CHRISTMAS(AND HALLOWEEN) MUSIC 2022!

[blackgold]

Okay, folks. It's time for the annual Christmas thread. I know that Magic 106.7 will pull the Christmas music trigger on the Friday before Thanksgiving. But...I wonder if any radio station in the Boston market will play Halloween music in the days leading up to the 31st. of October? Despite claims to the contrary, there are thousands of songs that allude to Halloween on the charts. They include "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles, "People Are Strange" by the Doors, and "People Who Died" by the Jim Carroll Band. We can also include "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, of course, as well as "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult. Any ideas?
Or maybe, they'll fill up the airwaves with negative campaign ads, too.

 

[raccoonradio]

The Netflix movie Hubie Halloween was filmed partly in Salem and had a fictional commercial FM, Salem-based station, playing Halloween tunes with a local DJ

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

(T)here are thousands of songs that allude to Halloween on the charts. They include "Witchy Woman" by the Eagles, "People Are Strange" by the Doors, and "People Who Died" by the Jim Carroll Band. We can also include "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, of course, as well as "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult.

Sounds like the building blocks for an hour long show of Halloween-themed music that WZLX-100.7, and/or WROR-105.7, and/or WMEX-1510 might do on October 31st.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Or maybe, they'll fill up the airwaves with negative campaign ads, too.

Traditionally, political advertisers seldom place spots on music-formatted stations. They usually advertise on news (like WBZ-1030) or talk (like WRKO-680) stations.

But this year, so much money might get spent by candidates, outside groups, and groups supporting or opposing statewide ballot questions that in the final few days before the election, even music stations may have at least a few political commercials.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Okay, folks. It's time for the annual Christmas thread. I know that Magic 106.7 will pull the Christmas music trigger on the Friday before Thanksgiving (November 18th).

I think there's a very good chance WMJX-106.7 will go all-Christmas earlier than the Friday before Thanksgiving....maybe much earlier. Possibly as soon as November 1st.

The "conspiracy theorist" in me sees the following as to why Magic (and other stations around the country that likewise go all-Christmas) may take the plunge as soon as November 1st: First of all, music-formatted stations generally get most of their advertising revenge from retail advertisers. And with inflation rampant, fears of a global recession, continued supply chain problems, fears that at least some consumers may greatly cut back on Christmas shopping this year and geopolitical uncertainty (read: the war in Ukraine), no wonder that the retail industry is fearfully looking at the upcoming Holiday shopping season.

What does the conclusion of the preceding paragraph have to do with Christmas music on radio? Simple. Retail advertisers and their advertising agencies may ask (or pressure) radio stations to start playing Christmas music earlier than in the past. I would think that retail advertisers love to advertise on all-Christmas stations as besides their own spots, Christmas music is a not always subtle reminder to "Get your Christmas shopping done!". That's why I think in-store music systems often go all-Christmas during the Holiday season.

To accommodate persuasion by/pressure from retail advertisers, I think most stations that go all-Christmas each year will do so earlier this year.

I also would be surprised if WMJX is alone in Boston as regards all-Christmas programming this year. I can also see WROR-105.7 taking the plunge. I doubt that any I-Heart stations in Boston will go all-Christmas unless the station doing so will change formats after Christmas.

No matter when WMJX currently plans to go all-Christmas, should someone else "beat them to the punch", WMJX will quickly follow suit, probably within minutes.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

One other Halloween-ish song, although it goes back to the late 1950's, is John Zacherle's "Dinner With Drac".

 

[blackgold]

I know that Music Choice's Sounds of the Seasons channel is really doing up Halloween music while the Sounds of Christmas web page is streaming Halloween music, as well.

 

[gr8oldies]

Traditionally, political advertisers seldom place spots on music-formatted stations. They usually advertise on news (like WBZ-1030) or talk (like WRKO-680) stations.

But this year, so much money might get spent by candidates, outside groups, and groups supporting or opposing statewide ballot questions that in the final few days before the election, even music stations may have at least a few political commercials.

They do when they want to reach an audience that doesn't listen to political talk radio, which is the vast majority.

