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Still the reason?

V

VERITAS DE VOCE

Guest
Just so we are clear, this isn't beating a dead horse... it's simply covering it with a lot of dirt.

BUT, CCM radio doesn't seem to spend as much attention to a given ratings high during this season. Sure, the Christmas music and giveaways are nice, but the DJs maintain to keep a lukewarm Yuletide greeting over the air. Nothing about a manger. No news on Jesus sighting. Nada on "the reason for the season" and keeping the CHRIST in Christmas.

Seriously: is it because there isn't enough time to proselytize between stop sets or they are that influenced by the advertisers?
 
In third grade the teacher might scold a child for one student telling another " That's a dumb question."

In this case your comment is so totally on the head that there may be no one to reply for fear of what someone might say.

It has become so prevalent to be "pc" that Jesus has no room in Christian radio. Might offend someone. One Christian station will not air their own supporting groups yearly camp meetings because advertisers complain (or would complain or might complain or another wishy washy excuse.)

Christian radio is still the only place firmly entrenched in Merry Christmas as opposed to happy holidays.

The World has changed the shape of a Great Commission. Christians don't really support Christian Radio as much as listen for free. What is established as a safe place has become another button to press when another "format" isn't setting well.

How many Christians listen exclusively to Christian Radio??

Churches are increasingly becoming not open doors to Christ but forts to keep out others and keep members inside.

Christian Radio has become the same in many ways.

I really don't know what the answer is as to how to change it. You presented the problem, what is your suggestion????
 
VERITAS DE VOCE said:
BUT, CCM radio doesn't seem to spend as much attention to a given ratings high during this season.
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Why is a ratings high a given? It is the one time of the year where nearly every station is playing Christmas music of one form or another. People are getting the "sounds of the season" on their own stations (if theirs isn't already a Christian station) and there is usually at least one all Christmas music station in each market. So why would a Christian station's ratings increase? The only people who care if Christ is in Christmas is Christians.

So I challenge your premise. There is no given ratings high.
BTW: Fall book is September 20 - December 12, 2007. A lot more non-Christmas than Christmas!

Sure, the Christmas music and giveaways are nice, but the DJs maintain to keep a lukewarm Yuletide greeting over the air. Nothing about a manger. No news on Jesus sighting. Nada on "the reason for the season" and keeping the CHRIST in Christmas.
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As ChiefEngineer asked, what do you suggest? My local station is keeping the reason in their stopsets by never saying "happy holidays", running news stories on retailers who shun the label "Christmas". Santa Claus is also practically banned from the air (when one hears that name it is a shock, not the norm). What else should they do?

If you're talking about some odd "manger watch" like NORAD tracking Santa Claus flying around the globe I'll pass. :)

Seriously: is it because there isn't enough time to proselytize between stop sets or they are that influenced by the advertisers?
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The station I mention above is a commercial station that relies on advertising ... but their major sponsors are not secular retailers. Their major sponsors are Christian retailers and other businesses friendly to the Christian message.

The message is in the music ... and the teaching programs if the stations have them. If your "Christian" station isn't playing songs about the manger (and the Child born in it) turn the dial. I would not expect the DJs to say anything more or less than they usually say. I don't believe it's a sell out ... trying not to annoy advertisers on a commercial station or donors on a listener supported station. It's giving listeners what they want and expect so they stick around another quarter hour and get their like minded friends to listen.

In my opinion, advertisers on a Christian station fall into two categories: those who believe in the message of the station who would not be offended by the presentation of the gospel and those who don't care what is said on the station as long as their advertising gets results. The same goes for other formats ... some advertisers think it is really cool to be on their favorite stations and others just want their message where their target audience (or a missed segment of audience) listens.

There are stations who refuse to proselytize ... leaving that job up to the music, the programs or the local church while they remain in the roll of supporting those who are proselytizing or have made the decision.

I don't expect radio to proselytize except for directing people to church. I believe too many people have made radio their church. Too many churches are turning into entertainment centers ... but that's another topic (likely one for "Take it Outside").
 
I still recall the "Non Christian" "Ethnic" business men on a cartoon of an earlier era standing around the Christmas Tree singing what a friend we have in Jesus.

