All over the nation, Christmas music 24/7 has begun on certain radio stations. Does it seem early this year to you? Here's why: what was initially a stunt was proven very popular some years back, and other station operators were quick to notice that new audience came into their stations when they played Christmas music. This would get people used to personalities or at least get them to set a button for a station that previously didn't have one. Buttons are important.
Seeing that success, all over the US, other stations lay in wait the year after, and THEY went all Christmas too. It was a war of all Christmas music. Many markets had two stations trying to out Santa each other. I know - I was in that battle myself.
Some markets had three or MORE stations doing this.
Now at least a handful of stations have already jumped. "First in wins" is the thinking. Actually, doing a better job probably matters as much. And advertising it matters more.
Here's the awful truth: there are only a small number of Christmas songs which are non-religious and not too slow, that you can play. Although NEW Christmas songs come out every year, nobody ever heard them before, and they usually are ignored. After all, you grew up listening to WHITE CHRISTMAS and it makes you all warm and fuzzy for the best (hopefully) days of your youth, so it packs way more power than the newly recorded CHRISTMAS IS EGGNOG DREAMS OF YOU.
A good station will avoid the fringe songs and play the others to death. You will listen as a zombie and can't help yourself. When you want the feeling, you will want Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree or Let It Snow. Believe me, I've seen the research. So what the stations do is find maybe a dozen or more versions of each chestnut and rotate song titles about every 45 minutes to hour and a half.
Sometimes the station audiences go UP, sometimes not. I think all Christmas music can get people to notice and remember what they listen to, and that's a large part of successful radio programming.
Wonder if XM will have an ALL XMAS channel?
2 comments:
Last year in Detroit, two stations WNIC and (puke) Magic 105 went toe to toe Xmas music starting the week after Halloween.
WNIC, the heritage station (been around forever) had a HUUUUGE December. MAGIC (with their gay jingles and smarmy morning show) got hosed.
God does exist.
Merry Christmas!
It is too early to hear Christmas music, here in Minnesota Bob your former station you programmed fired off the Christmas music in the past week.
It really diminshes the importance of Thanksgiving these days the forgotten holiday.
I can still see my Mom's apron around her waist and the smell of the turkey cooking in the oven, the sound of the blending meshing those potatoes, and the bag of brown sugar out to make the perfect sweet potatoes---- but it was more than just the food, it was being together to celebrate and give Thanks as the Pilgrims did.
The Pilgrim has been replaced by Santa truly sad.
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