Rush To Christmas

[Element9]

Well, 'tis the season. It's official. WJYE and WTSS, two of the market's leading ACs, are now wall to wall Christmas music, leaving the third AC to playing gold-based AC that doesn't sound all that gold-based.

Snapshot:

WTSS: "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" -Dean Martin
WJYE: "Celebrate Me Home" -Kenny Loggins
WHTT: "The Sign" -Ace Of Bass

I actually thought Dean Martin sounded pretty cool and "Celebrate Me Home" has always been a subtle, well-produced holiday song.

Ace of Bass? Pfffft!

I may need to have my hormone levels checked. I can actually understand how chicks dig this stuff... at least in small doses.

Now back to the Man Stations.

-9-

 

[Lost Listener]

Today we had WJYE on for about an hour. That's about all the Christmas I could take right now. Anyways, I heard Elvis, Bing Crosby, The Ronettes, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis. For a while I thought I was listening to an FM version of the old WECK. These artists would be considered "oldies-standards" any other time of the year. It takes Christmas to bring these back on Buffalo radio. I can't remember the last time I heard Elvis on Buffalo radio. Sure was nice to hear it in FM too. Star 102 did not have as many "oldies" Christmas music. I'd pick WJYE if I had to listen to more Christmas music, at least for the "standards" artists.

Joe in Darien, NY

 

[Steven21]

I do hope that 'JYE & Star suffer ratings-wise, as compared to 104. It would be nice if 104 was rewarded for providing a welcome alternative to the incredibly premature x-mas tunes.

 

[AndrewLawson]

Christmas music is a TSL driven format and as such, drives share to extraordinary heights. WHTT can only hope the P-2 listeners it shares with WJYE and WTSS move over to WHTT because they're not happy with wall-to-wall Christmas music at this time. Most of these listeners will be "at work" and "away from home." It wouldn't hurt if WHTT bought some TV time over the next few weeks to attract listeners that may be in play. January will tell if the scales have tipped on the AC race in Buffalo.

 

[NeedsMoreCowbell]

If you look at the numbers from Fall 2006, both TSS and JYE gained in cume AND TSL. It's not just TSL that drives the ratings up. The difference last year was in ages: JYE bested TSS in total listenership, but TSS ruled the younger female demos. I saw a lot of JYE ads in the Buff News this week, obviously targeting the older females once again.

 

[Radknowski]

I saw a lot of JYE ads in the Buff News this week, obviously targeting the older females once again.

Those old fat-assed broads (like my nutty aunts, waddling through the Galleria while complaining about the Canadians who took up "all the good parking spaces") think Christmas music is so wonderful. These ladies are crazy!

Good points about Chrsitmas music Cume-TSL. The original post had a good point about what Christmas music does to TSL, all things being equal (I presumed from the post.) Recently, consultant Dave Eduardo posted in another thread an analysis of the relationship between P-1 listening and cume and what drives the TSL and share. Wish I could source that thread. What Cowbell posts here is true with regard to 2005-2006 cume-TSL, but if 2006 was any indication, both WJYE and WTSS got a bonus on their uptick in cume which sure as hell didn't hurt the TSL. More bodies listening longer = bigger shares... way bigger shares.

Last year was a mess! The October storm pushed listeners in different directions. WBEN surged. The Sabres were playing out of their minds and WGR surged. This year, so far, the weather has been OK and the Sabres are sucking tailpipe. No big snow thus far and no real reason to jump onboard the Christmas music stations just yet... although all this could change.

Lawson's points about at work listening and WHTT getting the word out are equally true. Can WHTT rely on P-2's who are PO'd at WJYE and WTSS going all Christmas?

 

[Steven21]

You REALLY have to wonder about the mentality of the empty-headed drips who can put up with so much Christmas music for so long.

Christmas music is BAD music. It's only real appeal is the sentimental value of it, but HOW LONG can you be in THAT state of mind?

The older I get, the more disappointed I am in my species.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Ho-ho-hoin'

Christmas music about a month before I have any desire to hear it is a major reason that both WJYE and Star are on my third tier of presets.

AM stations are on my second tier. That should give you an idea of how often I get to them.

 

[dustintv]

Why so early this year? I mean, I know Thanksgiving is early this year itself, and a longer holiday shopping season is coporate America's wet dream but come on Christmas is still a month away...it's only the 18th of November! They could have easily waited until the 1st, don't you think?

 

[SirRoxalot]

The Santa-nic Verses

WJYE and/or Star have gone All-Christmas on the Thursday before Thanksgiving for the last several years. WJYE's countdown clock on their website was new this year - probably trying to offset any attempt by Star to be first in the market.

Stations will continue to go All-Christmas for two reasons:

1) It works.

2) It's an easy way for stations to reformat, or retool existing formats for introduction December 26th.

Until ratings punish them for rushing the season, nothing will change. Look at how retailers roll out Christmas displays in September. I've had people tell me that they're already done with their Christmas shopping.

If new products aren't already on the shelves, their chance of making an impact at this time of the year is slim. Look at the iPhone, or the iPod iTouch. There's a reason that Apple didn't hold them until later in the year. I expect both to be big ticket gift items this year.

