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Christmas Repetition

Cosmopolite said:
WLSH-1410 in Lansford airs continuous Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Orthodox Christmas in January. This tradition dates back to their Christmas Eve 1952 sign-on.
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You don't do it justice! It's more than just "Do They Know It's Christmas?" played ad nauseum.
They have recorded music - including many local performances - from 1952 to the present.
If you grew up in the 1950s and '60s, the WLSH programming will 'sound like Christmas' to you.
I tune in every year, in spite of the static. It's so much better than what's on Magic or Shammrock.

(Watch! They won't do it this year. :p)

And yes, I know it's too early! for this, but maybe someone will see this and take the hint.
 
Just down the turnpike, WLEV went Christmas on Friday afternoon. Wonder if Magic will follow suit soon? Aren't both stations owned by Citadel?
 
What happened to the days we eased into Christmas programming. Just listened to our "Magic" in Greenville, S.C. and heard the same songs over and over that I heard last year, and the year before,etc. There are thousands of Christmas songs that never get airplay because everybody knows "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", and God forbid you play something listeners don't recognize. No wonder the Christmas spirit is dying. We're sick of it by Thanksgiving.
 
normhill007 said:
What happened to the days we eased into Christmas programming. Just listened to our "Magic" in Greenville, S.C. and heard the same songs over and over that I heard last year, and the year before,etc. There are thousands of Christmas songs that never get airplay because everybody knows "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", and God forbid you play something listeners don't recognize. No wonder the Christmas spirit is dying. We're sick of it by Thanksgiving.
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That was my complaint when I started the thread last year. Every year I belabor this point about Christmas repetition in the hope that some radio god out there will listen and add some variety. But I know, I'd have more chance of winning the Powerball. Ain't gonna happen :-\. What you have is one or two stations that play nothing but Christmas (Holly Jolly Christmas 20 times a day) and most of the other stations don't touch Christmas with a 10 foot pole. I think there attitude is you want to listen to Christmas, listen to an all Christmas station. I much prefer a gradual increase as Christmas gets closer, but nobody seems to do that anymore. It's all or nothing.

Last year I decided to listen to Magic 93 all day while at work. In an 8 hour period I remember hearing Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" 4 times. That's 4 times in a 7 1/2 hour period. About once every two hours. And there were many, many examples of that. You hear the same songs over and over again, and every so many, they might throw an odd ball out there. My favorite Christmas song is "I believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake. You know how many times I heard that. 0, notta. I had to get out my CD and listen to it myself (and I have the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version--I prefer the Greg Lake version). And it's hardly a deep cut.

Usually what I do is I'll switch to Magic for about 2 to 3 hours and as soon as the repeats start, I change the dial. I hate repetition. I know Holly Jolly Christmas will be played on a daily basis. I'm ok with that. But every 2 hours. The consultants say these are the songs people want to hear. I agree. But does Citadel really think people are going to tune out Magic because they have a no repeat 9 to 5 on Christmas music (so you can still actually play Holly Jolly Christmas 2 or 3 times in 24 hours). In fact, if you add variety, you may add to your listeners people like me, who do like Christmas music, just not the same 20 songs over and over again. I dare them to try it, just a no repeat 9 to 5 is all I ask.
 
A few items from my humble opinion (and one from memory):

1) I understand frustration about repetition, but most holiday music is programmed the same way that the regular playlist is, so think of the songs that get repeated the most as "currents"--you'll hear them every 3-4 hours. The songs that test the best get played the most.

2) The flip side of repetition is what I'm dealing with when I tune into my Sirius holiday channel--a TON of obscure (and difficult to listen to) holiday songs that make me want to start pushing buttons.

3) I remember when I worked at KRZ in the early 90s under Doc Medek and Jerry Padden--we had exactly 19 Christmas songs to play on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No format, no playlist--just 19 carts that I was told to mix up and play over and over. That had to be one of the LONGEST 6-hour shifts of my life. Even WILK was playing better stuff off of a satellite feed!
 
I generally do not listen to CHR and Hot A/C stations because of the endless repetition. Generally I listen to the Mountain, WHLM-FM, the River or WAZL-AM in Hazleton. My complaint for Christmas stations is mainly this:

1--we have an all or nothing approach these days. Basically, 1 or 2 stations go all Christmas, and the most of the rest of the stations avoid Christmas like the plague. If you want Christmas, you almost have to listen to Magic 93, so you are trapped into the repetition. I used to like what WISH 102/103 did several years ago. They would play all Christmas at night and mix it in during the day. Nobody does that anymore.

2--There are literally thousands of Christmas songs out there. There is no reason some variety can't be added in. I don't suggest they add obscure, unlistenable Christmas songs on. But instead of playing "Holly Jolly Christmas" 4 times in 8 hours, how about substituting Burl Ives "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" and his "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" 2 of those times. I rarely hear Ive's other Christmas Songs on the radio. The Carpenter's have a whole Christmas album, yet I only ever hear 2 or 3 of their songs on the radio. Ray Conniff has at least 3 Christmas albums. There is lots to draw on if they just would look at the albums made by popular artists for Christmas. Nobody is going to switch the station in disgust because they decide to play "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Ives.