 

[theotherguy]

I think there's a very good chance WMJX-106.7 will go all-Christmas earlier than the Friday before Thanksgiving....maybe much earlier. Possibly as soon as November 1st.

The "conspiracy theorist" in me sees the following as to why Magic (and other stations around the country that likewise go all-Christmas) may take the plunge as soon as November 1st: First of all, music-formatted stations generally get most of their advertising revenge from retail advertisers. And with inflation rampant, fears of a global recession, continued supply chain problems, fears that at least some consumers may greatly cut back on Christmas shopping this year and geopolitical uncertainty (read: the war in Ukraine), no wonder that the retail industry is fearfully looking at the upcoming Holiday shopping season.

What does the conclusion of the preceding paragraph have to do with Christmas music on radio? Simple. Retail advertisers and their advertising agencies may ask (or pressure) radio stations to start playing Christmas music earlier than in the past. I would think that retail advertisers love to advertise on all-Christmas stations as besides their own spots, Christmas music is a not always subtle reminder to "Get your Christmas shopping done!". That's why I think in-store music systems often go all-Christmas during the Holiday season.

To accommodate persuasion by/pressure from retail advertisers, I think most stations that go all-Christmas each year will do so earlier this year.

I also would be surprised if WMJX is alone in Boston as regards all-Christmas programming this year. I can also see WROR-105.7 taking the plunge. I doubt that any I-Heart stations in Boston will go all-Christmas unless the station doing so will change formats after Christmas.

No matter when WMJX currently plans to go all-Christmas, should someone else "beat them to the punch", WMJX will quickly follow suit, probably within minutes.

Back in the good ole "Who will flip first, ODS, or ROR?" days the earliest I remember is ODS flipping first on Veteran's Day. (ROR followed suit within a song or two).

 

[Marcos_C]

For those of you who want to hear nothing but serious Halloween music, a goth TikToker/YouTuber named Madi Danger put together a Halloween playlist of 61 songs.

Halloween Playlist by Madi Danger (Spotify)

 

[blackgold]

Nobody will go all Christmas until after the election on November 8th.

 

[gr8oldies]

Nobody will go all Christmas until after the election on November 8th.

I'm not sure what that has to anything.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Last year, some 80 I-Heart stations in other markets simultaneously flipped to all-Christmas on the first Friday of November (which was November 5th).

If they were to again do it on the first Friday of November this year, it would be November 4th, four days before the midterm elections.

Despite a nasty (in much of the country) midterm election campaign and perhaps some of the most brutal attack ads ever seen in campaigns for Governors. Congress, and the U.S. Senate (most of the really vicious ads have been paid for by outside groups and not the candidates' campaigns themselves), I think a lot of stations won't wait until November 9th (the day after the election) or later. They may decide to take the plunge earlier than that, perhaps as soon as November 1st.

Besides, it's possible that some or many music-formatted stations may get far fewer political ads than all-news news/talk, or all-talk stations, if any. Should that be the case, management would possibly be more comfortable going all-Christmas before Election Day.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Here's my own view:

If I were programming a music station, especially an Adult Contemporary format (the format most likely to go all-Christmas), here's how I would approach Christmas music:

1. I wouldn't even program any Christmas songs until December 1st.

2. From December 1st through December 10th, I'd program one Christmas song every third hour.

3. From December 11th through December 17th, I'd program one Christmas every other hour

4. From December 18th through December 24th at 12 Noon, I'd program one Christmas song every hour.

5. For the 36 hours between 12 Noon Christmas Eve (December 24th) through 12 Midnight Christmas Day (December 25th), I would program a day and a half of all-Christmas music. But only during those 36 hours.

6. At 12:01 A.M. December 26th, the Christmas music would go away.

This way, I would ease my listeners into the season and listeners would know that Christmas is coming, but they wouldn't be hit on the head with Christmas by a two-by-four, and certainly not as far out as 55 days before the Holiday.

Fifty-five days (or even thirty days) of round the clock Christmas music is, in my opinion, overkill.

