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Christmas
- Thread starter Roger
- Start date
Ol' One Ear here says Christmas comes even earlier this year, and to many more chimneys near you than ever.
Though my suspicions where I live in unrated Schuylkill County aren't apropos per se, some owners in nearby rated areas are watching major market trends, and perhaps even trying to sleep with one eye open during this season of upheaval in huge metros.
Repeat : MAJOR market trends. Huge FM stations are changing formats the way Stevie Nicks used to change her wardbobe during Fleetwood Mac concerts. The thousands of wing-tips flying up stairwells and through corridors this radio season is unprecedented. And many of those folks are making big salaries to justify the exercise.
Format changes = stunting. And at this time of the year, one week into autumn, which form of stunting has been the most prolific and publicized practice, speculation and acclaim the past decade?
On the theory that the end of the world isn't here on schedule in three weeks, that view which 'visionary' cluster management in the medium regions has to be witnessing in the largest and most major-est markets is a real scuffling. Look for copycat thinking filtering down that Top Fifty list, not up, and especially in this financial tropical depression.
Imho, I'd say that we're in for more stations with Holiday Music, and sooner. More stations than ever before will be sucking their thumbs and leaving a wish list for Santa.
Though my suspicions where I live in unrated Schuylkill County aren't apropos per se, some owners in nearby rated areas are watching major market trends, and perhaps even trying to sleep with one eye open during this season of upheaval in huge metros.
Repeat : MAJOR market trends. Huge FM stations are changing formats the way Stevie Nicks used to change her wardbobe during Fleetwood Mac concerts. The thousands of wing-tips flying up stairwells and through corridors this radio season is unprecedented. And many of those folks are making big salaries to justify the exercise.
Format changes = stunting. And at this time of the year, one week into autumn, which form of stunting has been the most prolific and publicized practice, speculation and acclaim the past decade?
On the theory that the end of the world isn't here on schedule in three weeks, that view which 'visionary' cluster management in the medium regions has to be witnessing in the largest and most major-est markets is a real scuffling. Look for copycat thinking filtering down that Top Fifty list, not up, and especially in this financial tropical depression.
Imho, I'd say that we're in for more stations with Holiday Music, and sooner. More stations than ever before will be sucking their thumbs and leaving a wish list for Santa.
A start, Seltzer, could be the station chains or standalones at which a lot of the revenue is from local sponsors. In unrated Schuylkill County, that means just about everybody.
In Allentown, though, that means folks like Clear Channel might be squirmy. Into the Allentown book come stations from Philadelphia and New York.
In Wilkes-Barre Scranton ... well, you folks know a lot more about the ownership there than I ever will. Agency buys there v local sponsorships might be the key there as well, though.
In rated Williamsport -- they DO get rated, like once per eclipse -- Clear Channel might go for Santa's toy sack via one of the FMs they fortified in recent years in an attempt to knock local Country WILQ off the top rung. Clear Channel has been trying to do that for years. I'm wondering which, if not all, of those Clear Channel Williamsport properties are among the 400 or so to be jettisoned. Last year, though, their Bill-FM Country played the jingle bells. That might start earlier this time ; this fiscal report card. Their Variety 99.7/99.5(?) combo might be ripe, too.
PPMs in the big markets overall were generous to Christmas music last year. How much of that approach fits into diary markets in 2011 remains to be heard. The WGMF franchises, for example, might see enough progress and elbow room to spin off a few of the frequencies for their version of roasting chestnuts.
In Allentown, though, that means folks like Clear Channel might be squirmy. Into the Allentown book come stations from Philadelphia and New York.
In Wilkes-Barre Scranton ... well, you folks know a lot more about the ownership there than I ever will. Agency buys there v local sponsorships might be the key there as well, though.
In rated Williamsport -- they DO get rated, like once per eclipse -- Clear Channel might go for Santa's toy sack via one of the FMs they fortified in recent years in an attempt to knock local Country WILQ off the top rung. Clear Channel has been trying to do that for years. I'm wondering which, if not all, of those Clear Channel Williamsport properties are among the 400 or so to be jettisoned. Last year, though, their Bill-FM Country played the jingle bells. That might start earlier this time ; this fiscal report card. Their Variety 99.7/99.5(?) combo might be ripe, too.
PPMs in the big markets overall were generous to Christmas music last year. How much of that approach fits into diary markets in 2011 remains to be heard. The WGMF franchises, for example, might see enough progress and elbow room to spin off a few of the frequencies for their version of roasting chestnuts.
