Ok.. whos going all Christmas first?? My guess is the 104.1 Fish today!

Are you Sure bout that?

They did indeed, but I think they explained it is just a one-day thing, to be resumed come December.

My guess is that it is the Fish's way of providing a thought-provoking alternative focus to the prevalence of Halloween stuff...

Yeah, because Halloween is EEEEEEEEEEVIL!!!!!!

I love Halloween.

As kids my folks (dad a pastor, mom Christian educator and curriculum writer) really got into Halloween. I never heard once growing up that this was some kind of evil thing. My folks kept it in perspective and today our kids enjoy it too.

All Hallows Eve, folks. Tomorrow (11/1 of every year) is All Saints' Day.

October 31st, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg. The first shot in the Protestant Reformation.

Este es Dia de los Muertos. Party on with Uncle Earl. Viva El Rey!

KOSY 106.5 in Salt Lake just switched to christmas music through the end of the year.

As of today "100,000 Watts" has begun its yearly list of "All-Christmas Music" stations:

Baton Rouge WCDV-FM 103.3
Indianapolis WEXM-FM 93.1
Kansas City KUDL-FM 98.1
Kansas City KCKC-FM 102.1
Milwaukee WMYX-FM 99.1
Pittsburgh WLTJ-HD 92.9
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WHNN-FM 96.1
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WGER-FM 106.3
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOSY-FM 106.5
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOAY-FM 97.5
Traverse City/NW Michigan WJZQ-FM 92.9

So, in Kansas City, Saginaw and Salt Lake City, there are COMPETING stations with NO listeners for the next 3 or 4 weeks?

R&R reported WLIT Chicago flipped for the season today as well.

I think that would be funny if some station in Portland surprises k103 and flips to all christmas before they do!

K103 has been promoting Christmas music for weeks and www.k103.com already looks like they have gone Christmas. My guess is that it will not be a surprise to them if someone flips. It looks like they are already prepared for that to happen.

KGON.com, CharlieFM.com, and 1051TheBuzz.com each have a link to "Christmas FM," a commercial-free, locally-produced Christmas Music stream.

620----AM Blue Christmas--- ELVIS!!!!!

620:PLESE BEGIN ALL CHRISTMASELVIS ON TH DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING.OK?

(sigh)
Regardless of what one personally thinks of the progressive talk format, or how its presented (on delay), or who the station is owned by, it seems to be the best format in terms of listenership and community support that 620 has had for years.

KXL would be a better choice for Christmas. Is KXL still on the air??
How about KPAM? KPAM still there too?
KEX?

good tonowthat I am in such a hatefull disrespectivecommunity now!
isn't Elvis music progressive?

Channel 13 on Sirius is all Elvis, might be worth a listen.

Here's the latest list of All-Christmas music stations as of 11-8-07:

Baton Rouge WCDV-FM 103.3
Chicago WLIT-FM 93.9
Dallas/Fort Worth KVIL-FM 103.7
Detroit WNIC-FM 100.3
Green Bay WECB-FM 104.3
Indianapolis WEXM-FM 93.1
Jacksonville WROO-FM 93.3
Kansas City KUDL-FM 98.1
Kansas City KCKC-FM 102.1
Milwaukee WMYX-FM 99.1
Omaha KSRZ-FM 104.5
Pittsburgh WLTJ-HD 92.9
Russellville, AR KWKK-FM 100.9
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WGER-FM 106.3
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WHNN-FM 96.1
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOAY-FM 97.5
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOSY-FM 106.5
Traverse City/NW Michigan WJZQ-FM 92.9

Just saw an ad for a holiday benefit concert with Tom Grant and Rebecca Kilgore (for "Potluck in the Park" which feeds the homeless every Sunday in O'Bryant Square)with a K103 co-presents logo. The the 0 was a christmas wreath, the colors were red and green, and the slogan under the calls was "Continuous Christmas Favorites".

Have they used this logo in the past?

SOMA FM is up!

http://somafm.com/play/xmasinfrisko

I listen every year. It's a bit early for me, but that won't last long. Great Xmas playlist.

Tdanner - I'm pretty sure I have seen that logo before. I think it was the one they used on their TV commercial last Christmas.

Potluck in the Park is a great cause.

I've worked with Potluck for a number of years, collecting "day old" food from fine folks like Albertsons and Reisers. The only thing preventing a total food meltdown between me and a car full of a few hundred donuts is the constant reminder that they are going to feed the homeless.

