Christmas preemptions!

[billyonaire]

Sorry, that's short for original broadcast.

[Deleted]

Oh ok. I figured O was original but B was escaping me completely.

[secretman]

This could be happen to any of the AT40 station:

[Source: cnyradio.com, Oct-05-2013]

Syracuse stations flip to “Holly-FM,” with 24/7 Christmas

SYRACUSE — For the past several years, Central New Yorkers have come to expect all-Christmas music to hit the radio on November 1. This year, a new record — as of late Saturday night, October 5 — there are two FM frequencies where you can hear holiday hits around the clock. ”Holly-FM” is up and running at 95.3 in Syracuse, and 103.9 in Oswego.

Thanks to our colleague Scott Fybush of NorthEast Radio Watch, who caught an FCC filing which hinted at a change just before the federal government shutdown took effect — although neither of us could tell exactly what was going to be happening until the new format hit the air this evening.

Syracuse-based WOLF Radio, Inc. announced the new format tonight, citing “retail trends that begin the holiday shopping season.” While the station didn’t cite any specific examples, holiday items are already on display in some stores, and one major national retailer generated some buzz for launching its first round of Christmas ads last month. The announcement describes the station as a venue “where retailers and consumers can tune in to modern and traditional holiday songs as a soundtrack to enhance the holiday experience.”

The station launches with a Facebook page, as well as website at hollyfm.com. (Update – looks like the Facebook page has disappeared.)

In the press release, station manager Sam Furco said, “We believe that starting the season of peace, joy and love early by one month brings the holidays closer for all Central New York families.”

The October 5 launch puts “Holly-FM” nearly four weeks ahead of the date we’re used to seeing another Syracuse operator, Galaxy Communications, flip two of its own stations to wall-to-wall holiday hits. Syracuse market classic hits Sunny 102.1 (WZUN) and Utica-Rome hot AC Mix 102.5 (WUMX) have traditionally flipped on November 1 — save for last year, when the latter station flipped about a week later.

No word yet from Galaxy on whether the stations plan to flip in early November again. Usually by mid-November, the all-Christmas race gets even bigger, as Syracuse’s Y94 (WYYY) and Utica-Rome’s Lite 98.7 (WLZW) enter the fray.

The “Love Radio” programming formerly carried on the 103.9 and 95.3 frequencies has moved to 88.7FM. Fybush noticed that WOLF Radio requested to move the WVOA call letters to the 87.7 frequency (which is technically the audio carrier on TV channel 6), while it appears 103.9FM, licensed to Mexico (Oswego County) is due to change from WVOA to WNDR. The 95.3FM frequency is a translator of the Mexico signal.

[mga707]

I feel sorry for Syracuse and central New York. Bah humbug!

[rustydj]

Yuck! Starting on Thanksgiving is too early for me, but the week before Columbus Day?!! In early October??!! YUCK!!!

[Deleted]

I thought this was just going to a be a situation where someone bumped up the thread to get ready for next month.

Are you KIDDING ME??? Christmas music??? In early October?! Does this crap never suffer from overkill?! It's still hitting 90 degrees here, got sunburnt at the Bucs game last week, haven't bought my sons Halloween costume, and some poor folks are going to be hearing how it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas and to let it snow already?! Geez!!!

[JMW]

I bet within five years (or maybe even less than that if this latest news is any indication) some stations will start playing Christmas music the day after Labor Day.

I love Christmas music, but not that much.

[dukelightning]

Oct 6, 2013 11:59:55 GMT -5 rustydj said:

Yuck! Starting on Thanksgiving is too early for me, but the week before Columbus Day?!! In early October??!! YUCK!!!

Could not agree with you more! It was 90* here yesterday but even if I was back in New York and it snowed today, the last thing I would want to hear is Christmas music. What a bunch of losers!

[Dale Latimer]

There have been sites that keep track of who goes all-holiday. It would be dumb to change before Halloween...

dL

[SFGuy]

Oct 6, 2013 12:30:40 GMT -5 @paul said:

I thought this was just going to a be a situation where someone bumped up the thread to get ready for next month.

Are you KIDDING ME??? Christmas music??? In early October?! Does this crap never suffer from overkill?! It's still hitting 90 degrees here, got sunburnt at the Bucs game last week, haven't bought my sons Halloween costume, and some poor folks are going to be hearing how it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas and to let it snow already?! Geez!!!

I also thought it was someone bumping up for future reference. October 5th is WAY too early for Christmas music. It's warm where I live in the SF Bay Area. But I think they probably have some data that says people want this.

[michaelcasselman]

I have a hunch that they're going Christmas early because it's all about being 'first' with these things (i.e. "Look, they're talking about us!"). Every year we hear about another station that goes with Christmas programming just a little bit earlier than the previous year.

Of course, with the relatively new Destiny shopping center in Syracuse, I wouldn't doubt they're trying to squeeze every little bit of subliminal Christmas shopping mojo out of the folks in Central New York. However, I can't say I've EVER met someone (especially in Central NY) who ever said "You know what we need more of? Music that reminds us how crappy a Winter we usually have!"

[Michael]

Oct 7, 2013 8:03:17 GMT -5 michaelcasselman said:

"You know what we need more of? Music that reminds us how crappy a Winter we usually have!"

I went to Syracuse this year to visit my brother and his wife on the week of Easter. It snowed on the last day we were there. I never thought I would see snow in April.

[briguy52748]

Anyone want to try year-round Christmas stations? I sure wouldn't. Bet it's coming, though.

Brian

[mkarns]

Oct 6, 2013 13:57:52 GMT -5 dukelightning said:

Oct 6, 2013 11:59:55 GMT -5 rustydj said:

Yuck! Starting on Thanksgiving is too early for me, but the week before Columbus Day?!! In early October??!! YUCK!!!

Could not agree with you more! It was 90* here yesterday but even if I was back in New York and it snowed today, the last thing I would want to hear is Christmas music. What a bunch of losers!

I had the same thought yesterday; it was upper 80-something degrees out (cooler and rainy today), but I went to the mall and Sears already had its big Christmas decor display up, trees, inflatable Peanuts characters, and all. Can't we at least wait for the Great Pumpkin to come and go first?

Relating this specifically to AT40, IIRC Premiere is doing with its 70s (not 80s) affilates the same thing it did last year; starting in early-to-mid November each week will have a regular A countdown and an AT10 Christmas countdown as the B. Plus I think there will be again be a 70s Christmas countdown that everyone will air.

[dukelightning]

Oct 7, 2013 10:08:12 GMT -5 Michael said:

Oct 7, 2013 8:03:17 GMT -5 michaelcasselman said:

"You know what we need more of? Music that reminds us how crappy a Winter we usually have!"

I went to Syracuse this year to visit my brother and his wife on the week of Easter. It snowed on the last day we were there. I never thought I would see snow in April.

How bout snow in October? And before today's date. Exactly one week before the 80s show that is airing this week, the Albany area had a 3-4" snowfall! Had downed trees everywhere as a result because of the weight of the snow on trees with leaves still on them.