Really, I believe it's laziness by the radio gods. It's easier to just play the same 20 songs over and over again. It does not take any thought or programming. Just program your 20 songs and hit repeat.

What's sad is I have several Christmas albums. I can take the first 3 "NOW That's What I Call Christmas" albums, put them in my CD player on shuffle, and get more variety than I get from Magic. And those are just the hits.
 
Since the "annual b&&&& session" about Christmas radio has begun let me offer a couple of facts. These can be considered facts because there's now enough years in the books why this successful tactic wins for stations like Magic:

1. Play the hits. Year after year short playlists win by repeating the most beloved songs and most beloved versions of the songs often. Other stations have tried to take Magic on at Christmas and failed. Why? Too adventurous of a playlist is probably one of the reasons why.

2. Like the rest of the year, this is designed for female listeners. So "guys" stop complaining.

3. It's about ratings & revenue. Don't ever forget that.


As far as other stations not playing any Christmas songs....that's their fault. There is still a place for a station to mix in Christmas tunes. I imagine the country stations will mix in Christmas tunes. Gem River and WARM probably will as well. Or should.
 
I'm sure you are right, which is one of the reasons I don't listen to stations like Magic or KRZ. I absolutely hate repetition. If I had a 5 disc CD changer at work, I'd bring it and use it. I just wish a station would come out, play some variety for Christmas for those of us that don't like continuous repetition. Instead you get nothing unless you listen to Magic. I don't think my music tastes are avant garde or anything. I like the hits. Just not thrown at me 4 times in an 8 hour day. I'd love to see the Mountain or WHLM-FM add Christmas tunes to their playlist and add in some of those little known, but once beloved Christmas songs. But they don't. They play little, if any Christmas tuneage. I feel like a prisoner when it comes to Holiday songs. Either I listen to the sanitized playlist of Magic or nothing at all.

That's my take. My favorite stations generally are not top 5 in Arbitron ratings. I get sick of songs fast if I hear them too often. I have almost 200 CD's at home from the Bee Gees, to Genesis, to Pink Floyd, to Madonna, to Tears for Fears, to Chic, to the Moody Blues, etc, etc, etc. Just to give you an indication of the type of variety I like. I think nothing of listening to the "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin, to "Like a Prayer" by Madonna, to "Night Fever" by the Bee Gees to "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" by Genesis. I could but a JACK format to shame ;D
 
as long as I don't hear the christmas shoes I'll be good shape
 
Speaking of "repitition".. BRETT'S BUSINESS BLOG, the weekly tips by the Business Manager at Shamrock Communications is now going on week #3.. if I was the advertiser, I'd refuse to pay for my piggybacked spots since these Blogs are supposed to make it seem like you're giving timely valuable tips on how to run your business.. or in this case, to show how your business (Shamrock) could care less about your business!
 
Back when I grew up (in the radio business), I dare say that most people 18+ listened to the radio. Many people could tell you the on-the-air jock's name and probably even the shift. My "kids" are 27, 23, and 22. They cannot tell me the call letters of even one station, and they only know the names of one morning crew. They all have iPods that have exactly the songs they like. The reality is the current generation of 12-34 has either grown up with or readily adapted to technology that enables them to have it their way. Radio is just not a big part of their lives. If they have to listen to a computer play songs over the air, why not carry their own computer that plays the songs they want?

My wife and older daughter are big Christmas music fans. We already own almost every CD that they want to hear. It surprised me last night when my older daughter turned our TV to one of the cable music channels that was playing Christmas music. Back in the old days, we would have called it elevator music. It is at least background music.

It's hard to say whether radio killed itself or whether technology did it for them. My opinion is worthless because I have a jaded, formerly insider view. I personally stopped listening to music on the radio back in the nineties. Now that most of the diarrhea mouthed jocks are gone, I've lost touch with the music, so it's talk radio or nothing. Half the time, it's nothing.

In our local market, Raleigh-Durham, WKIX (AM) plays a very deep list of oldies. It's fun to listen, but the demographic to which it appeals has to be very small. The number of older/old people listening to music on the radio has to be just pitiful. (The word is that the station is being programmed to Don Curtis' personal tastes without regard for ratings.) In any case, the AM stations in the market are dying a quick death now that WPTF lost Rush to WRDU. I wonder if the AM station owners are trying to find a way to use the AM signal for power load management with the power companies or traffic light coordination with the local municipalities. (Okay, that's a bad joke.)
 
radio_monster said:
as long as I don't hear the christmas shoes I'll be good shape
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LOL! but you will; along with "Happy Birthday Jesus" and all the other 'heart-retching' ;) songs!
Incidently, I have never understood why "My Favorite Things" is considered a Christmas song.
"Brown paper packages tied up in string"?
"Silver white winters that turn into spring" - good enuff; it's an Xmas song? :p
 
First introduced in the "Sound Of Music." It's annual showing is coming up.

It's a holiday song like Winter Wonderland or Baby It's Cold Outside.

Songs about Jesus? Well it is His birthday.
 
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