When is it too early for Christmas music?

[radiobum]

Just sprinkle them in prior to December 21st ?  I don't see why stations think it has to be ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC and in warm climates it seems ridiculous to hear Christmas music when it's 80 degrees outside !

[andrewduong77]

There's two answers... one for listeners and one for salespeople and advertisers.

Listeners may want to wait till Thanksgiving Friday or Dec. 1.  But AC stations, especially in markets where more than one station flips to Xmas music, want to be first.  You want advertisers to start hearing the music in the store or office and realize they've got to buy time on the station NOW.  You know the ratings go up for Xmas music.  I've never heard a story where a station was HURT by playing Xmas music or playing it too early.

A few years ago, three stations in Philadelphia switched to Christmas music on or around Thanksgiving: the market's top AC (and often #1 overall) WBEB. The market's CBS Oldies station WOGL. (This was the year all CBS Oldies stations went all-Xmas in December except in Dallas where CBS also owns the big AC station.)  And the market's upstart AC station, WNUW, which had just flipped from Smooth Jazz.  How did they finish in the December ratings?  They were all in the Top 3.

1)WBEB 2)WOGL 3)WNUW.  It was WNUW's highest ratings ever.  When they went back to regular AC music after the holidays, their ratings sank and they are now All-Sports WPEN-FM.

So when you hear an AC station switch to Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole before Thanksgiving, don't give them a hard time.  They're doing it to be first and to get the advertisers on board. 

Gregg
nh153@mail.com

True, I actually have friends at my high school who listens to CHR mostly and they rarely listen to AC. Although they can't wait till Thanksgiving and Xmas to listen to Xmas music on AC, other than that they wouldn't care about AC much.

[andrewduong77]

Just sprinkle them in prior to December 21st ?  I don't see why stations think it has to be ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC and in warm climates it seems ridiculous to hear Christmas music when it's 80 degrees outside !

Lol, I know right.

[imhomerjay]

Just sprinkle them in prior to December 21st ?  I don't see why stations think it has to be ALL CHRISTMAS MUSIC and in warm climates it seems ridiculous to hear Christmas music when it's 80 degrees outside !

Because it makes money.

[oldies76]

Christmas music should begin (sprinkled in) after the Macy's Parade in NYC, nationwide, then go all-out two weeks before, December 11th.

In retail stores, Christmas usually begins on Black Friday.

[imhomerjay]

Christmas hasn't waited for Black Friday in retail stores for years.

[landtuna]

I get more intolerant each year of the use of Christmas music to drive shopping ads.  My very few hours of radio listening are usually next to nothing from the end of October through New Year's Day.

Same thing holds true for TV news broadcasts that feature a daily recap of retail sales with the mandatory clip of overstuffed Americans carrying their overstuffed shopping bags.  I am not the least bit religious but it is a shame that the holiday has completely disappeared under the onslaught of retail.

I'll just gaze at my antique Currier & Ives plate wistfully.   

[Gregg]

But guys, you're not listening.  You might not like it but as I said, I am not aware of a single AC station where switching to Xmas, even before Thanksgiving, has hurt them.  First, it makes money for AC stations, some of whom might switch formats if it weren't for those big Xmas dollars at the end of the year.

But it also is a big hit with the public.  You might say you don't like Xmas music so early.  So listen to all the other stations on the dial.  Some AC stations score ridiculous ratings increases in December thanks to Xmas music. 

I'm pretty sure WLIT Chicago would have switched formats by now if they didn't increase their ratings, some years FOUR times their normal ratings.  And it has nothing to do with how warm the weather is.  WSSK Honolulu often doubles their normal ratings in December, even though it might be 80 degrees outside.  Their listeners don't mind hearing about a White Christmas or Sleigh Rides.  WWRM Tampa has trouble staying in the top 10 the rest of the year.  But it zooms to #1 in December.  So it has nothing to do with weather.


Gregg
nh153@mail.com

[Tom Wells]

Somebody, cue up the old Stan Freburg bit. 

[Seltzer]

But guys, you're not listening.  You might not like it but as I said, I am not aware of a single AC station where switching to Xmas, even before Thanksgiving, has hurt them.  First, it makes money for AC stations, some of whom might switch formats if it weren't for those big Xmas dollars at the end of the year.

But it also is a big hit with the public.  You might say you don't like Xmas music so early.  So listen to all the other stations on the dial.  Some AC stations score ridiculous ratings increases in December thanks to Xmas music. 


Exactly right. There is enough years of data now to support a pre-Thanksgiving launch. The Arbitron calendar plays into this with the fall survey ending the second week of December, if you wait til Black Friday, you won't get as much of a ratings bounce as if you go at least the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Ratings and revenue equal a successful station and people keeping their jobs....