Four part question, Multiple choice.

[qtpieislit]

Four part question, Multiple choice.

Who will flip to all seasonal music first? 
   a) B101
   b) Now97.5

How long before the flip occurs?
   a) November 7th
   b) Thanksgiving
   c) The first cold rain in November
   d) Simultaneously with Boscov’s in store seasonal discount promotion launch

How long before the other flips, once the first one goes? 
   a) 10 day’s,
   b) Incalculable
   c) 16 seconds
   d) The other station will just go off the air to save on electric

How long before the big yawn listening to taxi tested Xmas selections of the aforementioned stations?
   a) Before you can switch stations.
   b) Before you can switch to the internet
   c) Faster than memory retention allows.
   d) Faster than that. (Refer to Cesium atom micro second calculations. http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cesium.html )

 

[Irishfl]

"Who will flip to all seasonal music first? "

Now97.5 will want to get the jump on B101. I don't see b fliping earlier just to be first. Unless ofcoarse they find out the exact date now plans to flip. Then they might flip a day or so sooner, like that one year sunny announced when the x-mas music was coming.

"When will the flip occur?"
I guess a.

"How long before the other flips, once the first one goes? "
a) 10 day’s, Well more like within 10 days. The B probably won't wait aslong. Keep inmind they did it a little sooner last year because of jbr.

"How long before the big yawn listening to taxi tested Xmas selections of the aforementioned stations?"
Before you can switch stations...if its the new x-mas music.

 

[DG02816]

Thinking 97.5 will trot out the hohoho first. with liners/positioners to distance themselves from B. And, Irish, the word you're thinnking of is CO_U_RSE, rather than CO_A_RSE

 

[nd2023]

Why are we thinking about Christmas music now? It's 75 degrees outside and still technically summer.

 

[DToTheJ]

Why are we thinking about Christmas music now? It's 75 degrees outside and still technically summer.

So are you implying it's "sunny"? ;D

 

[Wil]

Why are we thinking about Christmas music now? It's 75 degrees outside and still technically summer.

Because we are possibly a month and half away from hearing the format (waaaayyyy to soon), and stores like Boscovs and Walgreens have already begun putting their Christmas stuff out on shelves. I must have slept right through Halloween this year.

 

[kms575]

Why are we thinking about Christmas music now? It's 75 degrees outside and still technically summer.

Because we are possibly a month and half away from hearing the format (waaaayyyy to soon), and stores like Boscovs and Walgreens have already begun putting their Christmas stuff out on shelves. I must have slept right through Halloween this year.

I saw Easter decorations at CVS! ;D

 

[jlongstreet]

Yo, Sam. "Seasonal" music? We can't say Christmas, or that even that overused, lousy, politically correct word, HOLIDAY music?

Give me a break........

 

[Rockin Rob]

Ya kiddin? I saw a "Halloween Adventure" store that had opened only a week or two before Labor Day!!!!

Sick, but with Boscov's/Christmas, it doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

I'll try to answer all the questions...

B101 got a 15.8 share in the December 2007 book. In the "Holiday Book," they hit 17.1! I don't see how it would make much sense for Now 97.5 to not do all-Christmas. And I don't see why they'd wait for B101 to start it. They're going to want a piece of that pie and if B101 flips first, Now won't stand a chance.

Someone in this thread mentioned that last year WJBR forced B101 to flip earlier than they normally would have. That's actually not true. On November 21, B101 announced on the air that the Christmas music would start the next day at 3:00 p.m. WJBR had actually been waiting on B101 and since B101 announced the 3:00 p.m. start time, WJBR simply started theirs three hours earlier.

That having been said, B101 hasn't really been one to be bullied into flipping to all-Christmas. I think they flipped in reaction to Sunny one time. (I don't know if I'm remembering it exactly correctly but I do recall it unfolded in a spectacular fashion: Sunny did an all-Christmas preview weekend with the intention of returning to their regular format on Monday morning. But B101 flipped that morning, forcing Sunny to flip back to all-Christmas that afternoon, after having returned to their regular format for only a matter of hours.) After that, B101 didn't seem very concerned when Sunny would flip two weeks before Thanksgiving. If anything, B101 has always seemed a little reluctant to abandon their format at all.

This year might be a different story though. With the Christmas format pretty much all to themselves last year (let's face it: WJBR is a total non-issue), B101's ratings were positively sick! ("Sick" in the good way, kids.) The honchos at Greater Media would have to be completely retarded to not want some of that. (Yes, that's right. I said "retarded." And I'm about to say it again.) And Jerry Lee would have to be completely retarded to not want to protect it.

So yeah, I believe Now is not going to wait until Thanksgiving to flip. And yeah, unless it happens on Halloween, I think B101 is going to react pretty swiftly. I wouldn't be amazed if Now flipped on on November 7 or November 14. In fact, I'd be only mildly stunned if they did it on November 1.