Let's see how many new products - or even iPhone and iTouch clones - hit the market in the next month. I don't think that you'll see many. You will see significant price cuts if existing inventory doesn't move. Watch the price of 720P TVs plummet now that people realize that they should get 1080i or better.

 

[TVJunkie12]

Re: The Santa-nic Verses

Watch the price of 720P TVs plummet now that people realize that they should get 1080i or better.

As a TV type I must beg to differ with your analysis. If you are watching a screen that is less than 50 inches or from farther than 10 feet away the human eye cannot see the difference in detail between 720p and 1080p (which is what I believe you meant rather than 1081i). Aside from that, currently only HD-DVD and Blu-Ray DVD are supporting 1080p resolution and the broadcasters or cable networks aren't going to change anything on that front at any point in the foreseeable future. There is actually an argument to be made that 720p is really all that is needed for HDTV (again, with technology where it stands at this point). In all honesty, 720p HD on Fox and ABC look just as good (and better on sporting events) than 1080i on CBS, NBC and PBS (although the last time I was in Buffalo WNED was passing all the PBS HD in 720p in order to save on bandwidth).

Sorry to take this thread off topic.

 

[SirRoxalot]

TV, or Not TV

Nope. I meant 1080i, which is the maximum resolution broadcasters already use, and equal to 1080P in resolution with a lot less bandwidth. HD DVD and Blue-Ray are typically using 1080i because it allows more time on each disk. If you want to plug in your computer, 1080 or higher will look a lot better than 720.

1080p requires twice the bandwidth (60 frames/sec vs. 30 frames/sec) with no gain in resolution. Since anything faster than 24 fps is motion-picture quality, why bother?

Of course, that doesn't mean that manufacturers won't drop 1080i as an option because they can get more for 1080p displays. The prices on 720s are already dropping. Soon, all you'll see at 720 is low end junk.

PS - The reason you're not seeing more difference between 720P and 1080 is because satellite and TW cable are compressing the hell out of the signal. You'll see a big difference OTA, on DVD, or when FIOS starts delivering HD via fibre-optic.

 

[jrjaj]

"Here's my Easter Bonnet..with all the fringe upon it!!!!"

Irving Berlin

 

[SirRoxalot]

"Here's my Easter Bonnet..with all the fringe upon it!!!!"

Irving Berlin

That will start playing on the day after St. Valentine's Day, which will start advertising on January 1st. The after-Christmas sales will start advertising on December 17th this year. New Year's Eve package advertising begins November 26th.

 

[eartotheradio]

If it makes ya feel any better for the buffalo folks, we here in rochester now have 101.3 (WRRM) playing the (way too early) Xmas music. Argh!!! It must of started over the past weekend as I couldnt get in my normal disco hits on sat. nite. (Hey I was going out!) I already cant wait for the holiday season to be over with!

 

[TVJunkie12]

Re: TV, or Not TV

The reason you're not seeing more difference between 720P and 1080 is because satellite and TW cable are compressing the hell out of the signal. You'll see a big difference OTA, on DVD, or when FIOS starts delivering HD via fibre-optic.

It's true that OTA HD is far and away the best-that's what I'm watching (I've never seen T-W HD as I don't live in WNY anymore). That said, 720p HD on Fox and ABC looks just as good and on certain programming better, as 1080i on CBS and NBC. For that matter, OTA looks better using the tuner in my TV than with the tuner in my Dish Network box (and no, I'm not looking at their local into local). Supposedly, FIOS is great quality but the new MPEG4 HD channels on DirecTV are very close from what I read. Dish HD is decent but could be better.

 

[jfc40ts]

Re: Tieing loose ends...

I think what SR was referring to was what is now known as "full hd" which is 1080p. This is the standard used by dvd's. IIRC, there are 17 or 18 different hd formats now available. As far as OTA standards, there are 702p and 1080i. Years ago when the networks made their decision on a transmission standard, I wondered why they didn't take it to the next level and go 108i0p, but I'm sure the cost was one prohibiting factor. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such animal as a tv that will only accept 720p. All signals have to be identified and converted if necessary...

As far as Xmas music here and elsewhere goes, I'm sure we'll see the same arguments against it whicjh are valid and common sense to EVERYONE except the sales weasels. I agree that the start time is way too early and how it's done could be improved (unless it's a vehicle that's proceeding a format change). My main gripe is the promos that tell you on Dec. 26th, things will come to a sudden stop. The week after Christmas finds people just as receptive to the music as the week before. Also, the Orthodox Catholic church celebrates Christmas on Jan. 6th. I guess there aren't that many of then in WNY, so "who cares"? My other gripe is that just because "Greensleeves" shares the same tune as "What Child is This", it SHOULDN'T be classified as xmas music and included in the rotation. 102 does this. I haven't heard it on JOY yet but I have faith they'll do the same dumb thing as well...

 

[average_listener]

Re: Tieing loose ends...

Years ago when the networks made their decision on a transmission standard, I wondered why they didn't take it to the next level and go 108i0p, but I'm sure the cost was one prohibiting factor. To the best of my knowledge, there is no such animal as a tv that will only accept 720p. All signals have to be identified and converted if necessary...

You're right about the cost. We're only now seeing "affordable" 3Gb/s video routers becoming available for station level use. These will handle 1080p but there's no use for it at present.

aL