🎄 Holidays! All Christmas,all the time

[jimac51]

First off,I am known for rants against Clear Channel broadcasting and how they are ruining radio with the goverment's blessing. Second,I can't wait to slam them again-which probably won't take long. But the local AM oldies station here(WKAP,1470) is trying something interesting. They dumped the format completely and went around the clock Christmas rock and plan to keep the format till Dec. 25th. I believe they are using a satellite with live DJs,minus morning drive(which I know is done local,live), hidden in a bunker hundreds of miles away. But it is a pretty gutsy move. Now I have not heard any MOR Christmas greats like Conniff,Mathis or Percy Faith but it is nice to hear something from the Four Seasons great Christmas record,"Do They Know It's Christmas" and even a Beatles message. Hopefully,they are mixing it up rather than a limited playlist as they usually run on an oldies station and,unfortunately,these stations tend to broadcast a white,souless sound outside of Motown. Playing Chuck Berry's "Run,Run Rudolph" is encouraging,though, and maybe Booker T.'s "Jingle Bells' is around the corner...Mac

 

[Rudy]

Mac--I'll move this topic at the end of the week...I won't give away any more hints, though.

I just fired off an e-mail to Harry about a local radio station that did the same thing. The station is WNIC, for decades, home of "Detroit's Nicest Rock". AC, in other words. This station was already around 22 years ago when I went to high school. At this station was Allan Almond, one of your typical late-night basso profundo voices that wooed you to sleep. He was a Detroit institution. I say "was" because he was fired from WNIC last week. Shortly following that, they kicked over to an all-Christmas format. I guess they still do something in the morning, but otherwise, it's all ho-ho-ho and jingle bells and all that stuff. (To paraphrase "Peanuts". )

Greater Media came to town recently and replaced the "classic soul" station with a new Magic station playing AC, and stole WNIC's morning crew to boot. (Another decades-old institution that, if I recall, may have started off on another Magic station in the 80's.) Good move--that station is doing well, and WNIC I'm predicting will have a new format come 2003. (I don't recall if WNIC is a Cheap Channel affiliate or not.)

If that wasn't enough, a local weatherman (Jim Maddaus) does the morning weather on the classic rock station, WCSX. (Another Greater Media station.) He hinted at something going on last week, and find out today what's happening. He works for channels 50 (UPN) and 62 (CBS). At least this week he does. These stations (which I'm guessing have the same ownership or management) are getting rid of their news department, laying off some 60-70 people in the name of cost savings. In a twisted turn of events, these stations will now get their news broadcast from channel 7 (WXYZ, an ABC afilliate)!

Is it getting to the point where three great big companies are going to own *everything*?

-= N =-
...just finishing dinner...

 

[Mike Blakesley]

XM Radio has two channels which will feature around the clock Christmas starting on Thanksgiving. The first, Special-X (40) is playing the novelty and comedy stuff, and Sunny (24) is playing more traditional tunes, including Herb Alpert's album.

 

[Harry]

Good move--that station is doing well, and WNIC I'm predicting will have a new format come 2003. (I don't recall if WNIC is a Cheap Channel affiliate or not.)

Actually, I wouldn't bet on that just yet. Latest ratings still show WNIC (yes, it's Cheap Channel) hanging in at the top three in Detroit's ratings. (See it yourself at: http://www.radioandrecords.com/Subscribers/Ratings/ratmain.asp?mkt=det ).

In both Philly and Detroit, I'm sure the switch was a pre-emptive strike against anyone else doing it first. Word is that whichever station in a market switches to a Christmas format first, owns the identity for the duration. What's still really unknown, is whether or not it actually provides a bump in the ratings. If it does, watch for it more often and sooner in the future!

Harry
...who still thinks it's way too early for Christmas music, online...

 

[Rudy]

If WNIC is doing that well, it's odd they would ditch someone like Almond. (He's somewhat of a late-night icon, albeit a sleepy sounding one...he's an acquired taste.) It just seems like in Detroit, after the big names leave a station, the station usually takes a dip in the ratings. I wonder if they'll go with a syndicated replacement for Almond.