Regarding the yawn: I'm hoping there won't be a need for it. My wish this year is for both stations to make the other one better. If they actually end up doing the format for seven weeks, that gives them a lot of time to try out-tweaking each other. If B101 really wants to protect its Christmas baby (Jesus?), they can't afford to take the same lazy approach they used in 2007. They're not the only game in town this time. And the competition is commercial-free!

 

[imhomerjay]

The 'competition' however is generally unknown beyond this board and whoever bothers to read and remember the passing blurbs in Michael Klien's column. Without a big and sustained advertising blitz, flipping first and/or being commercial-free won't do squat for Now. B101 will run some commercials reinforcing their status as the Christmas station, and voila, Now may get a slice of the pie but it will be a mightly small slice. Probably more like crumbs.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Speaking of Now and Christmas: Why didn't they just keep the Smooth Jazz until November 1 and stun B101 by going all-Christmas? There would probably be very little speculation that it was stunting in advance of a format flip, right? Imagine how stunning it would have been to B101 on January 1 when they came out of it as Now 97.5. It's a difference of two months. I would have just waited!

Or do you think someone would have figured it out and beat them to it (AC)?

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

The 'competition' however is generally unknown beyond this board and whoever bothers to read and remember the passing blurbs in Michael Klien's column. Without a big and sustained advertising blitz, flipping first and/or being commercial-free won't do squat for Now. B101 will run some commercials reinforcing their status as the Christmas station, and voila, Now may get a slice of the pie but it will be a mightly small slice. Probably more like crumbs.

I'm saying, they'd have to do it plenty early and of course they'd have to unveil an ad campaign that very day. Maybe a bit outlandish but totally doable. Check it out...

If they flip on Halloween (for instance) and launch TV ads that day (as well as radio promos on BEN-FM and MGK), there's no way B101 is gonna flip in reaction. B101 is definitely not going to abandon their format that early. Within the next few days, billboards go up as well as ads on the sides of buses. "This year, Philadelphia's Christmas station is the new Now 97.5. All your holiday favorites, with no commercials while you work! Now 97.5!" We're talkin about more than crumbs.

As has been established, a lot of people will tune in for the Christmas music. And if it's advertised that it's on 97.5--commercial-free--before it's on B101, a good amount of those people will seek it out. And when B101 flips, why would those people switch from the commercial-free option? It's a golden opportunity for 97.5.

But the point isn't the holiday book. The point is making a splash and getting their name out there. Around the second week of December, they could start airing promos telling all-Christmas listeners what the new Now 97.5 is all about and why they should stick around after Christmas.

 

[qtpieislit]

Time to put your pencils down! Here are the answers to today's 'Four part question, Multiple choice'. Remember you are being judged on accuracy not neatness.

Who will flip to all seasonal music first?
a) B101
b) Now97.5

How long before the flip occurs?
a) November 7th
b) Thanksgiving
c) The first cold rain in November
d) Simultaneously with Boscov’s in store seasonal discount promotion launch

How long before the other flips, once the first one goes?
a) 10 day’s,
b) Incalculable
c) 16 seconds
d) The other station will just go off the air to save on electric

How long before the big yawn listening to taxi tested Xmas selections of the aforementioned stations?
a) Before you can switch stations.
b) Before you can switch to the internet
c) Faster than memory retention allows.
d) Faster than that. (Refer to Cesium atom micro second calculations. http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cesium.html )
e) all of the above

 

[Irishfl]

I'll try to answer all the questions...

B101 got a 15.8 share in the December 2007 book. In the "Holiday Book," they hit 17.1! I don't see how it would make much sense for Now 97.5 to not do all-Christmas. And I don't see why they'd wait for B101 to start it. They're going to want a piece of that pie and if B101 flips first, Now won't stand a chance.

Someone in this thread mentioned that last year WJBR forced B101 to flip earlier than they normally would have. That's actually not true. On November 21, B101 announced on the air that the Christmas music would start the next day at 3:00 p.m. WJBR had actually been waiting on B101 and since B101 announced the 3:00 p.m. start time, WJBR simply started theirs three hours earlier.

That having been said, B101 hasn't really been one to be bullied into flipping to all-Christmas. I think they flipped in reaction to Sunny one time. (I don't know if I'm remembering it exactly correctly but I do recall it unfolded in a spectacular fashion: Sunny did an all-Christmas preview weekend with the intention of returning to their regular format on Monday morning. But B101 flipped that morning, forcing Sunny to flip back to all-Christmas that afternoon, after having returned to their regular format for only a matter of hours.) After that, B101 didn't seem very concerned when Sunny would flip two weeks before Thanksgiving. If anything, B101 has always seemed a little reluctant to abandon their format at all.

Oh yeah. I must be thinking of the year before...or was it last year inwhich jbr flipped at midnight, and b101's PD made the decision to flip via a phone call at the mall around 8:00-9:00AM in response.

