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Christmas music!

S

scooterodell

Guest
I'm interested as to how Christian stations 'round the country handle Christmas music.

How does your station/the station you listen to approach Christmas music (when do they start, how much do they play, secular mix, etc.)?

And I'll go ahead and answer to get the discussion started:

My station (yes, I'm one of the "industry" guys) usually starts Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, and we take about three weeks to gradually go all-Christmas. Once we are at the all-Christmas level, we mix in some of the "secular" classics, like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."
 
> I'm interested as to how Christian stations 'round the country handle Christmas music.>


This is my opinion...play the classics most - they're the ones that drum up the childhood memories. This also broadens your appeal and your potential for people to sample your station.

Think of it this way too - all of the other remakes and "Christian artist originals" are unfamiliar. To a shared-mainstream-radio-listener our music is already unfamiliar the rest of the year.
 
I think a good mix of the two is best... Every other Christmas station plays the same tired old playlist, heavy with the classics with lots of junk filling in the cracks. If I hear "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart..." one more time, it will be too soon.

On the other hand, CCM artists produce new, original Christmas music every year. It even sounds current. You mix that with the true classics, the ones that do not get annoying after a couple of days, and you have the best Christmas station going. It's classic and current, all at the same time. Especially in today's world where "mainstream" people know a lot of CCM artists.

So, Todd, what do you Fishy people do for Christmas?
 
> I think a good mix of the two is best... Every other
> Christmas station plays the same tired old playlist, heavy
> with the classics with lots of junk filling in the cracks.
> If I hear "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart..." one more
> time, it will be too soon.
>
> On the other hand, CCM artists produce new, original
> Christmas music every year. It even sounds current. You
> mix that with the true classics, the ones that do not get
> annoying after a couple of days, and you have the best
> Christmas station going. It's classic and current, all at
> the same time. Especially in today's world where
> "mainstream" people know a lot of CCM artists.
>
> So, Todd, what do you Fishy people do for Christmas?
>

when i worked at 92.7 baton rouge we would start all christmas the day after thanksgiving and continue all the way thru dec 26th..dec 27th at 6am we would switch back to regular format. we played everything from bing crosby to paul macartney..even heart/ the ramones and even the eagles!! the eagles on a christian station :) a satanic band!! (well thats what my preacher said--hotel california)...i hated the christmas format..since its klove now. maybe they want do that :)
<P ID="signature">______________
note to tvland...bring back wkrp!!!</P>
 
We are just mixing it in until Christmas eve, which we will then go to all Christmas and of course Christmas day. We will start mixing it near Thanksgiving. There is a lot of great Christian Christmas music and a new "Happy Christmas" :)
 
> So, Todd, what do you Fishy people do for Christmas?>



Well...I was very purposeful in beginning my last post with, "This is my opinion."

I really can't speak for The Fish. Since this is my first Christmas season with them I'm anxious to see what we do...
 
> My station (yes, I'm one of the "industry" guys) usually
> starts Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, and we
> take about three weeks to gradually go all-Christmas. Once
> we are at the all-Christmas level, we mix in some of the
> "secular" classics, like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas."
>

Simple rule: If it doesn't mention or glorify Christ, it doesn't get airplay. Thus, no "Frosty", "Rudolph", or "White C'mas", etc. There are only too-many secular stations already peppering their airwaves with that. Christian Radio should stand-out, should it not? :)

Others have pointed-out that there are a good number of Christian C'mas originals, and I agree. It is those which I actively seek every year, and look forward to adding! Mix-in the more traditional classics with the wonderful, newer originals, and it's a win-win! You get the familiar songs which bring back the memories, but you also get deeply meaningful songs (if you look for them and add them) which will be the memory-makers of today, and memory-bring-bakers of the future. ;)

Willie...
 
> Simple rule: If it doesn't mention or glorify Christ, it
> doesn't get airplay. Thus, no "Frosty", "Rudolph", or "White
> C'mas", etc. There are only too-many secular stations
> already peppering their airwaves with that. Christian Radio
> should stand-out, should it not?>>


It depends on what you're trying to accomplish. By the way we went ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC NOW THROUGH CHRISTMAS TODAY...November 14th.
 
> It depends on what you're trying to accomplish. By the way
> we went ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC NOW THROUGH CHRISTMAS
> TODAY...November 14th.
>

Good gravy... What happened to Thanksgiving? Are we getting as bad as Retail, in forgetting that this wonderful Holiday even exists?! <:(

IMHO, that's total overkill. By the time you get to C'mas, your listeners will be "burnt-out".

I remember a discussion, somewhere, talking about how some stations make this dramatic format-change every December. Stations have a "regular format" all year, but then they toss it aside for that one month. That could be a little disconcerting to regular listeners! (and advertisers/supporters)

I would think it best to mix-in the C'mas music GRADUALLY, building-up to 100% the week OF Christmas. THAT'S when people are more inclined to WANT to hear it 24/7. Not almost two weeks before Thanksgiving!

I won't be starting C'mas music until the day after Thanksgiving.

Just my 2c worth. :)

Willie...
www.mymorninglight.org
 
> Good gravy... What happened to Thanksgiving? Are we getting
> as bad as Retail, in forgetting that this wonderful Holiday
> even exists?!>


Again...it depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
 
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