Agreed it's too early for Xmas music. But at least they have variety on their side--MOR, rock, oldies, pop. (Fortunately I didn't hear any Kenny G.!!!) They had music from all over the spectrum. It is still a bit disturbing that they were only playing recorded breaks between blocks of songs...probably automated. Hell, the whole broadcast may be coming in via satellite for all I know.

-= N =-

 

[Mr Bill]

I believe Clear Channel (or whatever they're calling themselves this month) has done the 24 hour Christmas station in every one of their markets. Here, their 80s station, for the second year in a row, has done it. I think last year it was a test thing here in San Diego and I guess it did well enough for them to do it EVERYWHERE...

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

We should all do a conference call and see if these Cheap Channel statsions are playing the same songs at the same time. It would not surprise me if they did. I haven't heard any TJB yet, but they have Carpenters on at least once an hour.

DirecTV carries Music Choice channels, and they've always had one "seasonal" channel that played music for the closest upcoming holiday. Thing is, it was a low-bandwidth channel, and sounded just a little better than AM radio quality. Why they did this, I don't know--with the dozens of other channels, the upgrade would cost them minimal extra bandwidth.

Provided I can get my CD burner running again, I'm going to make some new Xmas compilations to play here. Not sure if I'll keep the same genres on the same CDs, or just mix them up (which plays better in a changer, actually).

-= N =-

 

[jimac51]

I suspect that the music may be satellite or computer fed from a central source. This AM I listened to WKAP and found the local live parts may be fairly deep holes between feeds. These guys are embarassingly bad so this is laborous but it seems that all of their work(chatter,cars,weather,spots) is squeezed into a few minutes and they do not intro records but almost walked over an Andy Williams song(maybe they will have some MOR) that was NOT "It's the Most Wonderful Time". Outside of that walk over,though,it was pretty clean-bad,but clean. They are plugging the station on their other CC stations-somehow I can't imagine someone listening to Ozzy would switch over to hear a Christmas song. I can't wait to see what Neil has in store later this week. Your commentary about media monopoly is timely since the FCC is about to really loosen up on who owns what in a market. The end result will be less voices, in all media-the newspapers,radio,TV,cable,book publishing wil be conctrolled by a select few-a most dangerous situation,even for something as benign as the weather. Clear Channel reportedly has its concert business up for sale and may use the money to buy stations in Europe(Engand,especially)and get into the US media buy ups that could take place in a rapid period of time. Mac

 

[Rudy]

One rumor I heard that the financially strapped Cheap Channel may have the AOL/Time/Warner empire as a suitor. (Is this even legal?)

Also, someone had mentioned that Cheap Channel may also be getting into the satellite radio market (XM radio). I'm looking forward to getting satellite radio one day, but I do hope they don't get a Cheap Channel in there that will homogenize all of the programming and make it as bland as AM/FM these days.

Since my CD changer is upstairs for now, I may just load it up with all of my Xmas CDs. I'm probably close to filling it up (it's only a 100-CD changer).

-= N =-
...contemplating a Pioneer 301 CD/DVD changer...

 

[Mr Bill]

I heard the TJB version of "My Favorite Things" today on the Christmas channel... Now if I can only hear "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle"...

--Mr Bill
still wondering how "Favorite THings" became a Christmas tune...

 

[Harry]

I heard the TJB version of "My Favorite Things" today on the Christmas channel... Now if I can only hear "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle"...

Herb's or Burt's?

still wondering how "Favorite THings" became a Christmas tune...

Wasn't it Streisand who started that?

Harry
...more questions than answers, online...

 

[Rudy]

I heard the TJB version of "My Favorite Things" today on the Christmas channel... Now if I can only hear "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle"...

Herb's or Burt's?

I'm all for the Burt version--chances are radio would play it since Burt is kind of "in" right now. But it's rare enough that I doubt you'd find it easily. (Someone had mentioned it was on a compilation CD, but dubbed from a 45...)

-= N =-

 

[Tim Neely]

still wondering how "Favorite Things" became a Christmas tune...

Wasn't it Streisand who started that?

