Is This Another Reason There Are So Many All-Christmas Stations??

[Joseph_Gallant]

I found this December, 2004 article on MSNBC.com which may explain why so many radio stations go all-Christmas.

Scroll a little more than one-third of the way down the page, and you'll find out that a leading catalogue retailer last year had a Christmas-season commercial that they would only place on a radio station if it went all-Christmas.

There may indeed be other retail advertisers who likewise would only advertise (or only place certain commercials) on all-Christmas stations.

So while there does seem to be a lot of listeners (or so these stations claim) who do like all-Christmas formats, the real reason may be to accomodate Holiday messages from retail advertisers, which for most music-formatted stations, make up much or most of the station's revenues. If they didn't go all-Christmas, these advertisers might place their commercials elsewhere.

 

[whyhellothere]

Uh, no.

A station is not going to flip it's format so it can get MAYBE an additional $1,000 buy. Even moreso for a client that probably doesn't spend money any other time of the year.

I'll say it again to you Joseph, you're not correct in your thinking that stations do this exclusively to keep retail businesses afloat. Stations don't bend THAT much for THAT reason.

If you're pondering my credentials in telling you this, I do happen to program an AC station that is all Christmas right now. We're one of two stations in the market doing it, and the other is certainly NOT doing it for the ad revenue. It does create a big boost in cume for the station, and that it's not just a claim, it's a fact with many examples to back up.




> I found this December, 2004 article on MSNBC.com which may
> explain why so many radio stations go all-Christmas.
>
> Scroll a little more than one-third of the way down the
> page, and you'll find out that a leading catalogue retailer
> last year had a Christmas-season commercial that they would
> only place on a radio station if it went all-Christmas.
>
> There may indeed be other retail advertisers who likewise
> would only advertise (or only place certain commercials) on
> all-Christmas stations.
>
> So while there does seem to be a lot of listeners (or so
> these stations claim) who do like all-Christmas formats, the
> real reason may be to accomodate Holiday messages from
> retail advertisers, which for most music-formatted stations,
> make up much or most of the station's revenues. If they
> didn't go all-Christmas, these advertisers might place their
> commercials elsewhere.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
The power is yours!</P>

 

[radiolover78]

> Uh, no.
>
> A station is not going to flip it's format so it can get
> MAYBE an additional $1,000 buy. Even moreso for a client
> that probably doesn't spend money any other time of the
> year.
>
> I'll say it again to you Joseph, you're not correct in your
> thinking that stations do this exclusively to keep retail
> businesses afloat. Stations don't bend THAT much for THAT
> reason.
>
> If you're pondering my credentials in telling you this, I do
> happen to program an AC station that is all Christmas right
> now. We're one of two stations in the market doing it, and
> the other is certainly NOT doing it for the ad revenue. It
> does create a big boost in cume for the station, and that
> it's not just a claim, it's a fact with many examples to
> back up.

Ratings and higher cume do have something to do with owners switching their stations to all Christmas, but money is big part of it. There is a spike in ratings (in most cases) and in ad revenue.

>
>
>

 

[whyhellothere]

It is a nice and easy sell for the sales department, and believe me, the sales department is happy that we do this. And obviously a ratings boost would help the station in the long run revenue-wise as well.

However, as Joseph keeps stating, we do not do it exclusively because we are out to keep retail advertisers afloat.


> > Uh, no.
> >
> > A station is not going to flip it's format so it can get
> > MAYBE an additional $1,000 buy. Even moreso for a client
> > that probably doesn't spend money any other time of the
> > year.
> >
> > I'll say it again to you Joseph, you're not correct in
> your
> > thinking that stations do this exclusively to keep retail
> > businesses afloat. Stations don't bend THAT much for THAT
>
> > reason.
> >
> > If you're pondering my credentials in telling you this, I
> do
> > happen to program an AC station that is all Christmas
> right
> > now. We're one of two stations in the market doing it,
> and
> > the other is certainly NOT doing it for the ad revenue.
> It
> > does create a big boost in cume for the station, and that
> > it's not just a claim, it's a fact with many examples to
> > back up.
>
> Ratings and higher cume do have something to do with owners
> switching their stations to all Christmas, but money is big
> part of it. There is a spike in ratings (in most cases) and
> in ad revenue.
>
> >
> >
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
The power is yours!</P>

 

[dommy]

> It is a nice and easy sell for the sales department, and
> believe me, the sales department is happy that we do this.
> And obviously a ratings boost would help the station in the
> long run revenue-wise as well.
>
> However, as Joseph keeps stating, we do not do it
> exclusively because we are out to keep retail advertisers
> afloat.

It is an end of year gift for many A/C stations ratings wise. The December spike can aid to a higher fall rating for these stations. It usually also means a great January...with much of the new cume sticking around after the holidays. That impacts the winter book as well. If you look at the fall ratings for many A/C stations, the fall book tends to be their highest ranking of the year. Christmas and mainstream A/C go hand in hand. Both appeal to women and especially women with younger children. With a few exceptions, other formatted stations that go Christmas do not always fare as well.
>
>
> > > Uh, no.
> > >
> > > A station is not going to flip it's format so it can get
>
> > > MAYBE an additional $1,000 buy. Even moreso for a
> client
> > > that probably doesn't spend money any other time of the
> > > year.
> > >
> > > I'll say it again to you Joseph, you're not correct in
> > your
> > > thinking that stations do this exclusively to keep
> retail
> > > businesses afloat. Stations don't bend THAT much for
> THAT
> >
> > > reason.
> > >
> > > If you're pondering my credentials in telling you this,
> I
> > do
> > > happen to program an AC station that is all Christmas
> > right
> > > now. We're one of two stations in the market doing it,
> > and
> > > the other is certainly NOT doing it for the ad revenue.
>
> > It
> > > does create a big boost in cume for the station, and
> that
> > > it's not just a claim, it's a fact with many examples to
>
> > > back up.
> >
> > Ratings and higher cume do have something to do with
> owners
> > switching their stations to all Christmas, but money is
> big
> > part of it. There is a spike in ratings (in most cases)
> and
> > in ad revenue.
> >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>