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When does Christmas music start?

S

ssetta

I know it's only October, but I guess it's not too early to be thinking about Christmas music. I wonder what is the earliest a station has ever done it, and I wonder when WWLI will do it this year, as they usually do.
 
ssetta said:
I know it's only October, but I guess it's not too early to be thinking about Christmas music. I wonder what is the earliest a station has ever done it, and I wonder when WWLI will do it this year, as they usually do.
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A station in Jersey flipped on Halloween a couple years ago. 93.1 FM. They were half of an Urban AC simulcast with 96.1 FM. They ran the bird fed "The Touch" for their programming, which I believe was running on 1150 AM in Boston about 10+ years ago before they were sold to Mega Broadcasting (and later Salem). After 93.1 in Jersey finished up with their Christmas format, they did not return to their previous Urban AC format. They went EZ Listening.
 
ssetta said:
I know it's only October, but I guess it's not too early to be thinking about Christmas music. I wonder what is the earliest a station has ever done it, and I wonder when WWLI will do it this year, as they usually do.
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Oh please.... not THAT! (not again!) I hate it when I have to erase presets. Christmas music should be special, not a steady diet. I've never liked the idea of stations going all-Christmas, all-the-time..... especially when they start doing it 7 to 8 weeks before the blessed event. I liked it when stations would start blending in the music the day after Thanksgiving and slowly bring it up to a boil on Christmas Day. That was perfect. Now, more than likely.... your favorite station will become your next erased preset. Some people will come back after Christmas........ others will not.
 
Peter George said, "I've never liked the idea of stations going all-Christmas, all-the-time..... especially when they start doing it 7 to 8 weeks before the blessed event. "

I LOVE Christmas music and so does my wife. In my 10 thousand song music collection, we have 3000 Christmas songs. I WOULD rather be able to control it myself, but I enjoy it on the radio, except when they eliminate "The Reason for The Season" and it's all Santa crapola.
 
This year, any and all radio stations who do run a Christmas format should sprinkle in the songs starting the day after Thanksgiving and bring it to a boil Christmas week. And they should continue playing Christmas songs off and on between Christmas and New Year's Eve. What do you say?
 
blackgold said:
This year, any and all radio stations who do run a Christmas format should sprinkle in the songs starting the day after Thanksgiving and bring it to a boil Christmas week. And they should continue playing Christmas songs off and on between Christmas and New Year's Eve. What do you say?
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That's the way it should be except cut it off cold at 23:59 on Christmas day. As soon as it's Midnight of the 26th, go back to normal music (maybe if you can find a New Year's song throw that in (e.g.: Just Another Lonely New Year's Eve)). Less burnout. Speaking of seasonal songs, why don't we hear more summer &/or patriotic songs around the 4th of July? It's only OUR COUNTRY'S BIRTHDAY!
 
Christmas music should be saved for the shopping malls. It's ok on the radio on the 24th and the 25th. That's it. Every year it's the same old thing and it keeps getting earlier and earlier. Do you know that this year a guy who lives down the road from me had a lit up pumpkin on his front porch the second week of September! I wanted to stop by and smack him!
 
n1wvq said; "& Christmas music has NO BUSINESS airing before Thanksgiving!:

Hmm, never found that sentence in the Constitution, hvde YOU? If a station wanted to the should be able to play it in JULY or whenever.

It's called freedom.
 
Prais said:
n1wvq said; "& Christmas music has NO BUSINESS airing before Thanksgiving!:

Hmm, never found that sentence in the Constitution, hvde YOU? If a station wanted to the should be able to play it in JULY or whenever.

It's called freedom.
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The F.C.C. is involved in programming, ever be it so slightly: the "public affairs" requirement. Then there's 18 U.S.C. 1464, there was the Fairness Doctorine & I recall hearing something about prior to, I think, 1970, stations had to clear format decisions with the F.C.C. because the Commission could tell them there were already too many stations doing that format & it may not be viable. But don't quote me on the last one.
 