I don't know if it was first to consider it a Christmas song, but the 1965 album by the Supremes, Merry Christmas, included "My Favorite Things," in a rendition I've heard several times this holiday season already. Streisand's Christmas album came out in 1967. Alpert's was in 1968.

 

[Rudy]

I don't know if it was first to consider it a Christmas song, but the 1965 album by the Supremes, Merry Christmas, included "My Favorite Things," in a rendition I've heard several times this holiday season already. Streisand's Christmas album came out in 1967. Alpert's was in 1968.

We Five did a version, but it was not originally on a Christmas album. It was from their first album, but a bit later, was included on the A&M !Something Festive! LP. And We Five would have been, what, '66 or '67 anyway?

I'm not a big Motown fan, but the Supremes' is one of my favorite versions.

If you think about it, even "Jingle Bells" isn't specifically a Christmas song. It's more the North Pole equivalent of a biker anthem. (A "Born To Be Wild" for the sleigh and reindeer set. )

-= N =-
...wondering if the frigid weather has hit Wisconsin as well...

 

[Harry]

I'm all for the Burt version--chances are radio would play it since Burt is kind of "in" right now. But it's rare enough that I doubt you'd find it easily. (Someone had mentioned it was on a compilation CD, but dubbed from a 45...)

As there seems to be every year over on the Bacharach Forum to the House Is Not A Homepage, there are people looking for Burt's version. The song was issued on a CBS Oldies (various local radio station versions are out there) radio compilation a few years ago, and you're right, it was mastered from a crappy 45.

I can't recall ever hearing the song on radio. Perhaps Herb's version when the TJB Christmas Album was new...

Harry
...in the middle of a very busy day at work, online...

 

[Tim Neely]

Last year, the Bacharach version of "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle" was in regular rotation on the Muzak here at work.

It's on CD on The Ultimate Christmas Album, Volume Three, an easily found collection on the Collectables label.* And it's also on the LP iSomething Festive! in stereo.

*Yes, this is the same CD to which Harry refers; this is the generic version with no radio station plug on the cover.

 

[Tim Neely]

-= N =-
...wondering if the frigid weather has hit Wisconsin as well...

Yes... but no snow yet. The ground is brown!

 

[Mr Bill]

If you think about it, even "Jingle Bells" isn't specifically a Christmas song. It's more the North Pole equivalent of a biker anthem. (A "Born To Be Wild" for the sleigh and reindeer set. )

-= N =-
...wondering if the frigid weather has hit Wisconsin as well...

I don't know about Wisconsin, but judging by your "sleigh analogy" it most certainly has hit your mind!

--Mr Bill
noticing that his "Attach Signature" is suddenly defaulting to "on" and having to edit it off his posts when he forgets to uncheck it.

 

[Mr Bill]

Herb's or Burt's?

That would be
HERB's!!!

--Mr Bill

 

[jimac51]

Guessing how "My Favorite Things" turned into a Christmas classic is interesting. I will guess 1965 has the watershed year,and not just because Motown decided to put it on a Christmas album. The movie version of "The Sound of Music" was in its heyday,having been released that year. As musicals go,especially Rogers & Hammerstein musicals,the success of "Sound" on stage was good but did not reach the levels of "South Pacific" or "Oklahoma." This was a gamble-20th Century Fox had limited success with musicals,Julie Andrews was not known much past live stage productions but with Robert Wise directing after "West Side Story" and millions being spent,the boxoffice success was a pleasant surprise for everyone involved. What proved interesting was the repeat viewings by women, especially mothers and daughters viewing together(it was the "Titanic" of its day). But the lines about "packages tied up with string" and "raindrops on roses" somehow became associated with Christmas. I've viewed this movie numerous times(including a wide screen sit through during its first run in Philly),enjoy parts of it(the opening mountain scenes)and winced at others(the wedding scene)but still do not see the Christmas connection. A web investigation brings about an early truth-there are more than a few people obsessed with this movie as much as "Gone With the Wind" or "Wizard of Oz". Me,I get a kick out of playing John Coltrane's Atlantic studio version of "My Favorite Things",which runs 15 minutes(he performed this live sometimes for 30+ minutes)and seeing people either go with the groove or freak out. After all these years, Coltrane's "Things" goes my ears by like a three minute single. Herb's version is very good(and a nod must be given to Shorty Rogers) and Kenny Burrell does a kick-butt version in his Christmas album. Mac

