Saw my first Fish All-Christmas-Music

[NashRadio]

bulletin board today. Will they go all-C'mas first or will 92.9? Will that ever end, or will it just start earlier and earlier?

I actually heard Christmas music in WalMart the first weekend of October. That's ridiculous.

 

[SwissVol]

Oh yeah, someone at 92.9 is standing on some ladder in their music library dusting off Amy Grant's Tender Tennessee Christmas. Oh, there is a Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas classic:. Lets pull that one down also and play it just after that knee slappin Burl Ives Christmas classic. Ok, sorry for the sarcasm, but wow, just a few more weeks and 92.9 air staff will be saying: Boy that Amy Grant sure does sing that song soooooooooooooo pretty. And in all fairness, Rock 105.9 will pull down that Grandma got ran over by a reindeer song

 

[Tibbs4]

Sarge? Sounds like the RI audience is already desirin' Christmas music to me! Put that Escape song back into high rotation
to get it to the 25 millionth play before October 2008 is out... Wonder if an all-Halloween format would work up til (approx.) Nov 26's
flip? Got to keep thing fresh and innovative now that Lightning 100 is Soft AC.


(all satire...mostly)

 

[courier37027]

Swiss, welcome to the sarcasm club. Glad my Zone 7 to 9 p.m. RI board post rubbed off on you. Can't argue with what you say here, except I do like The Pebble at 105.9 playing Ozzy parody "I Am Santa Claus" by Bob Rivers. Thirty years ago Sarge, while working at Kicks 104, must have said to himself, "You know this Pina Colada song is okay, but it will never last."

 

[SwissVol]

Courrier, hey listen man. I know that there are people posting in here that work at some of these stations. I think most of them know it's a good natured jab. I usually stop short of making negative or sarcastic remarks about someone though. You all are exactly correct though. This Christmas music playing just after Halloween is something started in some other markets several years ago. Some people like it, but hey, some people also liked the night the lights went down in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence also or that annoying Too ra loo rah song by The Dexie Midnight runners or whatever:: More sarcasm::: Annnyway......

 

[courier37027]

Swiss, I am no longer working in radio. My posts are mostly good-natured pokes at the industry. My classic rock caller, Delilah seminar caller, sports call-in guy are nightmares I live over and over. Hey, it's October and the first thing in my mind is Christmas music. Break out the egg nog.

 

[SwissVol]

Courrier, did you work in the Nashville area? My biggest gripe about radio is certainly not the air talent. I think most of the air talent is pretty good. My big thing is the way the musical depth has gone out the window. Even though some have explained to me that radio consulted music is actually a good thing or at the very least, NOT a bad thing, at least not totally anyway, I miss the old days of oldies and album rock radio where the play-lists were broader and deeper.

I know I go and on about the old days of free form rock radio

 

[jwk1979]

There is a station in New York that started playing Christmas Music the first of October.

Another thing that gets me every year when the Fish, Mix 92.9 and other stations start playing Christmas music, they will state "This is Our Christmas Gift to You". My first thought is "What Cheap B@$*^%*$". Then I think think, "How Condinsending".

 

[courier37027]

Swiss, I worked at stations in Clarksville and Centerville TN, Hopkinsville and Russellville KY. Many stations bought into their respective Superstars format, especially rock formats. Adult contemporary was not exempt from this trend. How many times can we play a light rock Lionel Richie tune? KDF, a once proud and rebellious rock entity, was seemingly automated by 1982.

In Clarksville I noticed some old playlists when 108 was AOR. Rock albums found their way into production room, no longer offering deep cuts of Hendrix or Humble Pie. Bring on the social conscience that is Phil Collins.

Today people are paying for satellite radio to get that variety. I will give props to the Centerville country station 22 years ago. We could pick classic country and deeper cuts, this at about same time "new country" was latest sensation.

jwk, if these stations' holiday music is a gift to us, can we please exchange them or at very least put on six weeks' laywaway?

