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Post by David on Oct 30, 2022 13:16:15 GMT -6
Like it or not, the countdown to the annual Christmas music flip has begun, at least for one local radio station. The Christmas countdown clock on the 103.3 Lite FM website indicates they'll become "The Christmas Station" in Cache Valley at Noon on November 1, 2022. IIRC, 103.3 Lite FM was the first local station to flip to all Xmas music last year as well. litefm1033.com/
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Oct 31, 2022 14:44:40 GMT -6
We also know that FM 100.3 will be flipping at some point. They're running their annual contest to guess when.
So who else in the Salt Lake Valley will? Last year My 99.5 (in a mandate from corporate) did and the ratings were temporarily much improved. I couldn't guess if there's going to be a national effort at iHeart to do that again this year. If it were me, I'd look at last year's data on a market by market basis and look for both the short and long term impacts rather than making a blanket move. I don't see any long term negatives, so it seems like a reasonable thing to do. KANN and the rest of the SOS network will almost certainly flip too. I'm sure other stations will have at least some Christmas at some point, but do you all think anyone else will do it 24/7 this year? It's always possible, but unless FM 100.3 is alone in a month I'm guessing no.
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Post by Timmy on Oct 31, 2022 15:29:12 GMT -6
It'd be nice if b98.7 did it again, they did it some years ago. Just to give Fm100.3 a little competition.
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Post by amanuensis on Oct 31, 2022 17:10:51 GMT -6
The other day when it was snowing a little, I decided to listen to a stream of instrumental Christmas music. Why doesn't any OTA radio stations try it? Holiday Instrumentals Christmas vacations are made for long naps while the snow gently falls outside the window. Get under the blankets and put on this quiet collection of instrumental pieces. webplayer.stingray.com/en/play/channel-info/description?channel-id=VIB_S0306Other streams from the same provider: Holiday Fringe "Bored of the same old Christmas songs playing on repeat? Discover a different take on holiday tracks with a selection of alternative versions and original compositions." Instrumental Holiday Jazz Cool Yuletide Night Easy Listening Holidays Christmas Zen Meditation New Age Christmas Mellow Holiday Jazz Christmas Piano Favorite Christmas Soundtracks Bluegrass Christmas Instrumentals Spa for the Holidays Acoustic Christmas '60s Christmas Christmas: Essential Favorites Big Band Christmas Christmas Then and Now Smooth Jazz Christmas '90s Christmas '80s Christmas Christmas Crooners '70s Christmas Celtic Santa Soulful Holidays Today's Christmas Hits Classical Christmas Metal Christmas All-Star Sacred Christmas Folk Roots Holidays Holiday Blues Kids' Christmas Christmas Around the World Bluegrass Stocking Stuffers Happy Folksy Holidays Latin Christmas Nomad Holidays Kids' Hanukkah Favourites Classic Country Christmas Contemporary Christian Christmas Festive Adult Alternative R&B Christmas Navidad Rockera Chill Christmas Silly Country Christmas Coffee Shop Christmas Christmas Country Classics Folk-Roots Christmas Holy Christmas Hip-Hop Christmas Tinsel, Jingle and Mingle Merry Indie Christmas A Very Punk-Rock Christmas ... I got tired of typing but there were still more.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Nov 1, 2022 4:23:22 GMT -6
I think you answered your own question. You listed 52 channels. You could take over the entire FM dial and not have enough room for all that. Online streaming is a completely different animal from broadcast. The additional cost of having 10 streams with 1 listener each is virtually zero compared to 1 stream with 10 listeners. They can afford to have a niche channel for every wacky genre they can think of. Broadcast must by its nature appeal to a mass audience. Trying something different might work, but then again it might fail spectacularly. Going with a "standard" all Christmas is almost guaranteed to work, so the conventional wisdom says why chance it? I know that tends to result in boring radio, but there's an old saying "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM."
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Post by amanuensis on Nov 1, 2022 15:30:13 GMT -6
Of course it is true that radio stations can only "broad"cast. But radio is thus failing now for the same reason that broadcast tv is failing -- people no longer have to put up with lowest-common-denominator programming. I almost never listen to Christmas radio stations because what they broadcast is a train wreck of different styles and eras. Maybe "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" immediately after "Oh Holy Night".
