Tuesday, November 13, 2007

First Northeast Ohio Christmas Flip In Canton

OMW hears that Clear Channel AC WHOF/101.7 North Canton "My 101.7" has turned on the Christmas music switch.

The holiday tunes started flowing at 9 AM, according to what we hear out of Freedom Avenue.

As far as we know, that makes WHOF the first Northeast Ohio station to adopt the holiday music format, a staple of AC stations across the country. Clear Channel AC WLZT/93.3 "Lite FM" in the Columbus market has already started ringing the sleigh bells...

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh boy... let the games begin.

No switches in the Youngstown market that I'm aware of, though I can't pick up WBBG 106.1 at my school in Grove City, which I suspect will be the first to swap.

Unknown said...

A note to add to my last one:

WBBG 106.1 Niles/Warren/Youngstown will switch to all-Christmas on November 15th according to their website, complete with a countdown clock.

Zelda Zirwell said...

It is too soon for Christmas music! At least wait until after Thanksgiving. December 1 would be better.

WERC alum said...

I remember getting phone calls in early November from angry listeners demanding that our station get into the holiday spirit.

And I once worked for a PD (he was a practicing Catholic) who insisted that Christmas music should be just that...music played on Christmas eve and Christmas Day.

The problem stems from the lack of titles. There are so few songs that really qualify as "Christmas music" that the repetition is almost unbearable.

Then consider that the shopping malls are playing it to inspire sales, and the broadcast commercials are using it to do the same.

I know of any number of people who turn off their radios and play tapes and cd's during the holiday season to avoid the endless renditions of Rudolph, the drummer boy and Santa. I don't suppose the sponsors would appreciate that.

It's just something to consider.

Patrick said...

while visiting Columbus over the weekend, i tuned in to my old standby "Sunny 95" (94.7FM). On the way down on Friday, they were playing AC.

Saturday morning and Sunday morning, each time i flipped it on, it was the Christmas music mix.

alternatingcurrent said...

Wow.
Two stations in Canton of all places playing Christmas.

My 101.7 went on Tuesday.
Mix 94.1 went this morning.

Why?
I thought HBC-FM went Hot ac to attract a younger more youthful audience? Do a lot of 27 year olds listen to Christmas?

I'm betting WZKL and WKDD are laughing their butts off with all the new cume today.

It Said said...

Why go all Chirstmas..

Let me count the ways..

1) Most 25-54 women love it..ever hear of the ''money demo''?

2) Its a slam dunk to sell..and NextMedia has a 10.75 million dollar check to write to cover the loans that started it all in 1999..and Clear Channel still has to pay employees at the 300 or so radio stations it no longer wants but can't find a buyer for..

3) Does WZKL even matter to anyone over 25? WKDD can act as the flank station that can be a second choice for the ''My'' audience..all goes in the same line item anyway as far as revenue goes..so it really won't matter to Keith and Co one way or the other...

4) It works..any programming consultant will tell you that..plenty of us have been waiting for it to fail..but it has not yet..and may never fail..