 

[SwissVol]

I listen to Jim Ladd on KLOS FM from Los Angeles almost every evening. Thank goodness that station lets him create his own music sets to a growing LA market and now a growing Internet audience. Jim knows his audience. If you listen to what he plays, he does not go nuts and just play hours of obscure music. He will program his music sets to some kind of theme set. Most of the songs were songs that were once featured on progressive or album rock radio, but he will amaze you when he slips in a track that we all forgot about. He played Henry by The New Riders of the Purple Sage the other evening. I can see some consultant cringing at that selection. LOL After All, hey, Bring on More than a feeling by Boston because that's what the audience really wants to hear.:::sarcasm again::: Here is the big thing. Ladd's show is one of the highest rated times slots on that station if not LA market. Is anyone watching what could happen if Nashville did this? 105.9. could get one of the older rock jocks in and let Nashville have a nightly free form rock show. Watch how the crowd will love it. I remember back in 1982 when I called I think it was Smoky Rivers at KDF trying to get Smokey to included some deeper tracks from the Diver down album from Van Halen. I also suggested that he play some Hendrix tunes. He told me to join the eighties and he disconnected the call, but he did sooooo nicely:::sarcasm alert again::: I had just returned from LA where I was used to listening to KMET FM and KLOS FM. What I was hearing from KDF by 82 was disappointing. I know some will not like my saying this. Annyyyyyway...

 

[deltas69]

i try not to go go to walmart ..only as a last resort..didn't hear any Christmas tunage, on Labor Day..but they had the trees and tinsel out..people standing in line with charcoal, and sunblock...amidst frosty the snowman..nothing Christmas til after Thanksgiving..that should be the law..

 

[Don78]

Delta, I agree with you about "made in China" mart or as Hank Hill refers to it as "Mega-Lo" mart. My question is, if 92.9 plays Christmas music this early not only will they have to take "Escape" out of rotation but will "Spooky" by ARS not get its usual halloween overkill air play?

 

[deltas69]

i really like that version of spooky..but not every 30 minutes ala pretty woman...as for escape..i prefer "him" rather than pinya colonic...

 

[firepoint525]

I listen to Jim Ladd on KLOS FM from Los Angeles almost every evening. Thank goodness that station lets him create his own music sets to a growing LA market and now a growing Internet audience. Jim knows his audience. If you listen to what he plays, he does not go nuts and just play hours of obscure music. He will program his music sets to some kind of theme set. Most of the songs were songs that were once featured on progressive or album rock radio, but he will amaze you when he slips in a track that we all forgot about. He played Henry by The New Riders of the Purple Sage the other evening. I can see some consultant cringing at that selection. LOL After All, hey, Bring on More than a feeling by Boston because that's what the audience really wants to hear.:::sarcasm again::: Here is the big thing. Ladd's show is one of the highest rated times slots on that station if not LA market. Is anyone watching what could happen if Nashville did this? 105.9. could get one of the older rock jocks in and let Nashville have a nightly free form rock show. Watch how the crowd will love it. I remember back in 1982 when I called I think it was Smoky Rivers at KDF trying to get Smokey to included some deeper tracks from the Diver down album from Van Halen. I also suggested that he play some Hendrix tunes. He told me to join the eighties and he disconnected the call, but he did sooooo nicely:::sarcasm alert again::: I had just returned from LA where I was used to listening to KMET FM and KLOS FM. What I was hearing from KDF by 82 was disappointing. I know some will not like my saying this. Annyyyyyway...

I'm not a real big Van Halen fan, but didn't the Diver Down album come out in '82? Maybe "Smokey" is the one who should have "joined the '80s"! : Good grief, what a joke KDF was! If WSM had stomped all over their own "heritage" the way KDF did with theirs, you can bet the fans from each of those 38 states their signal reaches at night would have been up in arms! So why did KDF fans never become similarly outraged?!?!

 

[firepoint525]

i really like that version of spooky..but not every 30 minutes ala pretty woman...as for escape..i prefer "him" rather than pinya colonic...

