Which station do you think will flip to Christmas Music and when???
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Christmas Music
- Thread starter BJSteigner
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Last year, it took B101 until November 12th to switch. Other than that, I can't speak for Philadelphia, but mostly we aren't there yet, except for a few rare exceptions.
In Philly, B101 usually flips in the week before Thanksgiving. A tough push from competition could make that jump earlier.
Of course this is just Philly. Other markets have different stations with different situations.
Of course this is just Philly. Other markets have different stations with different situations.
I can't imagine what they gain by not doing it. But just based on past years, I don't suppose they will.
The topic came up here within the past couple months and I suggested they should go for it this year and use the opportunity to promote the hell out of their regular format. There are probably people out there who would like the station but who just aren't aware that it exists. The easiest way I can think of in Philly to get people to tune to an unknown entity is to go all-Christmas. People Yust Go Nuts At Christmas.
Understanding of course past is not always prelude, if they didn’t make that move previously there may be a very good reason behind it. It may just be something they identify as not likely a good risk/reward bet here. Whatever other issues Audacy may have with B101, and acknowledging COVID scrambled the deck, the B is still dominates the “holiday music” share of mind.
The Breeze needs to go X-Mas in November and compete head-to-head with B101. The format is very suited for holiday music.
I can't wonder why they don't go on holiday mode since their launch.....
I can't wonder why they don't go on holiday mode since their launch.....
Perhaps they determine it’s a losing bet under the market conditions that have existed?
How does the Sales piece of this work? I mean, that year when WSNI started this whole weeks-and-weeks-of-Christmas thing for Philly back in the day, it's not like they could charge more for spots. There was no evidence to show advertisers that more people would indeed be hearing them.
For B101.1, I imagine they can charge extra nowadays by saying, "Look, we do this every year. We all know what's going to happen. Look at this book and look at this book and look at this book and look at this book..."
If The Breeze wanted to do it, would they have to charge usual rates for the first year so they have a year of results before they can try to hike the rates for the next year's holiday period?
For B101.1, I imagine they can charge extra nowadays by saying, "Look, we do this every year. We all know what's going to happen. Look at this book and look at this book and look at this book and look at this book..."
If The Breeze wanted to do it, would they have to charge usual rates for the first year so they have a year of results before they can try to hike the rates for the next year's holiday period?
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Does anyone know if WBEB-HD2 flipped to X-Mas yet? Previous years they've dumped the 80s (now 70s) format for Christmas on October 1
IIRC, there was a year recently when they didn't do it at all on the HD2. And I think last year or the year before, the HD2 flipped at some point in October but they flipped it back after a short time (like hours or days). Which is weird because, unless it's uncensored hardcore rap, why would they care at all what's being broadcast on the HD2? 😋
EDIT: I just noticed the link to 101.1 HD2 isn't even on the Audacy site anymore.
EDIT: I just noticed the link to 101.1 HD2 isn't even on the Audacy site anymore.
If it was my (client’s) ad money, for darn sure I wouldn’t pay them (106) an extra dime with no track record. 😀
I also look at the tree falling in a forest conundrum. Make the move, maybe make some of your regulars happy, maybe irk them. But does anyone else, figuratively, actually know you did it? I know, of course, there’s cross listening. They’re not on an island. But is that really enough to make a positive impact? If you believe the hard core Santa fans are going to the B regardless, do you benefit?
I also look at the tree falling in a forest conundrum. Make the move, maybe make some of your regulars happy, maybe irk them. But does anyone else, figuratively, actually know you did it? I know, of course, there’s cross listening. They’re not on an island. But is that really enough to make a positive impact? If you believe the hard core Santa fans are going to the B regardless, do you benefit?
Well, with the scenario I described above, I think there's a benefit. Of course everyone's first choice will be B101.1 but if The Breeze jumps in, there will be word-of-mouth and hopefully an ad campaign. When B101.1 goes into commercials or plays "Hippopotamus" or "Grandma" for the hundredth time, some folks who know that Christmas is on 106.1 will probably hit the button. Christmas-crazies who don't have 106.1 on a pre-set will probably add it. Some folks who haven't bothered to check out The Breeze will become aware. And of course, getting a pre-set button is its own separate reward.
