B-98.5 going to Christmas music BEFORE Thanksgiving

[interested bystander]

I noticed that KURB, aka B98.5 in Little Rock went to all Christmas music a few days ago. Could this be a preclude to a format change? They have had the same format for over 22 years. Any thoughts?

 

[Kent]

I doubt it's a prelude to a format change. Cumulus has been taking its AC's all-Christmas before Thanksgiving for a few years now. In fact, of the over 100 stations that have gone all-Christmas so far, about half are owned by either Cumulus or Clear Channel. I wouldn't read too much into it, especially if the imaging is pretty much the same, and it looks like it is.

 

[rgseark2009]

I suspected it was just weekends only at this point as it was last year, and sure enough a quick check of KURB/B98.5 confirmed that the "regular" music of the station had returned. I'm sure the female-centric office listenership whom KURB/Cumulus targets would bail out for another station's webstream.

 

[bchristi]

I suspected it was just weekends only at this point as it was last year, and sure enough a quick check of KURB/B98.5 confirmed that the "regular" music of the station had returned. I'm sure the female-centric office listenership whom KURB/Cumulus targets would bail out for another station's webstream.

I can understand markets with multiple AC stations doing Christmas music that one or both flips early because the first one to flip, even if its Nov 1, will OWN Christmas music for that season. Their ratings may suffer initially but by the time after Thanksgiving comes and people are ready for Christmas music they are most likely to turn to whatever station flipped first. That said, Little Rock has only one station playing Christmas music so there's no reason to flip early, other than the fact Cumulus pretty much does national formats.