I think that in Williamsport, the following should happen:
Variety 97.7 / 99.7 would see a frequency change. Take V 97.7 (as they have recently been calling themselves on the air, though Pat Garrett liners still say Variety 97.7) and put Bill FM on there.
Clear Channel ALWAYS has a Country station in their multiple station clusters. It would have a better chance of succeeding there.
CC has had a difficult time with Bill 95; though, it's not like they haven't tried to make it successful.
Bill FM 95.5 / 95.3 could be split up or change to Oldies. The 95.3 frequency in Shamokin did very well with Oldies prior to CC acquiring them. Or, move the CHR format from Variety over instead.
WRAK 1400 / WRKK 1200 / FMT @ 94.9 FM should drop the 1200 trimulcast and do FOX Sports and add a translator for the format. Would give more value to an overpriced AM upgrade facility and be able to make some money with a HOT format.
KISS may be getting old(er); but, if it ain't broke... why fix it.
Variety 97.7 / 99.7 would see a frequency change. Take V 97.7 (as they have recently been calling themselves on the air, though Pat Garrett liners still say Variety 97.7) and put Bill FM on there.
Clear Channel ALWAYS has a Country station in their multiple station clusters. It would have a better chance of succeeding there.
CC has had a difficult time with Bill 95; though, it's not like they haven't tried to make it successful.
Bill FM 95.5 / 95.3 could be split up or change to Oldies. The 95.3 frequency in Shamokin did very well with Oldies prior to CC acquiring them. Or, move the CHR format from Variety over instead.
WRAK 1400 / WRKK 1200 / FMT @ 94.9 FM should drop the 1200 trimulcast and do FOX Sports and add a translator for the format. Would give more value to an overpriced AM upgrade facility and be able to make some money with a HOT format.
KISS may be getting old(er); but, if it ain't broke... why fix it.
Magic 105.5's sister station, WLSH-AM in Lansford, has been all Christmas every year for decades. I assume it will start around November 1st, or so. And it continues playing Christmas music until the second week of January, so it covers Greek Christmas as well.
If you guys want, I'll play a Christmas song TOH on my show Monday, 10:00 - 11:00 - Noon just to say it's been done. Just this one day; I don't go into it until two days before Christmas and up to Epiphany.
WLSH (1410 Lansford) usually starts their Christmas programing on Thanksgiving, and goes through New Years.
I love it, frankly.
A lot of it is ancient, but it's far and away the best mix, and includes local choral groups as well.
I'd love it if someone in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would pick it up for the holidays.
Beats anyone else by miles, and retains the Christmas feeling.
That's my two cents.
Looks like Christmas is going to be a bit bleak this year, and it needs all the help it can get.
I love it, frankly.
A lot of it is ancient, but it's far and away the best mix, and includes local choral groups as well.
I'd love it if someone in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would pick it up for the holidays.
Beats anyone else by miles, and retains the Christmas feeling.
That's my two cents.
Looks like Christmas is going to be a bit bleak this year, and it needs all the help it can get.
My yearly Christmas rant that goes unanswered--
One year I would love to hear a station that would expand the Christmas playlist beyond the usual. There are sooooo many Christmas songs out there and I just can't fathom why stations insist on playing Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives over and over and over again. Yes, it's a classic and a great Christmas song, but by the time Christmas time comes around I've heard it so many times I can't wait until 12/26 just to get a break. You can't get away from those songs, on the radio, in the stores. Burl Ives has how many Christmas songs. I can tell you, my in-laws, who love Christmas songs, are not going to change the radio station because they play Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer by Burl Ives. So many time radio insiders get on these boards and tell us how that's what people want to hear. But I talk to people too, some who will listen to Christmas from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and they will tell you the same thing. The only thing that bothers them is the repetition, that they wouldn't mind if Magic 93 or anyone else decided to up the playlist a bit.
This goes for all year, not just Christmas, too many radio stations play it safe. Let's not take risks on the off chance someone might not like it. So we get a bunch of cookie cutter stations that are almost indistinguishable form each other. Christmas is just one of those. I dare Magic 93 or some other station to have a no repeat 9 to 5 of Christmas music. Just 8 hours not repeating the same Christmas song twice. Heck, I'll be nice and cut that in half. Give me 8 hours where you will not play the same song more than two times. I don't need to hear Holly Jolly Christmas 4 or 5 times a day.
