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Post by d2thep on Oct 8, 2007 20:31:11 GMT -5
Ok here we go!! As you may know that time of year is coming and yes the music flip is coming as well and I need a little input as we are going to be making the flip....and after the big snow fall last weekend here...yes I had to use the snow blower it made me really think about this...We are going to be doing are own in house christmas format and not using any big music group (budget) but I did some research and asking around and no-one here in this area is going to go 24/7 Christmas maybe in Reno area but not in the Tahoe area but the time-line  I was thinking of adding some Christmas to the rotation on about November 5th and then going full blown on Saturday November 17th? until December 31st You need to remember Tahoe goes Christmas-y with all the tourists and stuff early and I found out South Tahoe is turning on thier lights around town on the 17th so that's why I picked that date....What do you all think?....Thanks for the help DSPete Am 590 |
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Post by henry on Oct 8, 2007 23:20:32 GMT -5
Why not a live broadcast at city hall when they turn on the lights, which officially kicks it off to your listeners. You could start plugging it a month in advance. It doesn't even have to be a big to-do ... just talk about it on air, then have one of the guys run down there with the cell phone and even if it's Moe the Janitor ... talk to him for 2-3 minutes about setting up the lights, then sound really excited when he flips the switch, and have the board op/ dj roll the first of many christmas songs to come.
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Post by x on Oct 9, 2007 0:04:11 GMT -5
Personally, I think even 5 days before Thanksgiving is pushing the envelope a bit, but apparently the consultants know something I don't. If it were me, there's no way I'd go all-Christmas before Thanksgiving Day. A sprinkling (like 1 or 2 an hour) maybe, and keep it to a similar sound with what you normally program the other 10 months of the year. As for how you launch it, I think Henry's got a great idea. Does there happen to be a Thanksgiving parade? Preferably one with Santa Claus arriving at the end, a la the Macy*s parade in New York? It might be even better if there isn't. You could create your own "audio parade" where the "floats" are different performances or segments or songs or something. Local bands (high school, college, amateurs, whatever) could send in stuff to play. I'd put in a vote for the classic "Alice's Restaurant" but I'm not sure that fits with your format.  Anyway, at the end Santa appears and launches the all-Christmas format. You could do that live from the real parade or make one up if there isn't a convenient parade around. Works well either way. Anyhoo, feel free to steal any or all of this idea. |
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Post by Amanuensis on Oct 9, 2007 11:02:07 GMT -5
As you can see from posts I made last year, and the year before that, I am not at all a fan of wall-to-wall Christmas music until just a VERY FEW days before Christmas, like maybe the weekend before.
That said, I think KSFI has a good tradition here in SLC in which they broadcast live Christmas concerts from the ZCMI Center -- I guess they will have to have those at a different venue this year. I also liked how KSL (prior to going all news) would play recordings of various local high school choirs singing Christmas stuff.
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Post by d2thep on Oct 15, 2007 11:11:27 GMT -5
As you can see from posts I made last year, and the year before that, I am not at all a fan of wall-to-wall Christmas music until just a VERY FEW days before Christmas, like maybe the weekend before. Well after staff meeting it was decided that we will only throw in Christmas music 2 songs per 1/2 hour set starting Thanksgiving Then go 24/7 Christmas Dec 15 thru Dec 31 We are going to be doing a contest for a local to throw the switch and to do a remote that night but not start Christmas music that early the 17th of November to me and the rest of the staff was just a little to early but with all the early snow we have been getting a little christmas-y moody? Thanks for the input WOW it has been dead around the SLC area not much going on there huh!!! |
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Post by x on Oct 15, 2007 23:19:38 GMT -5
WOW it has been dead around the SLC area not much going on there huh!!! Too quiet if you ask me. Something's bound to blow up sooner or later. The longer it goes, the bigger the blow up. Kinda like the Big One. |
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Post by admin on Oct 17, 2007 13:12:50 GMT -5
I tend to feel after Thanksgiving, never before, for sure December 1st, I realize there are the anti Christmas people, but they are not the majority but a small and annoyingly vocal group |
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Post by David on Oct 17, 2007 13:32:46 GMT -5
As you can see from posts I made last year, and the year before that, I am not at all a fan of wall-to-wall Christmas music until just a VERY FEW days before Christmas, like maybe the weekend before. Well after staff meeting it was decided that we will only throw in Christmas music 2 songs per 1/2 hour set starting Thanksgiving Then go 24/7 Christmas Dec 15 thru Dec 31 We are going to be doing a contest for a local to throw the switch and to do a remote that night but not start Christmas music that early the 17th of November to me and the rest of the staff was just a little to early but with all the early snow we have been getting a little christmas-y moody? Thanks for the input If the story I heard on CNN Radio News earlier today is any indication , I'd say that lots of folks are already getting into the holiday spirit. Seems the hot new trend in Christmas shopping is to start the process before Halloween. However, I commend you and the staff of your station for having the self-restraint to hold off on the 24/7 Christmas format until a couple of weeks before the holiday. With KSFI and KOSY starting their Christmas music shortly after Halloween and the other local stations following suit a week or two later, I'm usually all "Christmas'ed out" by a week or two before the holiday. |
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Post by dolt on Oct 17, 2007 20:23:27 GMT -5
Next year do whatever it takes to help the sales staff bring in ads.
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Post by x on Oct 18, 2007 2:11:07 GMT -5
Hardly a new trend David. Moving the holiday season backwards has been a trend for over a decade now at a minimum. It's been a slow steady march. I blame the weather. What else are you going to do with the garden section at the big box store once you can't plant anything anymore?
Your burnout comment is right on the nose though. That's the problem, in my opinion. The counter argument is that once the fatigue factor starts to become an issue, it's really close enough that you can say "it's only 10 days away" and get rejuvenated a bit. The further back you push it, the harder that becomes though. Considering how few songs there really are (different performances only take you so far), it's amazing to me that there's as much tolerance as there is.
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Post by Amanuensis on Oct 18, 2007 8:30:35 GMT -5
Considering how few songs there really are (different performances only take you so far), it's amazing to me that there's as much tolerance as there is. The issue of song selection is THE REASON why I HATE having so much Christmas music played so early. Unless your station's format is Adult Standards, I NEVER want to hear your station play The Christmas Standards from the 40's and 50's. In other words, if your station's format the other 10 or 11 months of the year is 80's, 90's, and Now, then play Christmas music from the 80's, 90's, and Now. Dozens of new Christmas CDs get released each year, some of which might even be good. But they never get any airplay unless they are from some pop artist or group told by the agent that Now is the time in their declining(?) career to do The Chistmas Album. And those albums are almost never the ones that are good. |
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Post by d2thep on Oct 22, 2007 19:51:51 GMT -5
It's very adult standards 40's 50's and more..... But yea I think along with the rest of the staff here 24/7 christmas will start here on DEC 15th and we will throw in a couple Christmas songs per hour starting Thanksgiving......... but like I said with the past few storms it looks like Christmas now!!
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Post by x on Oct 22, 2007 23:15:54 GMT -5
Just wait for the World Series in Denver. The ball will get hit into a snowdrift and you get an inside the park homer.
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Post by dolt on Oct 23, 2007 9:36:29 GMT -5
The weather guessers say great days for baseball.
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Post by x on Oct 24, 2007 0:10:41 GMT -5
The weather guessers say great days for baseball. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a few days out, but past that.....not so much. |
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Anyway, at the end Santa appears and launches the all-Christmas format. You could do that live from the real parade or make one up if there isn't a convenient parade around. Works well either way.
