> I really hate to see the large market
> commercial stations going all-chrsitmas so early...playing
> the same 100 tunes over and over. WZRU has been doing
> Christmas, Thanksgiving Friday to Christmas day, for 11
> years. Our holiday music library is huge! We have probably
> gained more year-around listeners thanks to that programming
> than from any advertising we have ever done!
The station on in our office went all-Christmas Nov 4. It doesn't take long to notice the repetitiveness with a limited playlist. The same songs every day is one thing, but to hear them 3 or 4 times in the same day is another matter. We turned it off after a couple days.
The alternative I found turned out to be a popular choice... Myrtle Beach's WEZV on the internet. The mix is just right. Contemporary sounds like Michael Buble and Norah Jones mixed in with 70s AC artists such as Billy Joel, the Carpenters, and America... without abandoning the masters like Frank, Perry, Andy, and Johnny, or the instrumental covers indicative of a true easy listening format. The key is its lack of songs which "agitate" (songs like "Respect" or "I Will Survive" which soft AC stations think they can get away with). WEZV knows what easy listening is.
On the subject of pre-Thanksgiving launches of Christmas music, I wouldn't mind the weekend before Thanksgiving, but not all-Christmas all the time. They should be worked in a few every hour. That's a good weekend when people get into the full swing of Christmas shopping, and hearing some Christmas songs now and then just adds to the atmosphere.
> On the stream, we do plan to simulcast WZRU 100%. However;
> eventually, I plan to launch a mostly-music stream. There
> are many sources for the NPR programming on the internet,
> where the blend of music we play is not heard as often. I
> will probably keep some of our other locally-produced
> programming and independently-produced, syndicated
> programming on the stream. Possibly, Paul Harvey, as well.
> Even then, it will simulcast WZRU except during Morning
> Edition, ATC, Car Talk, etc. Plus, I welcome suggestions.
Personally, I would listen for the music programming and not NPR. (As you say, it's available elsewhere). But I would still like a human voice to remind me I'm listening to a radio station and not a CD player. Keep Paul Harvey and maybe news at the top of the hour, so I could be on top of what's happening in the world.
