“Why are we playing the same songs over and over.”

Soon after, an email or two from listeners lands in your inbox.

“There are so many Christmas songs out there. Why do you keep repeating the same ones?”

It sounds like valid criticism, but it’s not. 

The truth is simple: there are only about 100 to 125 Christmas titles that truly matter. These are the songs with real appeal, the ones listeners actually want. Everything else lives on the fringe.

Christmas programming is a high cume, low TSL situation. Listeners come and go quickly, often in short bursts throughout the day. They want the comfort of the familiar. They want the memories. They want the songs they grew up with and still love. That’s why stations that stay tight and lean into the proven classics win every single year.

The real danger is letting internal grumbling push you off your strategy. When programmers panic, they usually reach for one of two wrong solutions.

1. Adding older, low appeal titles just to “mix it up.”
   These songs may feel nostalgic to someone on staff, but they don’t test, they don’t pop, and they don’t help your station.
2. Trying to get more contemporary.
   This leads to the biggest Christmas mistake of all: adding newly recorded Christmas songs that nobody knows. A new Christmas track, even from a big artist, rarely connects. Listeners don’t have the emotional history with it, and it won’t bring them back.

If you want to keep your Christmas strategy on track, stay focused on what works.

Proven classics. A tight list. Familiar favorites.
Don’t worry about the age of the song. Worry about its appeal. Listeners vote with their ears, and they consistently choose the songs they already love.

Stick with that and your Christmas programming will stay exactly where it should be: on top.

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The post The One Thing That Can Derail Your Christmas Programming first appeared on CMB.

The post The One Thing That Can Derail Your Christmas Programming appeared first on CMB.

1. Prioritize real coaching.
   Air talent still craves feedback, yet many PDs are stretched thin. Block out time to truly listen to your jocks and give them honest, constructive input. Nothing strengthens a relationship, or improves a show, more than consistent coaching.
2. Sell your biggest product: the music.
   Listeners don’t alwas know what makes you different unless you tell them. Make sure you’re consistently selling your music mix, the benefits of listening at work, and your unique position. Hit it hard and often. Don’t buy into the thought that the music no longer counts since listeners can get it on other platforms. It’s still music radio’s #1 attraction.
3. Let your imaging “burn in.”
   Don’t fear repetition. Strong, consistent imaging builds brand identity. Refresh, when necessary, but keep the focus on hammering home what makes you unique.
4. Own your music logs.
   PDs should be directly involved in the daily edit. Every segue, every 15-minute cluster matters. Watch rotations carefully, especially verticals, and fix them before they cost you TSL.
5. Create more listening occasions.
   Give listeners reasons to come back multiple times a day. Whether it’s a contest, feature, or specific appointment listening, the goal is turning casual listeners into habitual ones.
6. Connect beyond the control room.
   Don’t get stuck in the building. Meet with your GM, sales team, and air staff regularly. If you can’t do it in person, schedule a Zoom. Shared meals, or even quick conversations build alignment and momentum.
7. Stay ahead of the holidays.
   Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are coming fast. Plan the promotions, imaging, and music strategy now so you’re not scrambling later. Fall can be won or lost by how well you prepare for Q4. Read my previous newsletter about celebrating Halloween for a week! 
8. Audit your digital and social media presence.
   Your brand isn’t just on the air. Listeners experience it on your website, stream, and social platforms. Are your links working? Does the stream sound strong and reliable? Is your social media current, consistent, and targeted to your demo? When was the last time you edited and cleaned up your website? 

Now is the time to eliminate the “who cares” material and focus on what matters most, especially making sure visitors know how they can listen to you. That means clear links for app downloads, streaming, and Alexa commands. A sloppy digital presence undermines everything you’re doing on-air, while a sharp one extends your reach and credibility.

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The post 8 Smart Programming Moves to Win This Fall first appeared on CMB.

The post 8 Smart Programming Moves to Win This Fall appeared first on CMB.

