Posted by RW on November 5, 2009, 12:45 pm
99.231.190.137

So what's the deal with Christmas music this year? Will CJEZ go all Christmas? Will CHFI do the same? Who else will do it? Who will be the first? Meanwhile, the first to go all Christmas this year in the States is St. Louis: (Stunting, I believe...) http://stlchristmas.com/main.html

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Posted by record guy on November 5, 2009, 1:14 pm, in reply to "Christmas music"
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Since almost half the population of Toronto is not Christian, I wonder what the negative fallout of all-Christmas music is. The PPMs will not track most of these people, as they only have cell phones, not home lines, so can't be reached to participate.

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Posted by stan on November 5, 2009, 2:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.237.59.148

perhaps xmas music is more for advertisers, specifically retailers, who make most of their yearly profit in the fourth quarter.

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Posted by don on November 5, 2009, 2:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
142.46.203.100 | Message modified by user Don November 5, 2009, 2:43 pm

Since almost half the population of Toronto is not Christian, I wonder what the negative fallout of all-Christmas music is. The PPMs will not track most of these people, as they only have cell phones, not home lines, so can't be reached to participate. Well, if both sentences are true, then there is no immediate negative ratings fallout.

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Posted by James on November 5, 2009, 3:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
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Al. Are you saying that if you like Christmas music, you don't own a home phone? Not sure how to read your post.

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Posted by Plate Voltage on November 5, 2009, 3:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
159.33.10.92

I'd say the negative fallout is a sharp increase in iPod usage by everybody I know, myself included. Christian or not, you can only listen to so much Christmas music before you reach saturation and need a break from it and when people get fed up with it due to it being on 24/7, they'll either tune into a station that isn't doing that or listen to a different source of music.

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Posted by Don Daynard on November 5, 2009, 3:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
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I'm with Plate Voltage; if a music station I listen to begins playing Christmas music 'way too early in my estimation, I simply refuse to listen and won't bother with it until the New Year.

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Posted by David Lennick on November 5, 2009, 5:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
76.69.33.247

First week in December: 1 cut per shift Second week in December: 1 per hour Needless to say, that was 40 years ago. And stations are STILL playing Andy Williams, I betcha. Every major entertainer did a Christmas album as his or her second or third album, before their voices hit their peak..I bet they'd kill to claw those albums back.

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Posted by don on November 5, 2009, 5:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.241.55.247

Think he's saying non-Christans are less likely to own a home phone. Given that "Non-Christians" in Toronto are likely younger on average than Christians, it's entirely possible.

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Posted by Bruce Marshall on November 5, 2009, 5:29 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
70.26.102.53 | Message modified by user Marshall November 5, 2009, 5:30 pm

Most of what you hear is Christmas music, not hymns and carols. And being Christian is not a pre-requisite for participating in the Christmas Season. Diwali, celebrated by Hindus and others in India is another example. Diwali is not a religious observances for all - but all in India do mark Diwali and do celebrate some aspects of it. If you pay attention, Diwali is getting more and more attention here, too. If you happened to see "Christmas lights" up in October - you actually saw Diwali lights. ...Which begs the questions, I guess, WHO will be the first All Diwali All The Time station????

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Posted by don on November 5, 2009, 5:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.241.55.247

None of you are women. You only have to look at the US results, where they're in ratings during December, to see why it's a good idea.

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Posted by David Lennick on November 5, 2009, 5:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
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"Which begs the questions, I guess, WHO will be the first All Diwali All The Time station????" And will it feature Diwali Crouter Show? (Duck, Lenny)

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Posted by record guy on November 5, 2009, 5:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
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What I was saying is that the majority of noneChristians (mainly immigrants) don't have fixed lines, only cell phones, so are not included in PPM reporting. However, many of them do listen to English language radio, and I suspect some will change their listening patterns to avoid too much Christmas music. It may not show up in the formal ratings, but does constitute a potential decline in actual listeners...who may not come back on Dec. 26.