For a number of Christmases, I have worked the phone room at their huge Xmas dinner. A couple companies "loan" potluck all their "free nights and weekends" cellphones, and the more than a thousand guests at dinner can call anyone they want. Almost everyone calls their mom, and almost every call begins with the phrase "no, I'm not in jail." Some of them actually bring me to tears.

If your radio career takes you away from family at the holidays, or if your beliefs do not include the celebation of Xmas, helping them on Christmas Day (or setting up on Chritmas eve)is a great place to be.

Tdanner, I am part of a group that feeds the homeless community in downtown Salem twice weekly for over 4 years now...involving the faith community...very fullfilling work...the homeless are hungry/have needs all year long...not just the holidays although we appreciate anytime people are willing to give their time/resources to them...lets not forget the homeless...most of them want off the street.
This is just a temporary window of their lives hopefully.

Volunteering has to be one of life's most rewarding experiences. But I believe it starts with being grateful and thankful. With that acknowledgement I believe your volunteerism has more impact.

OK, This might be the ONLY thing that Ms. Danner and I see Eye to Eye on...... Absolutely the major portion of my charity contribution....

FOOD! I leave the cash donation parts to people who can afford it, but EVERY trip to the grocery, I pick up a few extra items. If something is being clearanced dirt cheap, I buy it all. This way, I always have something to donate to the food pantry, Second Harvest, Salvation Army, or who ever has the need. I urge everyone, to pick up an extra item or two, every time out. Drop off inconvienent? The Post office has food drives a couple of times a year, save it up, and put a bag or two out for pick up at those times.

No matter how down and out, for whatever reason, NOBODY should have to go hungry in this country. We throw away massive amounts of food, everything from past date potato chips to wilted radishes. Many grocers still toss their day old bakey items. Any time my job takes me to a grocery store, I am troubled by the amounts of edible items tossed....

From the family who can't make ends meet, to the hopeless alcoholic sleeping in the park, Everybody needs a meal.

If you don't gather a few items to help out, you should. An extra 39 cents for a canned good won't break your budget.

Here's the latest list of All-Christmas music stations as of 11-14-07

MARKET STATION FREQUENCY
Baton Rouge WCDV-FM 103.3
Boston WODS-FM 103.3
Boston WROR-FM 105.7
Burlington/Plattsburgh WEZF-FM 92.9
Canton WHOF-FM 101.7
Cedar Rapids KDAT-FM 104.5
Chicago WLIT-FM 93.9
Columbus WLZT-FM 93.3
Dallas/Fort Worth KVIL-FM 103.7
Denver KOSI-FM 101.1
Detroit WNIC-FM 100.3
Fargo-Moorhead KEGK-FM 106.9
Fargo-Moorhead KMXW-FM 104.7
Fort Myers/Naples WJPT-FM 106.3
Grand Rapids WOOD-FM 105.7
Green Bay WECB-FM 104.3
Indianapolis WEXM-FM 93.1
Jacksonville WROO-FM 93.3
Kansas City KCKC-FM 102.1
Kansas City KUDL-FM 98.1
Knoxville WOEZ-FM 88.3
Milwaukee WMYX-FM 99.1
Omaha KSRZ-FM 104.5
Petoskey/Cheboygan WLXT-FM 96.3
Pittsburgh WLTJ-HD 92.9
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill WRAL-FM 101.5
Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill WWMY-FM 102.9
Russellville, AR KWKK-FM 100.9
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WGER-FM 106.3
Saginaw/Bay City/Midland WHNN-FM 96.1
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOAY-FM 97.5
Salt Lake City/Ogden KOSY-FM 106.5
Traverse City/NW Michigan WSRT-FM 106.7
Traverse City/NW Michigan WJZQ-FM 92.9
Traverse City/NW Michigan WSRJ-FM 105.5

AM and FM stations currently broadcasting Christmas or Seasonal music.
November, 2007. M Street Publications for 100000watts.com. All rights reserved.

If Portland can resist as long as possible that would be WONDERFUL!
How about KPAM or KXL going Christmas???

We're within a week of Thanksgiving. It should be any day now. I noticed the list of AM and FM stations didn't have any AMs on it!

"Who will be the first to go ALL Christmas??"

Craig Adams, of course! He IS Mr. Christmas, right? He probably started decorating in August.

July.

I thought decorating only started after you've finished addressing your cards by the pool.

Dang, it gets earlier every year.

Are you trying to keep up with (and beat), Mattress World's "Christmas in July" event?
(Wait! Is that a Tom Peterson thang?)

Hey! Have you noticed they've changed the woman on the new "Sleep Country" TV spots. What happened? She looks pretty identical to the other.

