee, Bing Crosby, Elvis, etc. If you veer too far away from those main hits then you're gonna have major tune-out issues. This is why a lot of radio types get quickly burned out on the Christmas format but why it still consistently wins on AC/adult-formatted stations.

 

[johnbasalla]

Add "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms to the must use list. Good production values helps that one stay young.
Actually, I think Burl Ives "Holly Jolly Christmas" is a keeper although it's real hokey

Ones to listen to and decide might include:
Gene Autry's original hit version of "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer".
The Carpenters Christmas Album
The classics from The Phil Spector Christmas Album
Trans Siberian Orchestra "Christmas Eve, Sarejevo" was huge in the 1990s.

If you want a Rock and Roll Christmas,
Bruce Springsteen "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Elton John - "Step Into Christmas"
Ringo Starr (Beatles drummer) put out a Christmas CD a few years ago. Some good stuff there, including a fully realized version of their fan-club recordings "Christmas Time Is Here Again".
There's a group called "The Fab 4". They made 2 CD's where they take well-known Beatles songs and basically replace the original lyrics with ones that have a Christmas theme. Instantly recognizable, but different at the same time.

They are very clever and can be a rewarding "Oh, wow" moment without the tune-out worries. When I played them at a big company party, I had people coming up and asking me where they could get copies and looking over the CD jackets.