BusinessReport.com

’Tis the season to be jolly, though if you’ve been listening to commercial radio lately you might well be burned out on the holidays already. Jack o’lanterns were still smiling from local stoops when Citadel Broadcasting began playing round-the-clock Christmas music on its light rock station, WCDV-FM (103.3). The station switched to the seasonal format Nov. 1.

Not to be outdone, Clear Channel’s KRVE-FM (96.1)—which for years had the holiday market cornered, airing Christmas music 24/7 starting the day after Thanksgiving—went to holiday favorites two days later. That was a Saturday, and based on what station execs says was a positive response, the station stayed with a modified Christmas format, airing it on weekends only in November before going with it full time in December.

The move didn’t sit well with some in the advertising community, who grumbled that the stations were trying to outdo each other, putting competitive concerns ahead of quality programming. But executives with both stations say that’s not what motivated them.

Nationally, retailers are kicking off the holiday season earlier than ever, displaying Christmas decorations on aisles adjacent to Halloween costumes. Towne Center at Cedar Lodge had crimson bows hanging at its entrance by the second week of November, and local nurseries were selling Christmas trees the week before Thanksgiving. Citadel’s Greg Benefield says his company is merely keeping up with the trend, rather than trying to beat KRVE to the Christmas party.

“We’re kind of jumping on the shirttails of the retail industry,” says Benefield, Citadel’s market manager for Baton Rouge. “We’re not the only Citadel cluster playing Christmas music. It’s going on across the U.S.”

Clear Channel’s regional vice president, Dick Lewis, does suspect competitive motives are at play—and he’s probably right—though he says he doesn’t have a problem with them. What’s more, he says, his research shows listeners like the holiday music—in moderation.

“Our research indicated that Baton Rouge listeners are beginning to anticipate the holidays in November,” Lewis says. “But they’re not ready for it yet during the work week that early.”

Both stations concede they did receive some complaints from listeners who weren’t ready for “Jingle Bells” while still more focused on tailgating outside Tiger Stadium. But they say the calls were few and far between.

“Any time you air anything you’re going to get a complaint,” says Benefield. “But after the first week, they pretty much went away.”

Sunny’s new morning

While bells have been ringing incessantly for the past several weeks on WCDV, station execs at Citadel have been taking advantage of the holiday break to retool the station’s morning show. Beginning in January, the predominantly adult, female audience will hear new voices in between the light rock songs that play during the AM drive.

Benefield won’t disclose specifics of the new show, though he says the general format will be the same.

Clesi nears farewell

This month also marks the end of Andrea Clesi’s 30-year career on local airwaves. The WBRZ-TV anchor signs off Dec. 21, leaving her chair behind the 6 and 10 p.m. anchor desk empty, though station executives promise it won’t be for long. News director Chuck Bark has been reviewing dozens of tapes and plans to make a decision soon.

Whether Clesi’s replacement will be a familiar face remains to be seen. While the station has received tapes from many out-of-state candidates, Bark says he’s well aware of the importance that south Louisiana viewers place on tradition and familiarity.

“We know we’re here in Louisiana, and so we know we need people who understand our area,” Bark says. “That will be a very important part of the process.”

For her part, Clesi says leaving is bittersweet. But she’s excited about beginning a new chapter in her life, which includes finishing the graduate program in mass communications at LSU that she started last year, then pursuing a new career, likely in public relations or political consulting.

“Last year I turned 50, made 30 years at WBRZ and remarried,” says Clesi, who has grown children. “I looked at my life and decided even though I was very, very happy it was time to pursue something else.”