Your're right, Craig! She's on the website too. The other one was late 30-ish looking, the new one looks younger to me, and maybe a bit cuter; perhaps a stronger subliminal appeal to get under the covers??

WSHH Pittsburgh has been Xmas all week as well.

My wife likes christmas music so she doesn't mind. I liked it better when we slowly added the music a song or two per hour complete with a jingle lead in from thanksgiving until the week before, then went all chrismas.

No one used to go all Christmas until December 24 at noon or later. I always thought that was absolutely ridiculous! Even the Beautiful Music stations didn't switch any earlier. There you were, Christmas shopping, driving to some holiday event or decorating the tree and there was no continuous source of Christmas music!

In the beginning Christmas music wasn't looked upon as a music format. It was programmed as a long form special. Many stations would buy or lease reel to real tapes from syndicators that had in some cases an entire 12 hour program pre-produced.

My favorite from the early 70's was heard over KGW for a year or two. It was called I believe "The Christmas Album". A great show with short interviews of children about Santa & Christmas as well as Moms & Dads, Grandparents or just people who were all interwoven in segways between Christmas songs for a real warm feel. Plus the music selections were fantastic for the early 70's, the popular hits with traditional song versions people remembered.

Steve N. put a great one together for Christmas back in the early '90's. Don't know the details, but it was on R2R, and I had fun being the board op on the late shift. It felt good to let the people who had people have Christmas Eve and Day off. My holiday was made by being allowed to drive the bus Win-win.

No one used to go all Christmas until December 24 at noon or later.
I remember this... I had to grow up listening to K103 (was expressly forbidden to listen to Z100, KGON, or KUFO when it signed on), had to listen to it in the car, etc., and IIRC they played something like 36 hours of commercial-free Christmas music that started on Christmas eve and lasted through Christmas. That was it.

KODZ 99.1, Eugene, is all Christmas as of 12:00 AM this morning!

Thank the gods...this year the tri-cities is blessed with ONLY one all Christmas Music station instead of TWO like it was last year...

Hope you didn't speak too soon, Al!

I did notice, happily, that this year 97.5 went christmas AFTER the weekend before Thanksgiving instead of 97.5 and 94.9 both going about mid November last year. Oh well, I have satellite radio in my personal vehicle this year...so there is some respite for the wicked

Since GAP took over the cluster, the last 10 songs are nowhere to be seen on the station websites. Where are the Christmas decorations at www.975coolfm.com ?

K103 has flipped to all-Christmas. Don't know when it happened, but I noticed it this evening.

According to KATU news at 6:30, K-103 started playing Christmas Music at 5:30 PM when they lit the nose on the Made in Oregon sign.

KRWM Warm 106.9 in Seattle started playing Christmas Music recently most likely just last week I noticed it on Monday when scanning the FM band.

Eugene's Magic 94.5 has also made the Christmas switch.

Boy times have changed. When I was programming top 40/chr in the 70's and 80's we would gradually work in Christmas music.
Starting the week before Christmas one song every other hour, then one per hour then two per hour and then finally Christmas Eve day through Christmas night at midnight all Christmas music and back to format on the day after.
It seemed to work for us and people appreciated the gradual build up.
Too much of anything is still too much.

You want commercial free Christmas music you can just go to www.kgon.com and stream it 24/7.


Christmas FM
Stream commercial free Christmas music, 24/7! Make requests or send comments to christmasfm@entercom.com.

The reason stations go all-Christmas is it impacts ratings 25-54.

Many of these stations win the Fall book, because of the tremendously over-inflated last month of the quarter. Therein lies the temptation to launch as early as possible.

Ironically, some of these stations, like Portland's 106.7 (as an AC), had one good book a year due to this impact.

I believe the impact of a an all-Christmas station is fueled by the additional cume that will tune-in that usually does not listen. It's an event.

Unfortunately, common-sense says that most people will not consume all-Christmas in the same manner as the usual format. The danger exists of driving listeners away.

It is possible that some core listeners will go nuts from the Christmas overload, and begin sampling elsewhere in the market and develop new listening habits.

The irony: it is disguised by the huge cume, and concurrent share increases, but when Christmas music ends, you do not get 100% of your old cume back at the same TSL levels as before. They have found several new choices they like, and will now spend some of their usual radio TSL with those new choices, in addition to former Christmas station.

The result is FURTHER EROSION.

Well put and right on, Robin.

Mike Phillips used to say that going all Christmas music was a tacit admission that your 11 month a year format wasn't as strong as a seasonal stunt-format that can be copied by everyone in your market.

