Magic 106.7 Just Went All Christmas

[jlehmann]

At 3 PM...

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

WMJX-106.7's website now (3:10 P.M. EST December 5th) has the "Christmas look".

This actually makes sense for WMJX; in most cities, it's the soft AC station that goes all-Christmas. In fact, until now, WMJX was one of the few mainstream or soft AC's in a major market (WSB-98.5 in Atlanta was the only other one I can think of) not to have gone all-Christmas.

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes.
So, no holiday pre-emptions on Lost 45s (WROR)

>>ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS BY VINCE VANCE & THE VALIAN
3:17CHRISTMAS EVE/SAREJEVO BY TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
3:08HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS BY CARPENTERS
3:06FROSTY THE SNOWMAN BY RONETTES
3:01MARY'S BOY CHILD BY BONEY M

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I was surprised that WMJX-106.7 waited this long.

I thought that if WMJX were to do it this year, they would have flipped early in November and promoted themselves as "New England's New Radio Home For The Holidays" (perhaps with TV spots, ads on MBTA buses, and billboards).

Next year, if "Magic 106.7" again goes all-Christmas, I severely doubt they'd wait until December 5th. By December 5th of 2013, they may well have been all-Christmas for nearly a month, or perhaps even 35 days!

Given the lateness of the flip, I suspect that Greater Media had originally planned not to flip any of it's stations to 24/7 Christmas, otherwise, they would have done it sooner.

 

[CTListener]

I was surprised that WMJX-106.7 waited this long.

I thought that if WMJX were to do it this year, they would have flipped early in November and promoted themselves as "New England's New Radio Home For The Holidays" (perhaps with TV spots, ads on MBTA buses, and billboards).

Next year, if "Magic 106.7" again goes all-Christmas, I severely doubt they'd wait until December 5th. By December 5th of 2013, they may well have been all-Christmas for nearly a month, or perhaps even 35 days!

Given the lateness of the flip, I suspect that Greater Media had originally planned not to flip any of it's stations to 24/7 Christmas, otherwise, they would have done it sooner.

Probably realized, when WBMX didn't flip, that CBS was basically leaving money on the table. Now I wonder if WBMX might be flipped after all, albeit late, to salvave some of those advertiser dollars.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

As of 5:15 P.M. EST today (December 5th), WBMX-104.1 hasn't gone all-Christmas.

 

[promixcuous]

I hope Mix does not go Xmas. Given that they lean adult top 40, it would seem like a radical departure from their current contemporary playlist. It would be as jarring as when Star went Xmas several years ago.

 

[pjc1961]

Note: The Holiday 2012 Arbitron PPM period runs from Thu. 12/6/12 to Wed. 1/2/13.

Possibly WMJX wanted a "full" December 2012 period (Thu. 11/8/12-Wed. 12/5/12) with regular programming before testing the waters with the holiday format during the Holiday period. If it doesn't do as well as planned, not much is lost. If it does well, then a little earlier next year. No good reason to go earlier than the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Unlikely that CBS will counter with Christmas tunes on WBMX; in New York, similarly formatted CBS Fresh 102.7 (WWFS) hasn't competed on CCM+E LiteFM's (WLTW) turf for years in the Kris Kringle Carol wars.

Boston's 2012 holiday formatics were thrown out of kilter by the change in landscape (WODS to CHR).
2013 will likely settle in to a regular pattern...well, maybe; see ya same time, next year! ;D

 

[DToTheJ]

3:17 CHRISTMAS EVE/SAREJEVO BY TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Looks like some radio station needs spellcheck for Christmas...

 

[ssetta]

I've been listening for the past few days, and I have to say they have a pretty narrow selection. I must have heard Happy Xmas by John Lennon about 5 times yesterday, and Jingle Bell Rock (both versions), and they only play Kelly Clarksons version of Grown Up Christmas List. I remember noticing this same thing back in 2005, the last time they went all Christmas. I'm guessing that's why everyone complained.

 

[CTListener]

I've been listening for the past few days, and I have to say they have a pretty narrow selection. I must have heard Happy Xmas by John Lennon about 5 times yesterday, and Jingle Bell Rock (both versions), and they only play Kelly Clarksons version of Grown Up Christmas List. I remember noticing this same thing back in 2005, the last time they went all Christmas. I'm guessing that's why everyone complained.

That's the same formula WRCH uses here in Connecticut, only about 250 songs, very tight rotation. Hey, it works. The numbers say so.

 

[raccoonradio]

Given the anniversary of John's death today no surprise but Happy Xmas a very popular number, and can be heard across the dial on the various all-Christmas (and other) stations; 96.1, 106.7, 94.9, etc

 

[raccoonradio]

I think there was mention on boston-radio-interest today that some Christmas stations like WMJX realize people listen for short periods only and they wind up playing maybe 30 songs several times a day. As in, Happy Xmas War is Over every 2-3 hours or so...mixed with some other tunes.
Narrow focus...vanilla and _French vanilla_, folks!

 

[CTListener]

I think there was mention on boston-radio-interest today that some Christmas stations like WMJX realize people listen for short periods only and they wind up playing maybe 30 songs several times a day. As in, Happy Xmas War is Over every 2-3 hours or so...mixed with some other tunes.
Narrow focus...vanilla and _French vanilla_, folks!

Before programming music for radio became the soulless, bloodless, research-fixated thing it is today, how on earth did radio stations get those huge audience numbers they got back then? What, with all the listeners constantly switching stations or turning off their radios at the sound of an unfamiliar song, you'd think radio as a music delivery source would have died long before the first focus group ever met.