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THE FATE OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC ON THE RADIO!

blackgold

blackgold

Okay, with Oldies 103.3 turned into AMP Radio, I believe that WROR-FM has a mortal lock on the Christmas music format this year here in Boston. Unless, of course, someone decides to switch their format come Thanksgiving.
So who will challenge 'ROR this year?
Jam'n 94.5? Not a chance.
WBMX 104.1? Hey, it could happen.
Country 102.5? Why not?
Magic 106.7? Don't be ridiculous! They tried it once and it didn't work!
KISS 108? They've never done something like that!
92.2 WBOS? They should consider it.
WAAF? Hell, no!
96.9 FM Talk? Are you kidding me?
WHBA-FM? They might just do that.
And do you think AMP Radio will try something like that? I wouldn't count on it...but you never can tell.
And don't even think about Sportsradio 93.7 or 98.5 The Sports Hub!
 
WMJX: Suppose ROR goes Christmas--Greater would have two all Christmas stations?

WKLB: Maybe in the days or a wk or so before Christmas, or maybe weekends only, at most

Harbor: I could see it possibly.
 
Could it be that the demos of Christmas music might be "aging out" of Madison Avenue's sweet spot? I mean, some of these hardy holiday chestnuts are 40 years old and older. Maybe the audience advertisers covet just isn't into "Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bell Rock" anymore, and we're going to see the format just fade away as radio continues to chase the young. Or will one of the younger-skewing stations -- maybe not Amp, but perhaps WBMX or WHBA -- just remove the old standards from the playlist and play a contemporary Christmas mix?
 
Entercom usually played christmas music on Mike FM during the holidays, but Mike FM didn't start their holiday music until December. Clear Channel would possibly play Christmas music on 101.7 the Harbor.

WROR will definitely play Christmas music. Some of my friends used to listen to WODS on the holidays, but since it's gone their probably going to start listening to WROR for their christmas music.
 
Without question, 105.7 WROR will go all Christmas by around mid-November. Maybe Mix 104.1 and/or 101.7 the Harbor will jump on board shortly afterward--Mix as a replacement for WODS. The Harbor, IMO, should stay with its current format to get some WROR listeners that don't want to hear the holiday stuff, but they'll probably flip. WKLB will probably sprinkle in more country-fied Christmas tunes, then perhaps have several uninterrupted days of holiday music with a country lean. There's also 99.1 WPLM, which could go all-Christmas as well. It is only September though; I don't want to think much about this until after I've heard "Monster Mash," "The Time Warp," and "Thriller."

How come Joseph Gallant hasn't chimed in yet? ;)

Jacko
 
WPLM should bring back their 12 Days of Christmas.
The Harbor is useless, so they should not only play Christmas music, but they should hire JJ on afternoons so he can play the stupid donkey song everyday at 5PM.
The Harbor should also retain Oedipus to do his Christmas Eve show.
 
I think it's possible that WMJX will go this year, instead of WROR. They've changed a bit, and you realize that the longtime program director is no longer there. I also think that the only reason why WROR did it (instead of WMJX) was to compete with WODS, which won't be an issue anymore. And in most major cities, it usually is the mainstream AC station that goes all Christmas.
 
Jacko said:
How come Joseph Gallant hasn't chimed in yet? ;)

Jacko
Click to expand...

Oh, don't worry, give it a week or less. Once Joseph sees this thread, and once this thread hits the bottom half of the page, he'll start his own thread acting as if he's never seen this one. There are a few things certain in life: death, taxes, and Joseph Gallant starting a Christmas thread in September (usually earlier). :D Of course, he's still in his "Amp will not have live or local hosts" mode. ;D
 
dhoule said:
There's a chance WXRV could try it too.
Click to expand...
That's crazy talk! Why would XRV break format like that? Though I could see them do it for a few days at Christmas.

WBOS or WKLB is even more unlikely, especially if ROR or MJX goes. Why would Greater Media want to compete with itself? And what part of BOS' young male demo wants a month plus of XMAS music?
 