I suspect the bulk of its impact comes from a few extra diarykeepers who work at a location that switched from their 11 month a year (or employee choice) station to one aimed more at customers and visitors. Suddenly all the chiropractors, QuikieMarts and Kinkos switch from AC/rock/oldies/CHR/etc. to all holiday music.

All-Christmas-Music is a format change, pure and simple, and it puts your entire cume including P1s at risk.

At the agency level we do not accept the third phase of the Fall ratings of any station that makes a change to all Christmas music prior to mid-December. We do not allow total changes to be averaged into regular programming for that length of time as it relates to increasing rates.
If we place a buy based on a change of one third of the total rating's period, it is not representative of future programming where our ads will run.

This from todays Inside Radio:

Well over 100 stations are in holiday-mode already. Last year Inside Radio counted a record 431 stations playing all-holiday music compared to 302 in 2005 and 279 in 2004. Consultant Mike McVay tells stations to approach it like a CHR, and play core classics like Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” or Gene Autry’s “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” every four hours. One song on his “Do Not Play” list: “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer.”

what else is on the do not play list?Micheal Jackson?

Michael Jackson has not recorded a Christmas song solo, just in The Jackson 5.

Kupl is playing Country Christmas songs this weekend.

It isn't necessarily Country. I heard "Merry Christmas, Darling!" The Fish is doing the same thing. I detect a trend: first, I believe.

I believe that most of the 'all Christmas' craze was driven by sales departments being strong armed by their retail clients to create a reason for them to buy seasonal adds on thier radio station. It caught on like strep throat in a daycare and now we are left with a 'tradition ' and/or a committment-like end of the year mentality that we may never get over.

I know that over here in the Washington outback its all about the sales packages and selling out the Christmas season a month or more ahead of time on one station in a cluster of 5 or 6 signals in the ownership.

Yes, the same people that brought us things we used to do for free, like weather reports and public service messages, and "this hour of format breaking holiday music brought to you by Frank's House of Bait, the only place in the tri-county area you'll find Red Wigglers...for all your bait needs, it's Frank's House of Bait."

Who will be the first station to END All Christmas Music? That honor goes to Boise's "Lite 107.9". This from R&R:

By Keith Berman

Peak yanks the Yule Log-scented all-Christmas lever on AC KXLT (Lite 107.9)/Boise, Idaho -- and with that, the station heads in a music-intensive direction as midday jock Melissa Dawn and afternoon driver Greg Williamson exit. Morning duo Kevin & Claire remain, as does the syndicated nighttime stylings of Delilah.

Meanwhile, Lite PD Tobin Jeffries becomes APD for the station and will take on network OM duties for the traffic group. Enter Brent Carey, PD of hot AC clustermate KCIX (Mix 106), who is now sporting PD stripes for both stations -- and now needs an APD to help him out on Mix.

They didn't yank the format, they "yanked the lever" to GO all Christmas. They're playing Christmas music now.

I miss understood the meaning of "yanks", Thinking they meant yanked off.

I hate to jump to conclusions but it looks like the Fish has switched to All Christmas. They did it over Thanksgiving and went back to format but I think it's real this time. I heard a Christmas song on Charlie followed by an offer to hear All Christmas on their website. They've pretty much made fun of the concept in years past.

Is it close to over????
I've heard "Rockin' around the Christmas tree" by Brenda Lee 300 times all ready!!!!

Ah! But have you heard "Rockin' Around The Hanukkah Bush"?

do not play:
"all I want for christhmath is my two front teeth"
do not play that!!!!!!

What the hey! You got something against Spike Jones??? (Actually, George Strait recorded it, too!)

I know, a little goes a long ways... But I still like "The Chickens Are In The Chimes" by Sascha Burland & the Skipjack Choir. Or the laughing rendition of Jingle Bells. BUT NOT EVERY FOUR HOURS!

Let me go find my red and white Santa's Elf hat...and the eggnog!

Bring on the Bob Rivers "Twisted Christmas", Bob and Doug MacKenzie, and of course, "Carol of the Bells" as done by Mannheim Steamroller!

OK...my age is showing...

Yeah! That's more like it!
BTW, The first Christmas song of the season I heard was when I put in the Bob Rivers CD and listened to "The Twelve Pains of Christmas."
Let's also add the South Park Christmas songs to the list, too!

"Walkin' 'round in Women's Underwear" gets me every time!

LMAO!

Ditto South Park...maybe I'm not as old as I thought

This from Inside Radio:

It's a 'Winter Wonderland' for radio.

Our sister website, 100000watts.com reports that 297 stations have switched to "all-holiday, all the time playlists." ASCAP reports today that a total of 1,562 different holiday songs have been played on the radio since October. The top spin of the season so far? "Sleigh Ride," followed by "Winter Wonderland" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

More here.