Agreed on "Spooky." It's "Monster Mash" that I don't really want to hear! : Also agree on "Him." Didn't it get to something like #6 on the charts? It was top 10! So play it, 92.9! 8) I have noticed that there are several multi-hit artists who only ever get one of their many hits played on 92.9! :

 

[SwissVol]

Firepoint, I think the Diver Down album by VH came out on April 14 1982. I spent a good chunk of time in Santa Monica that summer. One of the things I enjoyed doing then was to walk down in the morning to those little parks that overlook the Pacific Ocean with my little Sony Walkman equipped with an FM tuner tuned into KLOS FM or KMET FM. That Diver Down album was being played like crazy on LA rock FM radio. I do not think KDF listeners were that outraged with the music being played. Most of them believed the newer music was actually "not bad". Maybe that speaks more about me than them. LOL I was used to a more consistent brand of AOR rock radio so naturally I was so disappointed when I returned to the more hit oriented, the far more mainstream approach KDF had in 82.

 

[scottwmro]

Oh yeah, someone at 92.9 is standing on some ladder in their music library dusting off Amy Grant's Tender Tennessee Christmas. Oh, there is a Tennessee Ernie Ford Christmas classic:. Lets pull that one down also and play it just after that knee slappin Burl Ives Christmas classic. Ok, sorry for the sarcasm, but wow, just a few more weeks and 92.9 air staff will be saying: Boy that Amy Grant sure does sing that song soooooooooooooo pretty. And in all fairness, Rock 105.9 will pull down that Grandma got ran over by a reindeer song

Swiss,
No matter what format your station is, playing Christmas music is one type of music you can't go wrong with. ABC's Hot AC format mixes in the old favorites with the newer Christmas music, when our format starts mixing it in with the regular music we play.
On the business side, I see it as helping boosting store/retail sales in a failing economic situation this country is in right now. The more it's played on radio, it get's those shoppers out there to spent money.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[SwissVol]

Scott, Oh I know that Christmas music should be played as we get closer to the Christmas Holiday, but my problem, and I'm guessing many people are having similar problems with some stations around the USA going to the all Christmas format as early as the first week in November. Even 92.9 or The Fish does not do Christmas that early right? I think 92.9 waits until Thanksgiving before they switch to the all Christmas format. I was taking some good natured jabs at Amy Grant's version of that song. I saw her on some show once talking about her Christmas celebrations equipped with much Golly gees, and gramma and grampas and many giggling tee hee hees and sugar cookies, eggnog and I am feeling better just typing this.

Not to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge, but I wish we could go back to the days when the date was Dec 10 before radio stations could play Christmas tunes.

 

[courier37027]

I cannot stand "Step Into Christmas" by Elton John.

 

[scottwmro]

Scott, Oh I know that Christmas music should be played as we get closer to the Christmas Holiday, but my problem, and I'm guessing many people are having similar problems with some stations around the USA going to the all Christmas format as early as the first week in November. Even 92.9 or The Fish does not do Christmas that early right? I think 92.9 waits until Thanksgiving before they switch to the all Christmas format. I was taking some good natured jabs at Amy Grant's version of that song. I saw her on some show once talking about her Christmas celebrations equipped with much Golly gees, and gramma and grampas and many giggling tee hee hees and sugar cookies, eggnog and I am feeling better just typing this.

Not to sound like Ebenezer Scrooge, but I wish we could go back to the days when the date was Dec 10 before radio stations could play Christmas tunes.

Swiss,

Why I agree with you as a listener to the other stations in the market (i.e. fish, 9.29, etc), it is a business trick to get that advertiser to spend money and a "theater of the mind" thing to get listeners out to the retal shops to spend money.

It seems that commerical FM radio is following Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will have the Christmas stuff out on display before Halloween is over. They get a jump on it to make that ole mighty dollar.

We all have our favorite Christmas Music. I love Blue Christmas from Elvis because I grew up hearing that song every Christmas. Everyone has thier own opinion of what we like and dislike, and that is what makes the world go around.

IMHO...FM stations should wait until Dec. 1 to start playing all Christmas Music or put Christmas Music in thier regular music rotations. To me, the day after Thanksgiving is too early, but we all about the day after Thanksgiving, Friday. The retail shops take advantage of it and the FM stations jump in there with the Christmas Music to get those ad dollars.

That just my observation of it all, but what do I know?