When to pull Christmas music

[fmksey]

The PD and I have been fighting all day about when to stop playing christmas music and we're no where close to resolution. So we agreed we'd let you guy decide. I say pull it at 6/7 christmas day and he says play it thru friday. Your 2cents?

Mark

[Big Media]

I agree. By 5 PM or so, the presents are unwrapped, dinner is served, and people are generally sick of the whole mess and just want to return to some non-holiday normalcy.

[genlock]

Shoot the PD and then do what you want.

[Arp2]

Given Christmas' falling on Thursday this year, many are hearing anecdotal reports of people having plans right into the weekend, and, thus, some are sticking with it or backing it out through the weekend rather than ending it abruptly. (They are planning the same for next year when Christmas falls on Friday.)

What you do is going to depend on what station you're talking about....its format, its competition, its rank, the role it plays for you, its clients, the personality the station has, the personalities the station has, and the relationship the station and its personalities have with its audience. It really depends on how well you know your audience's wants and its expectations of you and the alternatives and options your audience has.

I don't mean to make it something terribly complex, but it's worth some thought. On the other hand, you're not being rated, so the world's not going to end or anything. On the other other hand, it's not even really about ratings...this has more to do with what your audience wants and how it will feel about you when you deliver or don't deliver. If you're a station that plays Christmas music and is known for that, though, I really don't think I'd end it abruptly at 6...if you're really wanting to end it with the end of Christmas, maybe you do that (at midnight) or start backing out between 6 and midnight....

[Hoosier Daddy]

The PD and I have been fighting all day about when to stop playing christmas music ...

How about ... the day before you start to play it!!!!!

[RadioCriminal]

I think Arp's reply was thoughtful and worth considering. My take: Anticipation of Xmas day and its associated events helps fuel an appetite for the music. But by late afternoon after the gifting and eating orgies, lotsa folks are ready for the Little Drummer Boy to shut the hell up til next year. My vote would be cut it off at 6pm.

[Lester]

I say midnight... Less shocking transition... helps cover folks that may have worked most of the day and are just now settling in to enjoy the remainder of the day. When most folks go to sleep, there is still Christmas music on Christmas day... when they wake up, the world is right again.

[Hoosier Daddy]

On a serious note, should you phase it out or go cold turkey?

[Uncle Shishkabob]

I say bag the Christmas Music right now and go Punk Country!
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/04/3 ... 11_tm.html

Take a listen if you forgot what Punk Country is all about

[Tom Taggart]

Christmas music ends the same time the tree goes......

Sometime in March when all the needles fall off

[Arp2]

I think Arp's reply was thoughtful and worth considering.

The funny thing is that I didn't say anything!


Well, other than know your station and its competition, your audience and its desires and expectations, and your clients and their expectations, and, then, figure out what's going to work best for you. And, you know, preferably to do it a little sooner than the 23rd....it can be part of what you promote, and you can have your work done and make a smooth, comfortable, easy, on-time exit.

[Scott Reppert]

Christmas Day at 11:59pm. Or at the latest, whenever your live talent gets in on Friday morning. Providing that you do have live talent.

At my next gig the Christmas music will not start until 12/13. It will be full Christmas music at that point and end at 11:59pm of Christmas day.

Of course, I would not discourage the playing of "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" by Roy Wood's Wizzard on July 14th at 3:54 in the afternoon...

[Jay Nunley]

It's probably a different answer if you are one of the stations went all Christmas back in July. However, with people having Christmas based plans through the a long weekend (a seemingly rare occurence) you would have to consider that your listeners will be in a Christmas frame of mind much longer after the actual day than usual.

Radio listening (at least rock radio-I don't know about everyone else) drops dramatically on holidays (except the summer holidays, Memorial Day, etc.) This is an opportunity to super serve your core of heavy user P1s and maybe grab some extra minutes from medium user P1s, P2s and P3s with some special programming. I don't mean syndicated bullshit, but something outside of your usual format that is nice and sticky.

After looking at some of the responses on this thread I'm of the mind to team up with a few of the people on here and start a consulting firm. Somebody other than me will have to sell us and manage the research procedures. Also, we'll need guys for all the other formats I know nothing about.

Maybe, it's a bad idea.

[fearpeddler]

pull it all now!! people hear enough of that traditional junk in stores and malls, unless its a song like "mistress for christmas" (no parodies, that bob rivers shit makes my stomach turn, as does the twisted sister xmas, hell, any xmas covers period) it shoulda been off the air 2 weeks ago. Once again, i'm not a radio guy, its just my dumbass opinion.

[fearpeddler]

that and xmas never was my favorite holiday...

[Scott Reppert]

In all seriousness: I loved Christmas. Until I got into radio...

[AmpedNow]

Radio listening (at least rock radio-I don't know about everyone else) drops dramatically on holidays (except the summer holidays, Memorial Day, etc.) This is an opportunity to super serve your core of heavy user P1s and maybe grab some extra minutes from medium user P1s, P2s and P3s with some special programming.

When I was 12-13ish, I remember getting a new stereo. The station I listened to thru Xmas Eve and day was "FM 105". I wasn't a regular listener, but I listened specifically because they were the only station I could hear that didn't go wall-to-wall Xmas music.

I never was big on Xmas music. Not everybody is. I don't mind it, but just in small doses. Not hours on end...

As for the success of going all-Xmas, you may find the DC PPM trends this month interesting. WASH has beaten WTOP for first place.

I wonder when they will back out this year... Maybe they should rise that gravy train for all it's worth.

[Big Media]

Along these same lines, I recall a Christmas morning when I was unable to sleep. I was about 12 and the anticipation of Santa's arrival (combined with all the caffeine and sugar from the Christmas contraband I smuggled into my room) prevented me from sleeping. At all. I was up the entire night and the better part of Christmas Day. Any hoo, it was the first Christmas night where I can recall channel surfing and finding nothing on! Nothing!

Home Shopping Network had nothing but a fireplace and a logo bug. The rest was either infomercials, documentaries about Jesus, or other filth.

I recall being particularly pissed when I couldn't even find a dirty movie on Cinemax.

My point is this: Well... I don't have a point. Just remember the 12-year-old inside yourself as you aimlessly channel surf to find nothing but The Christmas Story marathon on TBS. That's pretty much it for tonight.

[sportsvoice]

I'm watching a Toilet Bowl game between Hawaii and Notre Dame.

[The-Hammer]

Along these same lines, I recall a Christmas morning when I was unable to sleep. I was about 12 and the anticipation of Santa's arrival (combined with all the caffeine and sugar from the Christmas contraband I smuggled into my room) prevented me from sleeping. At all. I was up the entire night and the better part of Christmas Day. Any hoo, it was the first Christmas night where I can recall channel surfing and finding nothing on! Nothing!

Home Shopping Network had nothing but a fireplace and a logo bug. The rest was either infomercials, documentaries about Jesus, or other filth.

I recall being particularly pissed when I couldn't even find a dirty movie on Cinemax.

My point is this: Well... I don't have a point. Just remember the 12-year-old inside yourself as you aimlessly channel surf to find nothing but The Christmas Story marathon on TBS. That's pretty much it for tonight.

That's why I'm glad Santa brought me TiVo a couple years ago. I'm currently watching "You Only Live Twice" timeshifted by twelve hours.