Isn't it crass that JC Penney, Wal Mart, The extroverted non homophobic Target Store, and Kohls anticipate this time of year every year hoping for bigger revenue and displace Christ and Christmas from their advertising circulars in favor of "Holiday Trees" and people singing "Holiday Carols" around festive "Holiday Meals" with "Holiday trimmings" praying to the "Holiday God" and have no mention of Christ??????

Radio Ads have "Holiday music" but not "Christmas Music".
 
ChiefEngineer said:
their advertising circulars in favor of "Holiday Trees" and people singing "Holiday Carols" around festive "Holiday Meals" with "Holiday trimmings" praying to the "Holiday God" and have no mention of
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I don't know where the Dallas area stations, including Christian KLTY, dredge up some of this Christmas music they are playing, but most of it is AWFUL. Not only is there seldom a Christmas Carol, but most songs are bad remakes time of older classic secular songs. I even heard a bad remake of "White Christmas" the other day - who would even want to TRY?! Such big shoes to fill. What's next, some hip-hop version of "Snoopy's Christmas" or Alvin and the chipmunks? This stuff is enough to turn Jesus himself into Scrooge! Or at least turn his stomach ----

I can't wait until December 26th when they go back to playing their usual formats. At least mediocre is better than awful!!!!
 
The Fish stations in Nashville have gone all Christmas, and once again they have gone too much into easy listening Christmas music rather than AC. They're supposed to be an AC CCM station the rest of the year, so why can't they do a format of more Christmas music from CCM artists mixed with with clean secular AC Christmas music, and only a few true classics from easy listening?
 
anotherguy said:
The Fish stations in Nashville have gone all Christmas, and once again they have gone too much into easy listening Christmas music rather than AC. They're supposed to be an AC CCM station the rest of the year, so why can't they do a format of more Christmas music from CCM artists mixed with with clean secular AC Christmas music, and only a few true classics from easy listening?
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I don't know - after I posted the last post, I discovered a local Spanish station had dumped the Spanish and is all Christmas. If you are going to play "White Christmas" - play the version everybody knows and loves. Not some awful remake. It may be easy listening, but a few times per year doesn't hurt. There are probably 100 to 200 Christmas classics like that - you don't mess with them. If you are going to run Christmas music, people expect to hear them. And not bad remakes. Of course you add it some new stuff if its good - but not to the exclusion of the classics.
 
Last year, and year before the music was sooooo bad we opted out of much of the network programming playing our own music. Fish sends it's format to the TCM stations just no "fish" unless they miss placing a liner in the right area.

So much instrumental music it was pathetic. Is Christmas about being depressed?

This year we have Bing and all his classics. I have no problem with Bing. Many fewer instrumentals. See no need for ANY of these.

Seems to be more "up" than in years past. I agree the remakes by ccm artists (or secular) are lifeless in some cases. Let's not make any changes except for the voice and rerelease it.

Without the crossover country artists and some creative ccm artists we would be in the instrumental mess of eyars past.

Listen to Go Fish "It's Christmas" on youtube. Don't have the link but you'll enjoy it.
 
I don't mind Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song, and other true classic easy listening songs being mixed in, but I think that a station that is going to do an all Christmas format should stay close to the same style they do at other times of the year, unless they're planning to flip after Christmas.
 
Is it just me, or is it strange that Sirius' Christian AC "Spirit" 66 wishes its listeners a "Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays"?

On a Christian station, isn't "Merry Christmas" sufficient?
 
Johnathan said:
Is it just me, or is it strange that Sirius' Christian AC "Spirit" 66 wishes its listeners a "Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays"?

On a Christian station, isn't "Merry Christmas" sufficient?
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I used to be offended by "happy holidays", until I realized the origin of the word "holiday" is "HOLY day". And it was Brenda Lee that coined the term in an old Christmas song - not the PC crowd.
 
Johnathan said:
On a Christian station, isn't "Merry Christmas" sufficient?
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Not all listeners are Christians, and I have no problem with it if it's said alongside "Merry Christmas" (but NOT in place of it).
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
I used to be offended by "happy holidays", until I realized the origin of the word "holiday" is "HOLY day". And it was Brenda Lee that coined the term in an old Christmas song - not the PC crowd.
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Actually, it's etymology is more circa 16th century because scribes needed a word to convey both "religious festival" and "day of recreation". But then again, I'm just reading the book of Exodus right now. ;D
 
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