Sir,
WHAT public affairs requirement?? That's been gone for a long time, but don't be caught in a challenge.

Please, lets talk about NOW. NONE of what you said is required.
 
Prais said:
Sir,
WHAT public affairs requirement?? That's been gone for a long time, but don't be caught in a challenge.

Please, lets talk about NOW. NONE of what you said is required.
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No, let's talk about history. The Fairness Doctorine was used to make a point. The F.C.C. has been involved in programming.

Now let's talk about now. I can't broadcast obscene material without fear of a fine or other action nor indecent or profane material within certain parameters (6A.M.-10P.M.) without fear of enforcement action taken. I took this from the Public File, July 2008 edition.
As for the Public Affairs programming, in the Public File there is a requirement for stations to have a file of "a list of programs containing its most significant treatment of community issues during the preceeding 3 months." Now, being that there is a requirement for a list to go in the public file for this programming, wouldn't it be silly for a station to not then air any such programming, be it as anemic as it is on most stations (Sunday morning 6-6:30)? What would the list entail? A blank sheet?
 
Sure.

"a list of programs containing its most significant treatment of community issues during the preceeding 3 months."
_____
This can be psas, or talk show segments. WHY would any station run long form public affairs programming?(though many do).-----------

I've been dealing with these people for about 40 years and can tell you with certainty that the past doesn't count in Washington.

This is especially true if you have a good Washington attorney and grease your congressman/senator, as smart broadcasters often do. I've been retired from radio since 1985 and those guys and I are still on a first name basis. How do you think CC exists? I grew up in Chicago. It's in my blood.
 
Prais said:
Sure.

"a list of programs containing its most significant treatment of community issues during the preceeding 3 months."
_____
This can be psas, or talk show segments. WHY would any station run long form public affairs programming?(though many do).-----------

I've been dealing with these people for about 40 years and can tell you with certainty that the past doesn't count in Washington.

This is especially true if you have a good Washington attorney and grease your congressman/senator, as smart broadcasters often do. I've been retired from radio since 1985 and those guys and I are still on a first name basis. How do you think CC exists? I grew up in Chicago. It's in my blood.
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I can't imagine how that would look in the quarterly issues report: "July 1-September 30: we played P.S.A.s." :D

Re: forgetting history: In some ways that could be bad. In other ways good. 3-year license terms with having to get public comments? No thanks!

VOTE EARLY & OFTEN!!! :D Sounds like Chicago, D.C. & Providence have a lot in common!
 
what if you ran 500 10 second psa's about a particular topic, ros? That would be really good. If your community problem is stray dogs and you ran psa's for a dog shelter, the FCC would LOVE it!

This worked for me for over 20 years.

Creative!
 
Prais said:
what if you ran 500 10 second psa's about a particular topic, ros? That would be really good. If your community problem is stray dogs and you ran psa's for a dog shelter, the FCC would LOVE it!

This worked for me for over 20 years.

Creative!
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Lost dog announcements! Fluffy is a pomeranian/rotweiller/chihuahua mix. He has 3 legs & was last seen biting the mailman. Please call 555-0103.
 
People love you for doing that, and if it's a "problem" it counts for the fcc. (Los dogs caame up inn the community survey, and it's alot better than discussing Obama's tax plan.
 
N1WVQ said:
.......I can't broadcast obscene material without fear of a fine or other action nor indecent or profane material within certain parameters (6A.M.-10P.M.) without fear of enforcement action taken. I took this from the Public File, July 2008 edition.
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EXCEPTION:

The most foul obscenity, if part of a candidate's (for any office) paid political commercial, MUST be broadcast at any time of day or night requested. To refuse to air it or to censor it in any way is a major FCC violation. Now that doesn't extend to ads placed by third parties like PACs or unions. Only those paid for by an actual candidate.
 
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