Nothing has killed radio more than "consultants." Stations pay how much for these people. You want to know what listeners want to hear, ASK us. Real simple.
One year I would love to hear a station that would expand the Christmas playlist beyond the usual. There are sooooo many Christmas songs out there and I just can't fathom why stations insist on playing Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives over and over and over again. Yes, it's a classic and a great Christmas song, but by the time Christmas time comes around I've heard it so many times I can't wait until 12/26 just to get a break. You can't get away from those songs, on the radio, in the stores. Burl Ives has how many Christmas songs. I can tell you, my in-laws, who love Christmas songs, are not going to change the radio station because they play Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer by Burl Ives. So many time radio insiders get on these boards and tell us how that's what people want to hear. But I talk to people too, some who will listen to Christmas from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and they will tell you the same thing. The only thing that bothers them is the repetition, that they wouldn't mind if Magic 93 or anyone else decided to up the playlist a bit.
This goes for all year, not just Christmas, too many radio stations play it safe. Let's not take risks on the off chance someone might not like it. So we get a bunch of cookie cutter stations that are almost indistinguishable form each other. Christmas is just one of those. I dare Magic 93 or some other station to have a no repeat 9 to 5 of Christmas music. Just 8 hours not repeating the same Christmas song twice. Heck, I'll be nice and cut that in half. Give me 8 hours where you will not play the same song more than two times. I don't need to hear Holly Jolly Christmas 4 or 5 times a day.
Nothing has killed radio more than "consultants." Stations pay how much for these people. You want to know what listeners want to hear, ASK us. Real simple.
"And Damian..it has nothing to do with consultants. Christmas programming has been around enough long enough to know what works..and that is a tight list of songs. Besides Damian..assuming you are a guy...Christmas programming is designed for women anyway. Moms and their young children if the station is doing it right."
That is why I listen to very little Christmas music on the radio. I usually listen to my CD's mostly, There is nothing I hate more than repetition (one reason I don't listen to Magic, WKRZ, WBHT, etc). I tend to listen to WHLM, The Mountain, the River or even GEM since repetition is less there. I hate when I hear a song twice in one day, and at Christmas time, Magic's repetition is atrocious. Last year I decided to listen to it for a whole work day and no lie, I heard songs like "Holly Jolly Christmas" at least 4 times in that 8 hour period. It got to the point I could almost predict the next song they would play. Not an experiment I have any intention of repeating (again, nothing against "Holly Jolly Christmas", it's a classic, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing).
It's really ironic that I can get more variety in may Christmas music by listening to the Mountain, who only plays a few Christmas songs during the season. That does remind me of another rant I usually have. Since Magic is an all Christmas station after Thanksgiving, I've noticed many other stations don't play any Christmas songs at all (or very, very few). You either have all or nothing Christmas. Why can't some stations ease you into it. I'd like for a station to start slow and gradually increase the Christmas music as it gets closer.
I really don't expect this Christmas wish to be answered, which is why I've bought my own collection of CD's so I can listen to what I want. I don't think it's an accident more and more people listen to MP3's and the like, and less and less to local radio.
That is why I listen to very little Christmas music on the radio. I usually listen to my CD's mostly, There is nothing I hate more than repetition (one reason I don't listen to Magic, WKRZ, WBHT, etc). I tend to listen to WHLM, The Mountain, the River or even GEM since repetition is less there. I hate when I hear a song twice in one day, and at Christmas time, Magic's repetition is atrocious. Last year I decided to listen to it for a whole work day and no lie, I heard songs like "Holly Jolly Christmas" at least 4 times in that 8 hour period. It got to the point I could almost predict the next song they would play. Not an experiment I have any intention of repeating (again, nothing against "Holly Jolly Christmas", it's a classic, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing).
It's really ironic that I can get more variety in may Christmas music by listening to the Mountain, who only plays a few Christmas songs during the season. That does remind me of another rant I usually have. Since Magic is an all Christmas station after Thanksgiving, I've noticed many other stations don't play any Christmas songs at all (or very, very few). You either have all or nothing Christmas. Why can't some stations ease you into it. I'd like for a station to start slow and gradually increase the Christmas music as it gets closer.
I really don't expect this Christmas wish to be answered, which is why I've bought my own collection of CD's so I can listen to what I want. I don't think it's an accident more and more people listen to MP3's and the like, and less and less to local radio.
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