KOST to air Holiday Music soon

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://mobile.****************/cgi-bin/rolmobi.exe/dnheadline_id=n33500

November 9th is the date here for Holiday Music in the Southland.

 

[CaliRadioFan]

I'm a bit surprised they actually announced the date ahead of time. They usually have fun keeping people in suspense.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

I'm a bit surprised they actually announced the date ahead of time. They usually have fun keeping people in suspense.

I'm surprised it hasn't happened already. Sooner or later they are going to make the executive decision to go all Holiday every November 1. The person who makes that decision will get a bigger "holiday bonus" at the end of the year for making it.

 

[jimbo]

I realize stations get a significant bump in the book for playing Christmas music but I have never understood the appeal of it.

 

[CTListener]

I realize stations get a significant bump in the book for playing Christmas music but I have never understood the appeal of it.

I gather you're not female 25-54. That's the demo the advertisers are looking for, and that's the demo that loves Christmas/wintertime music for two whole months on the radio.

 

[TeaPartyDude]

Sirius XM Radio has been carrying Christmas music since the start of November (Channel 17)

 

[Neel]

I realize stations get a significant bump in the book for playing Christmas music but I have never understood the appeal of it.

I know KOLA used to go all Christmas (we would put it at work because we couldn't pick up KOST), and the Wave. But it seems like it didn't work for those stations like it does for KOST.

 

[jimbo]

I gather you're not female 25-54. That's the demo the advertisers are looking for, and that's the demo that loves Christmas/wintertime music for two whole months on the radio.

You gather correctly. I've never been female and during my 25-54 years I never liked Christmas music. However, my middle name is Ebenezer. Hopefully the staff at these stations love the stuff otherwise it's two months of annual aural torture.

 

[ajc_trw]

Christmas music, the mystery format

You and me both Jimbo. KOST is currently playing any song that mentions Christmas, even songs you'll never hear on the radio because it fits no format other than beautiful music (if that's even a thing anymore). If they can get the ratings more power to them.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

You gather correctly. I've never been female and during my 25-54 years I never liked Christmas music. However, my middle name is Ebenezer. Hopefully the staff at these stations love the stuff otherwise it's two months of annual aural torture.

Praise the Lord for the Internet and smart phones!!! I have not been held captive for years and years and years by any LA/SoCal radio station I don't want to subject my ears to!! Especially one playing XMAS music BEFORE Thanksgiving!!! Technology today has even improved reception regarding drop outs or buffering, while in mobile mode, hardly an issue. Guess I'm not one of the common people who helps make KOST #1 along with some politicians haha

 

[david]

Go Country 105 (KKGO) has now gone All-Christmas as well. IMO this does not serve them or their audience well as 105.1 is the only place a country music fan can go in LA for that music. KOST 103.5, LA's traditional Christmas station for the last 15 years, shares music with numerous stations, including sibling KBIG 104.3. KKGO would be better served I think, if they opted to sprinkle in a bit of holiday music among its typical playlist and save the All-Christmas approach for the eve of the 24th until the eve of the 25th. The current Country format will remain available online and the station is emphasizing that it will return on December 26, but as to SuperRadioFan's point above, I do not think it serves the station well to educate its P1 listeners to begin to seek out its format online, because once they get comfortable with streaming they may opt to not return to terrestrial radio at all.

 

[Gregg.]

That's very rare for a Country station to do the All-Christmas format. The only large market that I know of is Kansas City, where there are three Country stations and one company owns two of them. So in the past, one of those stations went All-Christmas. I guess if you own one of the two remaining Country outlets, it can be a good decision. But as you said, if you're the ONLY Country station in LA, it really makes no sense to abandon your format for six weeks. If they're hoping to grab some of KOST's Christmas audience, I doubt it will happen.

I'm curious if KKGO is playing the usual Christmas format... Crosby, Carpenters, Cole and Carey (Mariah)? Or are they adding Country artists that KOST wouldn't play? Of course, most Country stations go all-Christmas on Dec. 24 and 25.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

Funny thing 105.1 is playing just about the same christmas songs as kost. And not much mention that there a country station. Very odd.

 

[TheBigA]

KKGO would be better served I think, if they opted to sprinkle in a bit of holiday music among its typical playlist and save the All-Christmas approach for the eve of the 24th until the eve of the 25th.

People talk about how much better radio would be if it was mom & pop. That's basically what this is. They're trying this out, and seeing if they can make some 4th quarter money. It's one of those known vs. the unknown situations. They know how much they'd make with country, so this gives them a chance to see what their signal can attract with Christmas music.

 

[Gregg.]

So KKGO is running almost the same Christmas format you would hear on KOST or most other AC stations, even though KKGO is Country. I guess the same is true when a Classic Hits station goes Christmas, as was the case with many CBS Classic Hits stations a few years ago. Maybe once an hour WCBS-FM would play an Oldies style Christmas song you might not usually hear, maybe by the Beach Boys, Drifters or Elvis.

But it seems there's one standard Christmas format, whether the station is AC, Hot AC, Classic Hits or Country.

 

[davideduardo]

If they're hoping to grab some of KOST's Christmas audience, I doubt it will happen.

I am guessing that Sol, who is no big fan of iHeart, is simply trying to stick it to them. Likely they have figured out that they can preserve revenue, and they can prevent the iHeart cluster shares from increasing as much as usual.