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Posted by stan on November 5, 2009, 6:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.237.59.148

So Bell and Rogers aren't giving landlines to non Christians now? Saying non-christians only use cell phones is a bit of a blanket statement. Isn't it more of an age/income thing?

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Posted by David Lennick on November 5, 2009, 6:59 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
76.69.33.247

Non-Christians don't write or record Christmas music, either. Sorry, Irving Berlin..sorry, Mel Torme & Bob Wells..sorry, Livingston and Evans..sorry, Neil Diamond..haven't made up my mind about Streisand.

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Posted by record guy on November 5, 2009, 8:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
173.33.219.32

Most immigrants to Canada come from countries that skipped land lines, and went directly to cellular...India, China, Philippines, etc. When they immigrated to Canada, they had no interest in landlines, only cell phones.

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Posted by stan on November 5, 2009, 8:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.237.59.148

Non western european immigrants have been coming to Canada for decades and decades, long before the invention of the cell phone.

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Posted by adma on November 5, 2009, 8:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.232.162.133

Just a question: do these non-Xtian "new Canadians" have an issue with mall and big-box mass retailers having Xmas sales and milking Xmas for all it's worth? If not, I doubt they'll have an issue with Christmas all over the radio. That is, if they care that radio exists in the first place. (Food for thought: just as they may come from places where land lines don't factor in, they may also come from places where terrestrial radio is further along the path to extinction than here.)

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Posted by Radio Wiz on November 6, 2009, 12:40 am, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.231.190.137

"...Which begs the questions, I guess, WHO will be the first All Diwali All The Time station????" 101.3 FM perhaps? One good way to refrain from being invisible in the communities they wish to serve.

Link: http://www.cmr.fm/client/index.aspx

Posted by Radio Wiz on November 6, 2009, 12:50 am, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.231.190.137 | Message modified by user RadioWiz November 6, 2009, 12:51 am

Quote from Record Guy: "Most immigrants to Canada come from countries that skipped land lines, and went directly to cellular...India, China, Philippines, etc. When they immigrated to Canada, they had no interest in landlines, only cell phones." Both business and personal use? I honestly do not know about residential usage, but many businesses at Coxwell and Gerrard alone are still using land lines.

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Posted by Mike Cleaver on November 6, 2009, 3:39 am, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
76.10.186.213 | Message modified by user radiovoice November 6, 2009, 3:40 am

Out here on the left coast, it's pretty much cellphones everywhere except in the largest of businesses which have thousands of dollars invested in "land line" equipment. Small business with fewer than 4 employees, pretty much seems cell phone based. Our population now is pretty much 50/50 white/non white. Even eight year olds have cell phones out here. The only reason I still have a land line is for DSL internet access. Come the new year, it will simply become a "dry line" for the internet, with no telephone capability.

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Posted by record guy on November 6, 2009, 10:38 am, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
173.33.219.32

The vast majority of immigrants have cell phones for personal use, while businesses need to have a listing somewhere so that potential customers can find them...land lines (which are also cheaper if you use the phone a lot).

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Posted by stan on November 6, 2009, 11:03 am, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
99.237.59.148

Land lines vs cell phones shouldn't be a big deal when doing the research. The primary idea is that the survey respondents are selected randomly. As long as you know the area code and exchange number a machine can pick the last four digits and dial out until some one picks up the phone. There will be a failure rate with both cells and landlines. No big deal, it is supposed to be random. It's not really that complicated. Cell phone users do not have to be excluded from research just because the number isn't published.

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Posted by record guy on November 6, 2009, 12:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Christmas music damage"
173.33.219.32

David: Have you listened to the Dylan Xmas CD yet?

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Posted by David Lennick on November 6, 2009, 12:32 pm, in reply to "Christmas music by nonChristians"
76.69.39.232 | Message modified by user DLennick November 6, 2009, 12:39 pm

Referencing an old 60s gag from MAD here..does he sing them or protest them? Anyway, I thought he was Born Again but some sources say he became unborn.

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