Let's not forget the Worcester market where WSRS always flips and WORC-FM (Oldies 98-9) eventually flips as well.
 
I think that WBMX-104.1, WMJX-106.7 and the new WHBA-101.7 will all go all-Christmas this year, meaning that while the Hub will have three 24/7 Christmas stations, none of them will be stations that took the plunge last year.

I think WHBA may go as early as November 1st, which will likely force the others to do it that day as well, possibly within minutes. Remember that Clear Channel is the most aggressive company as regards all-Christmas formats, and I feel that to make an impact here, they'll have to flip 101.7 to all-Christmas, and do it very early. Hence, the reason I think "The Harbor" will take the plunge on the first day of November.

Boston could see three all-Christmas stations as early as November 1st.

Which, I feel, is overkill!

Were I programming a music-formatted station, as regards Christmas music, I:

(1) Would not program any Christmas music until December 1st.

(2) From December 1st through 10th, I'd only play one Christmas song every third hour.

(3) From December 11th through 17th, I'd program one Christmas song every other hour.

(4) From December 18th until 12 Noon on December 24th, I'd play one Christmas song an hour.

(5) Only between 12 Noon on December 24th and 12 Midnight December 25th would I go all-Christmas.

The idea is to gradually ease listeners into the season.

On the other hand, retailers (who provide the great majority of advertising revenue to music-formatted stations) pressure radio to play more Christmas music each year, and to do it earlier. It's a subliminal reminder to listeners to "get your Christmas shopping done!".
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
The idea is to gradually ease listeners into the season.

On the other hand, retailers (who provide the great majority of advertising revenue to music-formatted stations) pressure radio to play more Christmas music each year, and to do it earlier. It's a subliminal reminder to listeners to "get your Christmas shopping done!".
Click to expand...

Right, advertisers pay big bucks to get the old ho-ho-ho train rolling soon after Halloween, and advertising keeps radio stations on the air. So, again, tell me why commercial radio stations shouldn't start the Christmas music until December.
 
Joseph_Gallant said:
I think that WBMX-104.1, WMJX-106.7 and the new WHBA-101.7 will all go all-Christmas this year, meaning that while the Hub will have three 24/7 Christmas stations, none of them will be stations that took the plunge last year.
Click to expand...

Joseph, I must say that I am actually fairly impressed with your post. Usually, you go on and on with "I suspect" this or that but, here, you've almost given us some actual definitive thoughts. And you've been even more defintive-sounding on the "Amp won't have any live and local personalities" threads. It's so unlike you. You must be really ticked that someone other than you started a Christmas music thread. ;)
 
One year they switched just after Veteran's Day. And no wait, in 2008 it was even earlier, Nov 6
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http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,113103.0.html
WMC2006:
WODS and WROR officially flip!
« on: November 06, 2008, 05:21:36 AM »

>>It's official. Woke up with my alarm at 6am to Christmas music on WODS. Waited through a couple more to hear Karen Blake say at about 6:12 that they started a little earlier this year.
Now listening to WROR through Wally's sports report and Men from Maine. Loren Owens just said they are playing "Boston's Favorite Christmas Songs". Yup, now playing Jingle Bell Rock.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
raccoonradio said:
One year they switched just after Veteran's Day. And no wait, in 2008 it was even earlier, Nov 6
---------------------------------------------------------
http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,113103.0.html
WMC2006:
WODS and WROR officially flip!
« on: November 06, 2008, 05:21:36 AM »

>>It's official. Woke up with my alarm at 6am to Christmas music on WODS. Waited through a couple more to hear Karen Blake say at about 6:12 that they started a little earlier this year.
Now listening to WROR through Wally's sports report and Men from Maine. Loren Owens just said they are playing "Boston's Favorite Christmas Songs". Yup, now playing Jingle Bell Rock.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...

Gosh, I remember typing that like it was yesterday. ;D
 
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