 

[jimac51]

One problem that comes with Clear Channel's vision of Christmas music are the limited number of songs repeated by many artists. I know part of the problem are the albums themselves,with "The Christmas Song" being a major culprit but it would be nice to hear a little variation. And the overwelming prominence of secular songs means that,no matter the quality of the performance,there are few religious ones on the air. I haven't even heard "Little Drummer Boy",unless its the annoying Bing & Bowie version. Because I am button- hopping on two stations(one AM,the other FM)i sometimes here the same song in a matter of minutes by different artist.Being radio,I guess their feeling is that if the song is familiar,you might not tune away. Not so,here. I button hop like any normal male,pausing on commercial clusters only if one has a Christmas music bed in the background. Right now an amusement park in Hershey,Pa. has a well produced jingle for their Christmas village,using a combination of bells and chorus singing "Hershey!The Sweetest place on earth!" that is better than much of the music on the station. Almost makes me want to go there,or at least eat a piece of a Special Dark bar. Mac

 

[Rudy]

I'm starting to notice our Cheap Channel Xmas station repeats a lot of the same versions as well. There will be a song I haven't heard in years...then I'll hear the same version of it every time I tune in. In a way I wish they'd stick to the older or 'classic' holiday songs and skip all of this modern garbage. (Last night, for instance, I heard a terrible, utterly tuneless concoction by some recent female singer--not sure who, they're all uniformly bad--which wasn't much different from any other pop song but somehow had "Santa" woven into the lyrics.) And I'm finding out the hard way how many ways Kenny G. can dreck up holiday tunes. Thank goodness we're not subjected to Boney James' UNFunky Christmas, but they could use some more good instrumental or "lite" jazz in the mix.

I think this will officially be the day I deck the halls at home, so I'll probably load the changer up, create a "group", and put it on random. No time to make my own compilations right now.

 

[Rudy]

I'm just about at wit's end with our local Cheap Channel Christmas broadcast. Two weeks in a row, on Sunday morning, they've played the same Casey Kasem holiday music countdown. Within 38 minutes, the station played the same #1 song (Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song"). Within an hour, "Merry Christmas Darling". Which I heard twice yesterday as well. Everything else seems like it's on a 4-6 hour loop. I'm already sick of Harry Connick Jr.'s "Sleigh Ride" (which I marginally liked to begin with).

Maybe they should just call it for what it is: "Burning Out Christmas."

 

[Rudy]

It must be on a four-hour cycle. Once again, I'm hearing the EXACT same songs I heard four hour goes--Nat King Cole's song almost played 4 hours, to the minute, past the first time I heard it after Casey's countdown. Now the SAME obnoxious Kenny G. version of "Silver Bells" is playing. Also like before, Bing's "White Christmas". And within the next song or two will be "Merry Christmas Darling". (They already did Carpenters' "Home For The Holidays" twice in the past four hours as well.)

Gotta give Cheap Channel credit: they're consistent. Consistently what, I'll leave that up to everyone else to decide.

Nice thought, having Xmas music all the time, but the execution stinks. With all the thousands of popular songs out there, not to mention many more lesser-known songs and obscurities, it just seems so.......commercial.

 

[jimac51]

Neil,I was going to reserve a report card till after the holidays,but you are absolutely right-an interesting idea becomes dangerous(or at least, boring)in the wrong hands and Cheap Channel screws up anything they touch. Let's hope they never try all A&M,all the time! I can't say that I've noticed as narrow a playlist as you are experincing with the two area stations I have been monitoring here since reception is pretty much limited to my few minutes in the car(and that is probably how your station gets away with it)but the more interesting station here is the Allentown AM,WKAP 1470.They have such a small audience nobody is paying much attention to what they are doing. The many variations of vocals versions of Winter Wonderland,Silver Bells,The Christmas Song,etc. continues in lieu of most religious selections,instrumentals and more original songs(e.g.- Trisha Yearwood's "It Wasn't His Child") would be a welcome chance of pace) .Mac