The holiday season is almost upon us. This means many stations will be making that dreaded decision of when to start playing Christmas music and how much of it to play. Some of this decision will be based on format, some on market position and, most of all, the desire to get big ratings and turn those ratings into revenue. Having been in radio for many years, I am well aware of the cynicism there is toward Christmas music. We have heard these songs again and again for years and they just don’t reflect that hip image we have of ourselves. This just in…most of the world, including most of us, really are not that hip. We love the feeling of family and friends gathering together that most holiday seasons afford. This music is an integral part of that feeling. This year, more than any other, we are looking for something to make us feel good.
If you are a station that has traditionally been the Christmas music station in your market, then this year i would seriously think about starting earlier than usual. 2020 has been about the worst year any of us can remember. Christmas music will bring in some of those great feelings that have been absent most of this year. Your listeners will be hungrier than ever for these. Don’t disappoint! I would suggest not waiting until the Friday after Thanksgiving. You might want to launch on The Friday before – November 20 or even the day after Halloween! If nothing else, something to consider is playing all Christmas music after the polls close in your state on November 3. This presidential race has been, at least, as contentious as 2016. Listeners are looking for something to feel good about. Play Christmas music up until Midnight. You can return to regular format the next morning, but you will have made an impression in your market. If you are a station that is going to do it for the first time in an effort to build your audience and take away from your competitor, then it is very important that you launch first. Start those promos early! That will be your best hope of “stealing” some of the credit and some of the audience away from your competitor.
Christmas music, if done right, is a huge cume builder for the station that does it. Usually, first-in, is the station that gets the most benefit, but not always. When you do it, do it right. Start your promos well in advance in order to claim credit with your audience. Let them know exactly when the music will start. Because of the cume increase, it is important to promote the regular features of your station like the music and the morning show. Recycling this Christmas cume back to the rest of the station is one of the most important parts of this.
The Christmas music and its scheduling is a blog of its own. I will have that next week.