The 'competition' however is generally unknown beyond this board and whoever bothers to read and remember the passing blurbs in Michael Klien's column. Without a big and sustained advertising blitz, flipping first and/or being commercial-free won't do squat for Now. B101 will run some commercials reinforcing their status as the Christmas station, and voila, Now may get a slice of the pie but it will be a mightly small slice. Probably more like crumbs.

True, but GM has always been willing to do that when they wanted it. mmr, ben, mgk, and even jjz (which I think was the most recent). 950 is the only one I can't remember ever getting an advertising blizt, but that sorta format doesn't really need it anyway. Sports fans always find out, and havning 950 personalities appear on CSN, sports final, ect serves basically the same purpose as TV ads. BTW, if you count billboard ads, then even 950 has had them, including one next to the sports complex on i95.

So bottom line here is GM does promote, unlike lets say clearchannel who I don't think has had a tv ad since sunny, which ironically enough was a Christmas ad in response to the Christmas ads b101 had been airing. I think its safe to say GM will promote the station. Question is will they do it soon enough?

 

[imhomerjay]

And if it's advertised that it's on 97.5--commercial-free--before it's on B101, a good amount of those people will seek it out. And when B101 flips, why would those people switch from the commercial-free option? It's a golden opportunity for 97.5.

But the point isn't the holiday book. The point is making a splash and getting their name out there. Around the second week of December, they could start airing promos telling all-Christmas listeners what the new Now 97.5 is all about and why they should stick around after Christmas.

I wouldn't put it past B101 to do some kind of competing commercial-free stunt. Everything anyone has tried to come after them has failed because they are so good at counter-programming. I honestly believe there's such a thing as putting too much stock in being "first." Heritage and habit are big hurdles to overcome. A few bus ads, billboards and TV spots may get them from crumbs to a slice for a few early weeks, but I'd be surprised if, when we're talking head-to-head competition, that the B doesn't demolish them. I have no horse in the race other than losing the format I happen to like for two months, so who beats who means zero to me. Just a guess at how it plays out.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Oh yeah. I must be thinking of the year before...or was it last year inwhich jbr flipped at midnight, and b101's PD made the decision to flip via a phone call at the mall around 8:00-9:00AM in response.

I had forgotten about that. Yes, I think that was the previous year. When the PD was holiday shopping at the mall and someone called and was like, "Uh, boss. 'JBR just went all-Christmas." That caught them off guard because WJBR hadn't even done an extended Christmas format before, right?

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

I wouldn't put it past B101 to do some kind of competing commercial-free stunt. Everything anyone has tried to come after them has failed because they are so good at counter-programming. I honestly believe there's such a thing as putting too much stock in being "first." Heritage and habit are big hurdles to overcome. A few bus ads, billboards and TV spots may get them from crumbs to a slice for a few early weeks, but I'd be surprised if, when we're talking head-to-head competition, that the B doesn't demolish them. I have no horse in the race other than losing the format I happen to like for two months, so who beats who means zero to me. Just a guess at how it plays out.

You have to remember in all of this madness, GM would be out of their minds to think they're ever gonna "beat" B101. All they're hoping for is enough of an audience to make 97.5 profitable. (That's all anyone's really hoping for in radio these days, right?) Simply advertising that there's a new AC station (vs. B101) in town isn't gonna do much for them, though they may slowly carve out an audience. An all-Christmas stunt--marketed correctly, programmed correctly, and timed correctly--is just a perfect way for them to get the brand out there and get a lot of people listening quickly so they can introduce themselves. I really do think it's a golden opportunity. If they don't take advantage of it, we'll know they've got some real boneheads over there!

 

[imhomerjay]

Amen to that. And if they do it sans personalities and reap the cost savings, the threshold is pretty low, even compared to the not-exactly-the-most-expensive-thing-in-the-world WJJZ.

I would love to see some research on the question of whether there's a potential to carve out a niche by zagging when everyone expects you to zig. B101 is going to clean up again with the holidays...so is there possibly an opening (again, if marketed well and based on the assumption that you're trying to carve out a small niche against the incumbent) for being the choice for non-wall-to-wall tunes? Maybe not, but the data would be fascinating to see.

 

[wprt949]

Four part question, Multiple choice.

Who will flip to all seasonal music first?
a) B101
b) Now97.5 im going with Now

How long before the flip occurs?
a) November 7th yes
b) Thanksgiving
c) The first cold rain in November
d) Simultaneously with Boscov’s in store seasonal discount promotion launch

How long before the other flips, once the first one goes?
a) 10 day’s,
b) Incalculable
c) 16 seconds yes b101 is in the middle of a normal song then they seg right into a x-mas song
d) The other station will just go off the air to save on electric

How long before the big yawn listening to taxi tested Xmas selections of the aforementioned stations?
a) Before you can switch stations.
b) Before you can switch to the internet and im going to hylitradio.com
c) Faster than memory retention allows.
d) Faster than that. (Refer to Cesium atom micro second calculations. http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/cesium.html )



erase my other reply