Aircheck your talent. As PDs are busier and multi-tasking more than ever, this art seems to be falling in-between the cracks all too often. We all want and crave feedback. There is no better way to build relationships and help jocks sound better than to close your door, turn off the phone, listen to their show, and offer input. 

Sell the product. I cannot tell you how many stations I listen to and hear selling everything but their number one product. The music. Promote the quantity, quality, and benefits of listening to your station. Moreover, please remember the power of titles and artists. Listeners always rate this very high. They enjoy knowing the names and artists of the music you are playing. 

Do not worry about liners burning out. Let them “BURN IN.” Sure, they need to be updated and freshened but make sure you do not lose focus in the process. 

Be involved with the daily editing of the music log. Since music is #1, there is nobody more qualified than the PD to make sure that ever segue, every song and every 15-minute cluster of music is right on target. Constantly look at songs to make sure they are rotating properly. Not only through the dayparts, but the hours as well. Lookout for “vertical rotation” problems. They are easy to see in all music scheduling services. Delegating music editing to a less qualified person could cost valuable rating points. Remember with the music, safe, familiar, and smooth always wins. 

Make sure your station is not dull and boring. Jocks, jingles, sweepers, and promotions give you a great opportunity to keep your station alive and vibrant.

Remember, personality is all about the way you sound, not the number of words you use. Warm, friendly on-air people is what AC radio is all about. Keep talk elements to the point, but always make sure they are delivered in a warm manner with a lot of smile and sincerity in the jocks voice. 

Look at your socials and website. Is there a reason for listeners to visit you more than once? Do you have a loyal listener club? Now is a great time to use this free (often overlooked) marketing tool to your advantage. 

Nielsen check. Check to see if your Nielsen SIP is up to date as well as your “Station Name” (if you changed it for Christmas, make sure you change it back). 

Work on technical issues now. Do not wait for the start of the spring book to work on your audio processing or any other technical issues you may have. 

Plan ahead. Do not wait until the last minute to plan research, promotions, or marketing programs. We all know the upcoming Nielsen dates. Be ahead of them. Although it’s early January, most retail stores are only days away from showing and selling spring fashions. Are we that ahead? If you are planning music testing for the spring book, please shoot to have it on the air between 3-4 weeks prior to the book start. 

Review Christmas now. Look back at how the Christmas season went. Take notes for improvements for next year. Make lists of songs you’ll need, and believe it or not, start working now on clock grids, so they are ready next year.

The post PD Resolutions for 2024 first appeared on CMB.

The post PD Resolutions for 2024 appeared first on CMB.

Check to ensure that your website has an easy to find click with your program schedule on it. Sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many radio websites do not have this. When in doubt, Nielsen checks you out via the website when there is a diary entry in question or when only a personality name is written in. 

Bold Homepage Idea: Lose the artist’s pictures. Replace with pictures of your stars. The talent. Your personalities are important, and in many cases the top reason people listen. Promote the “stars” of your station versus artists. Check out an example: 102.3 NOW! Radio (1023nowradio.com) 

Dump the web clutter. Nobody is coming to your site for weather, news, or entertainment updates. All that is doing is causing huge clutter and taking their eyes away from your station and getting a listener to connect with you. 

Re-evaluate the e-mails to your database.Is there a high “WIIFM” (what’s in it for me) factor for the listener or has it become a “dumping ground” for promotions you don’t want to deal with on the air (this can be very damaging to the database). Call me to discuss more in-depth. 

AM Drive tip: Produce the next day morning show promo to have a strong “call to action” and a specific “tune in point”. If it doesn’t, it’s a wasted message that just causes clutter. 

Check your “station name” listing for accuracy with Nielsen. Do they have a current SIP from you? They (Nielsen) say you do not have to file one. I say do it. You never know. 

Begin thinking about the fall book (starts September 14th). Marketing, research plans and of course, Christmas…it’s not too early. Getting the Christmas music and production ready now will make for a much smoother (and less hectic) fall.

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The post Summer Programming/Digital Tune-up: Basics first appeared on CMB.

The post Summer Programming/Digital Tune-up: Basics appeared first on CMB.