Did Sounds of Faith air on 12/24/06?

[tlyle]

I was out of town this weekend. Wanted to see if Sounds of Faith aired on 94.9 or some other station? What is the fate if it did not?

 

[fortt3]

:'( No. And as far as can be determined, no other station has picked it up. Sad.

 

[BDBopper]

Not only that but The Bull did not join the other Country stations in playing Christmas Music on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day which is a slap in the face to me and probably other country music listeners. My dial will not touch the Bull. they have told me in no uncertain terms that they do not care about me or my values. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

 

[ClarkKent]

Oh come off it, Brian. I'm a Christian and I wasn't offended at all that the Bull didn't go solid Christmas music. Big hairy deal. They were playing a couple Christmas songs an hour just after their launch (which is what you should keep in mind-- they're in LAUNCH phase, and can't afford to monkey with their sound right away) which is at least as much as any of the other country stations in the region were doing.

I don't think 95.5 The Beat or Project 961 went all Christmas either. Was that a slap in the face, too? Lighten up. :

 

[BDBopper]

Good and valid point about The Project or The Beat. However remember the demographic Country is supposed to be catering to. Yes there are exceptions but Country caters to a an audience that is mostly white and mostly Christian. There is much more variety in the demos for AAA and Hip Hop music Thus the abscense of Christmas music on those stations is definitely understandable. By not playing Christmas music, The Bull failed to represent the demographics the station is trying to cater to. Also remember that the Bull took over from Lite that was playing a month of Christmas music and whether or not the flip had occured before Christmas, Christmas music was expected on that frequency during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Those that are not radio geeks and don't follow the medium like we do, would have tuned in to 949 on Christmas and be very shocked and negatively surprised at what they heard.

Regardless I think Country needed to land on the frequency, but Clear Channel totally did it in the most crappy manner possible. Any chance of success with the format has now gone down the....yes....the crapper.

 

[middlega]

The Bull failed to represent the demographics the station is trying to cater to.

Being both Christian and (very) white, I'd have to disagree with you on that charge.

The majority of Christmas music played by country stations is secular, not religious, in nature, and the last thing on earth I want to hear on Christmas is the 48,963 spin for Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.

The majority of programming on TV on Christmas Day is secular, not religious but I sense no hue & cry raised about that fact, by Christians or otherwise. Why on earth would anybody be significantly disturbed by the lack of Christmas music on a radio station, country format or otherwise?

 

[Bubba2112]

Not only that but The Bull did not join the other Country stations in playing Christmas Music on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day which is a slap in the face to me and probably other country music listeners. My dial will not touch the Bull. they have told me in no uncertain terms that they do not care about me or my values. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

I did not listen to them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day as I "abandoned" them a day or two before them. They didn't and don't fit my Country Music listening "needs". And no, you are NOT the only one who feels that way. Merry (post dated) Christmas. Just remember, "values" aren't included in the 18-34 demographics that the current three operators of radio "value". If it isn't crotch jokes and slamming values, it isn't "clear".

 

[ClarkKent]

... Christmas music was expected on that frequency during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Those that are not radio geeks and don't follow the medium like we do, would have tuned in to 949 on Christmas and be very shocked and negatively surprised at what they heard.

Or, like lots of people, they could've been completely burned on Christmas music (since it started in Atlanta far too early this year, at least IMHO) and were happy to find something else on the dial besides back-to-back Bing Crosby's and the bajillionth spin of "Another Auld Lang Syne," which if I never hear again, it'll be too soon...but anyway...

I have to also agree with middlega...most "Christmas" music you hear on the radio isn't exactly liturgical... But the point is, I guess they figured they were playing *enough* Christmas tunes per hour, and maybe they also figured the stuff was out there wall to wall, if there was someone who wanted that. Could've also been that not going all-Christmas was a further attempt to separate the Bull from Lite in people's minds, since the flip was still pretty fresh and Lite had been playing solid Christmas music. But I dunno...just my theory.

 

[BIGSTICK]

Oh come off it, Brian. I'm a Christian and I wasn't offended at all that the Bull didn't go solid Christmas music. Big hairy deal. They were playing a couple Christmas songs an hour just after their launch (which is what you should keep in mind-- they're in LAUNCH phase, and can't afford to monkey with their sound right away) which is at least as much as any of the other country stations in the region were doing.

I don't think 95.5 The Beat or Project 961 went all Christmas either. Was that a slap in the face, too? Lighten up. :

I agree we were Christmased to Death this year.
But, I am still mad as HELL abouth the switch to Country. Going to an all Oldies format would have been much much better.

Country stations in Atl listening area

92.5
94.9
99.1-Southside
99.3 NE side
101.5
104.3 NE side
106.1
106.7
Enough is Enough.

 

[Barbapapa]

I had an upset mother in law that tuned into 94.9 for Sounds of Faith just like every Sunday morning for many years and got to hear crap instead. I'm sure there were many words not normally heard from old ladies all across Atlanta that morning.
IMO losing Peach (it was still Peach even though they called it Lite) was the saddest radio event of the year. Peach was very much an Atlanta institution whether they played elevator music like in the 80's or the Lite/Christmas stuff recently. To gain yet another country station is bad given how Country has evolved to be twangier and more annoying (or more Country is that's your taste). Please don't be offended if you're a Country fan, I just see all music formats as having become more polarized in recent decades with everyone going overboard to sound very Country, HipHop etc. It's the Balkinisation of pop culture and makes it more annoying than it used to be to be exposed to music you don't prefer.

 

[ClarkKent]

The balkanization of pop culture? That's a new one on me. ???

And Brent, this is the South. People like country here, obviously, or it wouldn't be on so many stations. There's also plenty of other choices on the dial if you happen not to, which certainly seems the case. A station's format is nothing to be "mad as hell" about.

 

[RTibbs]

Oldies are gone. The oldies of yesteryear have a new name, Classic Hits. It is the same demographic Oldies used to go after until their demos grw undessirable for advertisers.
You will never hear oldies on major signal in this town again. Get satellite or move would be your best bets.

 

[monkeymanmoi]

they have told me in no uncertain terms that they do not care about me or my values. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

I'm sorry, but this comment is hilarious. And country stations cater to Christians? Well, I guess they do, but it's still funny thinking about how much country can be about cheating, drinking and hicking it up.

 

[fortt3]

For anyone interested that missed the blurb in the AJC, Sounds Of Faith is now on WMSL 88.9 and streamed on
www.wmsl.fm, 88.9.