 

[Radio 1992]

Here's my own view:

If I were programming a music station, especially an Adult Contemporary format (the format most likely to go all-Christmas), here's how I would approach Christmas music:

1. I wouldn't even program any Christmas songs until December 1st.

2. From December 1st through December 10th, I'd program one Christmas song every third hour.

3. From December 11th through December 17th, I'd program one Christmas every other hour

4. From December 18th through December 24th at 12 Noon, I'd program one Christmas song every hour.

5. For the 36 hours between 12 Noon Christmas Eve (December 24th) through 12 Midnight Christmas Day (December 25th), I would program a day and a half of all-Christmas music. But only during those 36 hours.

6. At 12:01 A.M. December 26th, the Christmas music would go away.

This way, I would ease my listeners into the season and listeners would know that Christmas is coming, but they wouldn't be hit on the head with Christmas by a two-by-four, and certainly not as far out as 55 days before the Holiday.

Fifty-five days (or even thirty days) of round the clock Christmas music is, in my opinion, overkill.

I think there are a couple stations who are close to this formula....not sure why it's not done that way anymore. Well, I am, but the stations that are nuts about early 24/7 Christmas music think their way is the best ever

 

[gr8oldies]

Here's my own view:

If I were programming a music station, especially an Adult Contemporary format (the format most likely to go all-Christmas), here's how I would approach Christmas music:

1. I wouldn't even program any Christmas songs until December 1st.

2. From December 1st through December 10th, I'd program one Christmas song every third hour.

3. From December 11th through December 17th, I'd program one Christmas every other hour

4. From December 18th through December 24th at 12 Noon, I'd program one Christmas song every hour.

5. For the 36 hours between 12 Noon Christmas Eve (December 24th) through 12 Midnight Christmas Day (December 25th), I would program a day and a half of all-Christmas music. But only during those 36 hours.

6. At 12:01 A.M. December 26th, the Christmas music would go away.

This way, I would ease my listeners into the season and listeners would know that Christmas is coming, but they wouldn't be hit on the head with Christmas by a two-by-four, and certainly not as far out as 55 days before the Holiday.

Fifty-five days (or even thirty days) of round the clock Christmas music is, in my opinion, overkill.

It really depends what your listeners expect, not your own personal taste or preference.

 

[Wimmmex]

Here's my own view: If I were programming a music station, especially an Adult Contemporary format (the format most likely to go all-Christmas), here's how I would approach Christmas music:
1. I wouldn't even program any Christmas songs until December 1st.
2. From December 1st through December 10th, I'd program one Christmas song every third hour.
3. From December 11th through December 17th, I'd program one Christmas every other hour
4. From December 18th through December 24th at 12 Noon, I'd program one Christmas song every hour.
5. For the 36 hours between 12 Noon Christmas Eve (December 24th) through 12 Midnight Christmas Day (December 25th), I would program a day and a half of all-Christmas music. But only during those 36 hours.
6. At 12:01 A.M. December 26th, the Christmas music would go away.
This way, I would ease my listeners into the season and listeners would know that Christmas is coming, but they wouldn't be hit on the head with Christmas by a two-by-four, and certainly not as far out as 55 days before the Holiday.
Fifty-five days (or even thirty days) of round the clock Christmas music is, in my opinion, overkill.

You would hold this view, even if you had hard-core research, proven year after year that this approach would give you less listeners and listening?

What you really want to say is: "If I were playing Christmas music just for myself alone in a room". NOT programming a mass appeal station to attract most listener ship....because my job and pay depend on it.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I would think that a radio station I'd program wouldn't be helped by an all-Christmas format, especially if there's at least one all-Christmas station in the market.

If you're not THE all-Christmas station in a market (read: has been doing it for years), following suit might be counterproductive. And if someone else in my market goes all-Christmas each year, a second or third all-Christmas format simply wouldn't find enough listeners to make it worthwhile, especially if a second or third all-Christmas station goes up against an long established all-Christmas station.

 

[Wimmmex]

I would think that a radio station I'd program wouldn't be helped by an all-Christmas format, especially if...

Why wouldn't a station you'd program benefit from an all-Christmas format, when it has been proven to work over and over that it in almost every market? (exempting the "especially")

 

[blackgold]

There are internet streams that program Christmas music 24/7/365. One of them, the Sounds of Christmas, takes a break from Christmas music during October to program Halloween music.