As far as the risk idea, I can't imagine folks being so angry with 106.1 for going all-Christmas that they won't return. (Has that ever happened to a station that went all-Christmas?) I can only see it bringing awareness to The Breeze and I can't see a long-term downside to it.
EDIT: Oh yeah... and if it does increase listenership (and let's face it, it will), then they can charge more when they do it in subsequent years.
As far as the risk idea, I can't imagine folks being so angry with 106.1 for going all-Christmas that they won't return. (Has that ever happened to a station that went all-Christmas?) I can only see it bringing awareness to The Breeze and I can't see a long-term downside to it.
EDIT: Oh yeah... and if it does increase listenership (and let's face it, it will), then they can charge more when they do it in subsequent years.
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Here’s where I struggle: word of mouth, for radio, in 2021 just ain’t what it ever was. iHeart may be spending on targeted digital but I’m not seeing any other advertising going on, and not sure that budget is coming.
I didn’t mean so much people don’t came back out of spite, or anger, so that was poorly conveyed. More like-hey, I found X that gives me what I want so..meh…just kind of drift away. Sure, you’ve already got that.
Hey, maybe they would clean up. But I wonder if they are sitting on data the average person doesn’t have. Not so much wonder as speculate they are and it may be telling them something. No parallels are perfect, but Now…Sunny…even OGL weren’t particularly helped by picking that fight. And the landscape hasn’t gotten easier.
Meantime, maybe they’re working on it as we type.
I didn’t mean so much people don’t came back out of spite, or anger, so that was poorly conveyed. More like-hey, I found X that gives me what I want so..meh…just kind of drift away. Sure, you’ve already got that.
Hey, maybe they would clean up. But I wonder if they are sitting on data the average person doesn’t have. Not so much wonder as speculate they are and it may be telling them something. No parallels are perfect, but Now…Sunny…even OGL weren’t particularly helped by picking that fight. And the landscape hasn’t gotten easier.
Meantime, maybe they’re working on it as we type.
I thought Now was DOA no matter what they did. Competing directly with B101--calling themselves younger but basically playing the exact same library--was not going to work. It was my opinion (and that of some others) that WOGL only did it to prevent a huge chunk of their audience from completely abandoning them for 5 or 6 weeks at the end of every year. But The Breeze is offering something different--something for which there's apparently an audience and something that didn't already live somewhere else on the dial. I'm just thinking they could do it--even if only for one year--to widen awareness that they even exist.
Like I said, I don't see how it could hurt them. And like you said, they may have mountains of evidence that says it might. But hell, we pretty much amount to armchair experts. LOL. And this entire thread having been said, I don't expect The Breeze to do it anyway. I'm just glad the board has something to talk about!
Like I said, I don't see how it could hurt them. And like you said, they may have mountains of evidence that says it might. But hell, we pretty much amount to armchair experts. LOL. And this entire thread having been said, I don't expect The Breeze to do it anyway. I'm just glad the board has something to talk about!
I asked Alexa if she could play "WBEB HD2 Philadelphia" and it turns out she can. It's playing '70s music. Second song was something called "Sweet City Woman," released the year I was born by a Canadian band called the Stampeders. So clearly, a ton of research went into putting the library together. I mean, if I had a nickel for every 18-34 year old woman who has told me she really wishes more stations played the Stampeders. LOL. Honestly, though, I'd never heard the song before in my life.
Oh yeah. The Stampeders. What a…uh…classic….um…who?
I hear it on Pure Oldies affiliate WFYX Walpole, NH, regularly when I'm up that way, and it was a playlist staple on WDRC-FM Hartford right to the deep-sixing of oldies for classic rock when the station changed hands in 2014. Not entirely an unknown song, although the band that did it was a one-hit wonder on this side of the border.
As far as Billboard Hot 100 top tens, yes. But, with a little help from the Wolfman, they reached #40 (for two weeks per my 2004 ed. of the Whitburn book) with this novelty (I prefer Brother Ray's version)...
Last year, because we were in the depths of covid, some stations made the flip early. One example was KOST in LA:
They flipped the first week of November. KOST is owned by iHeart, and if they do the same thing they did last year, they might flip some of their other markets early too. If so, that might include 106.1.
They flipped the first week of November. KOST is owned by iHeart, and if they do the same thing they did last year, they might flip some of their other markets early too. If so, that might include 106.1.
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