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Post by David on Nov 4, 2022 19:15:23 GMT -6
KJMY 99.5 flipped to all Christmas at 5:00 PM today. iHeart stations in Fort Wayne, Minneapolis, and Albany, NY also flipped to 24/7 Xmas music this afternoon as well. Let the ho ho ho's begin! 😀
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Nov 5, 2022 1:40:36 GMT -6
There have been a bunch of stations around the country flipping this week, but I haven't heard of any coordinated effort at iHeart. It's not like last year when more than 80 iHeart stations flipped at the same time on the first Friday of November.
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Post by Timmy on Nov 6, 2022 14:53:38 GMT -6
I get re-using imaging, but the covid-related imaging that is still in rotation at 99.5 is kind of a turn-off... Reminding reindeer to stay 6 ft apart and hand sanitizer and what have you... Let's clean that up.
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Post by David on Nov 6, 2022 16:07:41 GMT -6
I get re-using imaging, but the covid-related imaging that is still in rotation at 99.5 is kind of a turn-off... Reminding reindeer to stay 6 ft apart and hand sanitizer and what have you... Let's clean that up. Considering the recent rise in the number of RSV, flu, and Covid-19 cases, I think that reminding people of proper hygiene procedures really doesn't hurt. That's especially true when you consider that more people are indoors and in close contact with each other now because of the colder weather, and because many people will be getting together for the holidays. I'm fully vaccinated and have had Covid twice in the past 10 months, and I'm still recovering from my second bout with the virus this September. I think that most immunocompromised people and the elderly would appreciate others taking a few extra precautions this holiday season to keep their germs to themselves.🙂Just my two bits worth--YMMV.
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Post by Timmy on Nov 6, 2022 20:27:30 GMT -6
The problem I have with it is that it is outdated in the way it's being presented. As if we were still in the thick of Winter 2020. It's presented in a humorous way as if to lighten things up back when we really needed it to be lightened up. To me, this is a terrible reminder of an awful time in our recent history to which so many things that are wrong or more complicated or more expensive now is based upon. Again, fine, covid is still out there and affecting people, but let's not make light of it and let's not really do it in such an insensitive way. That's my take on it.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Nov 7, 2022 3:10:14 GMT -6
Running some PSA's is one thing, but imaging is something completely different. I don't think reminder PSA's are a bad idea, but Timmy is right that using pandemic humor would sound just awful. (I listened a few times tonight and didn't catch any yet.) Stations have to have and pay attention to expiration dates. Nobody would be running Halloween themed material this weekend either. It makes the station sound like they aren't paying attention, and maybe they aren't. Unfortunately that's a very common problem in business these days.
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Post by seattlefollower on Nov 11, 2022 11:53:52 GMT -6
Out of market, but iHeart flipped KKCW-FM (K103) in Portland, Ore. on Thursday. Earliest I've ever heard it. rrconline.org/schedules/nelsen-release-dates/Did Nielsen Audio adjust how surveys are done? These dates are very confusing. The weeks are still Thursday - Wednesday though, no?
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Post by CAwasinNJ on Nov 12, 2022 6:31:58 GMT -6
The big iHeart flip happened Friday, though obviously My 99.5 was already there. news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n42905Considering the sorry state of the rrc webpage I'm not touching it with a 39½ foot pole. Instead I'd go straight to the source (Nielsen) and get it here: www.arbitron.com/home/surveysched.asp Ignore the page itself, which is hilariously out of date, and download the PDF that should be offered. The TL;DR is that the survey periods for PPM are Thurs - Wed, so I would presume the weeks are too.
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Post by seattlefollower on Nov 13, 2022 16:52:35 GMT -6
The big iHeart flip happened Friday, though obviously My 99.5 was already there. news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n42905Considering the sorry state of the rrc webpage I'm not touching it with a 39½ foot pole. Instead I'd go straight to the source (Nielsen) and get it here: www.arbitron.com/home/surveysched.asp Ignore the page itself, which is hilariously out of date, and download the PDF that should be offered. The TL;DR is that the survey periods for PPM are Thurs - Wed, so I would presume the weeks are too. Thanks mod, and that was perfect. I believe I was looking at the "Continuous Diary Measurement Survey Schedule" which applies to mid-sized places like Louisville, KY but any 50 or higher are now PPM if I am not mistaken. I see that's page #2. Thanks for the assistance.
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