Christmas

[L.A. Tarone]

I doubt this would ever happen again, but what I’d nominate as the best counter-programming move ever was done by the old WFIL in Philadelphia every Christmas day for a handful of years – it played NO Christmas music whatsoever that day. It was just like a normal day -- normal jocks, normal CHR (“Top 40” in those days) playlist, normal jingles, etc. Just like a day in September. I remember it doing that in the early ‘70s, though the last year I remember it happening was 1974. I listened most of the day those Christmases it did that. By Christmas Day, you’re all “Christmased out,” so to hear “normal hit radio” was welcomed to me – and I assume to many other people as well. All these years later, I look back on it and think it was a brilliant move. There were no PPMs or anything like that back then, but I’d bet FIL had thousands pf people listening Christmas day who may not have usually listened other days. But again, I doubt you could do it today. First of all, everyone expects Christmas off; you’d probably have a very hard time getting your normal staff to agree to work. Secondly, your sales department has already sold the block “All Christmas Music” programming every station does today. And maybe listener response would be different today. But at least between 1970 and 1974, it worked quite well for Famous 56.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

WTIC in Hartford, Connecticut does just the opposite.
They do a news format like KYW or WCBS all year, but then at about 6 PM
on Christmas eve, they start to play Christmas music, and continue until 12 AM
on the 26th.
Then it's back to business as if nothing at all had happened.
It works fairly well, since they don't have time to play the songs 'til everyone's,
sick of them, or to recycle them ad nauseum.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

Well now... here's a rather mysterious declaration:

"Is it not a strange feeling that this year will be the last traditional Christmas
that you will celebrate? Next year there will be a totally different concept where
celebrations are concerned."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzHJ4YuB6nk

Wonder what will be different. :-\

 

[Seltzer]

I doubt this would ever happen again, but what I’d nominate as the best counter-programming move ever was done by the old WFIL in Philadelphia every Christmas day for a handful of years – it played NO Christmas music whatsoever that day. It was just like a normal day -- normal jocks, normal CHR (“Top 40” in those days) playlist, normal jingles, etc. Just like a day in September. I remember it doing that in the early ‘70s, though the last year I remember it happening was 1974. I listened most of the day those Christmases it did that. By Christmas Day, you’re all “Christmased out,” so to hear “normal hit radio” was welcomed to me – and I assume to many other people as well. All these years later, I look back on it and think it was a brilliant move. There were no PPMs or anything like that back then, but I’d bet FIL had thousands pf people listening Christmas day who may not have usually listened other days. But again, I doubt you could do it today. First of all, everyone expects Christmas off; you’d probably have a very hard time getting your normal staff to agree to work. Secondly, your sales department has already sold the block “All Christmas Music” programming every station does today. And maybe listener response would be different today. But at least between 1970 and 1974, it worked quite well for Famous 56.

The WFIL of today Top 40-CHR music is Q102. I doubt Q102 is doing Christmas block programming.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

Loving WLSH right about now. ;D

 

[ThomasCarten]

L.A.--
>>>First of all, everyone expects Christmas off; you’d probably have a very hard time getting your normal staff to agree to work.<<<

At one place, we all got reduced shifts during the day so we could spend lots of time home with the family. Except for the evening announcer --me-- who ended up with 3-to-midnight. No automation, not even automation-assist. Just one record after another for nine stupid hours, broken only by network news TOH and BOH.

 

[Zenith Transoceanic]

One would think, Tom, given your vocation, that 9 hours of Christmas music would
have been a joy! ;D
But even nine hours of 'play whatever you want' would seem to have been an
opportunity for a good time.

I recall one Christmas eve my sister and I were on our way to my brother's house
in Connecticut. We had the radio on, and some low-man-on-the-totem-pole intern
wasdoing his best to fill the pre-Santa hours with comfort and joy.
And then .... this really happened.... he did the bakery ad.
You radio 'old timers' will be very well aquainted with what happened next, but the
newcomers, it seems, will ever be bedeviled with this:

"All of the staff at the Sandstone bakery wish you and yours a happy holiday season,
and remind you that for the brest in bed, rolls, and -"

Then he totally cracked up, and you could tell that he hadn't really done it on
purpose.
(It wasn't WICC, btw. )

The more things change...

 

[Denny E.]

When I worked in radio back in the sixties, everyone had to work Christmas at our station. We all took three hour air shifts. No one really minded it because it was only one day and everyone had to do it. We just had 15 minute blocks of music that were sponsored by local business people. There was no "voice tracking" back then, lol.

Denny

 

[emo474]

Our station did 30 minute blocks of one artist.. the hardest was the Beach Boys.. their album was only about 19 minutes long...

By the way, I hate when a station declares themselves the "OFFICIAL" Christmas station... Certain functions have official sponsors, advertisers, merchants.. but they pay for that designation. To declare yourself the "Official" Christmas station is a meaningless pompous load of crap.

 

[kfitz]

I liked to work on Christmas morning! People would call me at Q102 in the best of spirits....I often received coffee and donuts from listeners. My girlfriend brought me breakfast one christmas morning (1987) while I was working on the air...I had met her at the radio station...was she surprised when I proposed to her there! Needless to say...that Christmas was certainly the best one I ever had while working at a radio station. I still get goosebumps while driving by the Insalaco's office building in upper Pittston.

KF