• Holiday songs have been played 2,366,787 times altogether.

The top 10 most-played holiday songs in the ASCAP repertoire so far this holiday season are:

"Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - played 86,925 times
"Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - played 82,185 times
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin) - played 64,806 times
"Jingle Bell Rock" (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Roth Boothe) - played 62,285 times
"White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - played 59,611 times
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) - played 58,508 times
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" (Johnny Marks) - played 52,587 times
"Frosty the Snowman" (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins) - played 44,472 times
"Silver Bells" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) - played 44,465 times
"A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny Marks) - played 44,374 times

*Note: The above list represents an aggregation of all different artist versions of each

26 days till it's all over!!!!!

No "Blue Christmas"? Christmas music without the King? What's this world coming to?

Today I won a 97.5 KOOL FM Merry Christmas tee shirt. Caller number one ( and about the only one, I think ) who knew that Andy Williams' signature Christmas song is :

"Its the most wonderful time of the Year".

Even though I argued that perhaps 'Happy Holidays' might qualify ... Times like these are the only way I get on the air anymore.

"Even though I argued that perhaps 'Happy Holidays' might qualify ... Times like these are the only way I get on the air anymore."

You must mean Andy Williams medley of "Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season". That's the version that is played most, although Andy also recorded "Happy Holiday" with out the medley but it's not as good.

Ya, it is the medley that KOOL plays and we (KNLT) did also back in the day. I have heard both versions. I remember "Happy Holiday" without the medley mostly from the past..was it in the 60s?? I think so..seems to me the "Mighty 91" used to play it on their " one Christmas song an hour" rotation during the week before the 25th.

Yes, "Happy Holiday" was originally recorded by Bing Crosby for the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn".

A side note on Bing Crosby. Listen to "White Christmas" backwards. FREAKY!

Is anyone playing the classic "Green Christmas"?
How about "Santa and his old Lady"?
Now those are classics.

....."White Christmas" backwards. FREAKY

I definitely heard "I killed Paul"

MY SWEET SATAN is heard clearly!
Bing was the devil!

My Sweet Lord but it sounds a lot like He's So Fine.

Washington Post article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/13/AR2007121302192. html

Thanks Steve, I thought I'd killed another one!...Uh oh.

So, I was driving around today with K103 playing their easy going Christmas music and decided to see what else was on. I happened to hit 1360. They were playing a Christmas tune by the Andrews Sisters. Talk about going back in time.... the 40's? Then they followed that with Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run", followed by the Carpenters.
Talk about a wide range of Christmas music.......

The eveing of Dec 24. Is when the real Christmas music starts playing.

Is it over yet?

Oh, and thank you to whoever is responsible for playing "Chickens in the Chimes" on K-Hits at about 12:30 this morning. Mr Christmas?

My Sweet Lord is playing now on Kool1059. Their not all Christmas today. KHITS is.

Tomorrow will be sweet bliss!

re: christmas music on 750,860m1190, perhaps others:
How come NO announcer/D.J. telling us titles& artist,describing what is being played.some are obviose, but many others sre rarely heard.all I hear are some station promotionalannouncements atatements..aren't there enough air voicea(talk,news,sports,already on your staff to host the christmas music programs properly(live)?OR,perhapshire some local DJpeople,oreven assign some of the executives/ managers who might actuallyhave some applicablepast on-air experience to do these shows??or are you too poor??.even porerecorded voice tracks would be better than nothing!!!do it live to add in weather reports,and north PoleSanta tracking,etc.perhaps also take calls live from listeners,Please!!!!comments,anyone:

Randy: "The Chickens Are In The Chimes" played this morning at 12:30 wasn't me. It was played by K-Hits new overnight jock Jason Miller, although the song did come from my Christmas collection.

62kgw: You should have been listening to K-Hits. I was on Noon to 6 today talking about the Snow, doing the weather and giving alot of the Christmas song titles and artists. I was also on the phone with listeners answering questions on songs, the weather, etc.

A lot of the News/Talk stations around the Country that don't play music, purchase satellite delivered Christmas music programming. One of the services that comes to mind is called "Christmas Music Networks" out of Overland Park, KS.

When will the Christmas stop?

In approximately 15 minutes.

I've been meaning to mention this, listening to Christmas music: She's Cyn Bolsta on every other station in town except The Fish, where she's Cynthia Bolsta! I thought it was pretty funny, no Original Cyn on a religious station!

"no Original Cyn on a religious station!"

And no Cindy FOX either!