College of Fine and Applied Arts

Dan “Vallie” Hill, top radio consultant and general manager for WASU has been quoted in recent articles regarding the benefits of an all-Christmas music format for radio stations.

From The Other Paper:

http://www.theotherpaper.com/top11-22/substory1.htm          

Happy Thanksgiving. But enough of the holiday niceties.

Columbus is in the midst of a high-stakes battle with the intrigue of a John le Carré novel—full of covert plans, disinformation and pre-emptive strikes.

And, yes, more than a little bit of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

It’s not exactly a surprise that radio stations play Christmas music during the holiday season, some more than others. But in the ultra-competitive world of radio ratings, the battle for the hearts and minds (and ears) of Columbus listeners is one of the most hotly contested in the nation.

“It all comes down to ratings and revenue,” said Dan Vallie, Director of the Kellar Radio Farm System Institute at Appalachian State University and founder of the Vallie Richards Donovan radio consulting firm.

Vallie is considered one of the pioneers of programming holiday music. He first began recommending his client stations play holiday music more than 20 years ago.

“You start playing Christmas music, the listeners will be there,” Vallie said. “The ratings do go up, and it’s really an amazing thing to watch.”

Last year, four stations in this market—Sunny 95, 93-3 WLZT, 104.9 The River and WMNI 920 AM—switched to 24-hour holiday tunes, according to Frank Saxe, editor of Inside Radio.

They were among 431 stations across the nation to do it—an all-time high. And only two other markets, Pittsburgh and Norfolk, Va., had more stations than Columbus offering “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” around the clock.

The reason the stakes are so high is that stations set their advertising rates based on Arbitron ratings, and the Arbitron fall sweeps period runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15. And people listen to holiday music.

Last year, Sunny drew a 6.4 share during the fall sweeps (defined as the percentage of radio listeners tuned to a particular station for at least five minutes during a 15-minute period). The rest of the year, the station was between 4.2 and 4.6.

At 93-3, which is usually 12th in the market, Christmas music boosted its ranking to ninth, increasing its share by 50 percent. The River went from a 4.5 during fall—seventh in the market—to a 2.5 when it went back to its regular contemporary Christian programming the next ratings period, tumbling all the way to 14th.

Only WMNI, which plays adult standards, lost a small number of listeners during the holiday sweeps last year.

“This has become a battlefield among the different stations,” said Alan Goodman, general manager at Sunny 95.

Goodman fired the first volley of the 2007 season when Sunny launched an all-holiday music Christmas Preview Weekend three days after Halloween. He said the reaction from his listeners ran about 60 percent against the change that early in the fall.

Still, it was a bracing indication that radio stations are dying to figure out just how early they can dust off “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” Halloween? Labor Day? Easter?

Vallie said stations will get a ratings boost by breaking out Nat King Cole in early November. “But the verbal negatives will be fairly heavy. It is a great programming strategy, but people can get emotional about it from both sides.”

“The objections we got (after the first weekend) were interesting,” Goodman said. “One mom called to say now that her kids had heard the music, they were going to be pains in the neck because they think Christmas is next week. Another woman called to say her son is in Iraq, and she couldn’t bring herself to start thinking about the holidays yet.”

So after Sunny’s preview weekend, it went back to it regular fare of “lite, refreshing rock”—until this past weekend, when it aired what was billed as another preview.

This time, when the weekend was over, it stayed with holiday music and presumably will through Christmas Day.

During an early November interview, Goodman was guarded about the exact schedule for his station’s 25th year of holiday programming.

“We just want to play what our listeners want to hear,” he said. “We know they want it, that they love it, at certain times of the year. But given the number of stations that do that, I don’t want to telegraph my play.”

The date of that switch is a decision not to be taken lightly, according to Vallie.

“When we talk to our clients about it, it’s an intense strategy session,” he said. “Those conversations are always serious and thoughtful, looking at the pros and cons of each day against each other day on the calendar, because you know you’ll get negative reactions as well as positives. The question that each station has to make is, ‘When do those tip in your favor?’”

For 93-3, the answer was apparently Nov. 9; the Clear Channel station that is Sunny’s direct adult-contemporary competitor switched to all-holiday music just in time for the afternoon drive the Friday after Sunny’s preview weekend.

“The battle is really between Sunny and ’LZT,” said Michael McCoy, program director for 93-3 as well as WNCI 97.9. “Because of their format, (the River) listeners are probably going to be there all day long anyway, and they’re not going to draw in too many new listeners. So it’s the two of us, really, and generally, the station that flips first wins.”

On the other hand, the River, which went to all-holiday programming Nov. 17 last year, will wait until the day after Thanksgiving this year.

“The last couple years, we went early with our Christmas music, but what happens when there are two or three stations out there at the same time is you lose your advantage of being different,” said Kurt Wallace, the River’s program director.

“So we decided to ask what our listeners what they thought, and it’s been overwhelming to wait until after Thanksgiving. In our format, we have listeners who are very concerned about both glossing over the Thanksgiving holiday and cheapening the celebration of Christmas, and since we weren’t going to be something different in the market, it didn’t make much sense for us to switch any earlier.”

Of course, the River’s “survey” of its listeners came through a web link that had Bing Crosby’s picture with a red circle and a line through it, and was called the “No Holiday Music Until After Thanksgiving Petition,” so even though more than 500 people responded, the results were likely a bit skewed.

WMNI will make the switch Thanksgiving day, according to Hal Fish, Operations Director for North American Broadcasting, which owns WMNI as well as 99.7 The Blitz and WTDA 103.9 Talk-FM.

“In our case, we already have a specialized audience, and we look at playing holiday music as servicing them,” Fish said. “Being on AM, we’re probably not going to bring in that audience that’s searching around for Christmas music.”

“But the listeners we already have want to hear those songs this time of year, so that’s what we play,” he said. “We don’t see either a big increase or a big decrease in our numbers during the holidays.”

Vallie said that’s not surprising.

“I have a harder time believing that more stations than four in one market can benefit from a switch,” Vallie said. “In theory, it should work, but it’s a stretch, and it would be even tougher for an AM station to see that boost.”

There’s actually more at stake than just the fall sweeps. Vallie stressed that while the one-period boost will help, stations need to translate the boost into more listeners all year.

“If you do it right—with the right music, creating the right Christmas-type ambience on the air, the right marketing outside the station, like on TV—it can be a tremendous year-round benefit,” he said.

“We really want to take those new listeners and re-cycle them into your normal format so they listen all year long,” 93-3’s McCoy said. “You have to provide them a reason, and that reason needs to be lifestyle-based. Give them other entries into your station and its music so they think about you and tune you in more than just the holiday season.”

So the radio stations also do battles through their websites. Sunny invites its listeners to help choose the holiday music it plays and invites them to let the station know if it has listeners in need of help for the holidays. It also plays songs from numerous area school choirs.

Over at 93-3, they have an “Island of Misfit Toys” page that lists links for toy recalls. The website also lists mall hours and awards shopping sprees at Eastland Mall to help those in need.

“As long as there is Christmas, there is going to be Christmas music programming, Vallie said. “This type of programming went from being a tactic to being a valid strategy a long time ago. It has the highest batting average of anything we have ever suggested to a station.”

“At the same time,” he said, “it is nice to be able to recommend programming that is such positive stuff. No matter your view of holiday music, it is peace and goodwill toward men.”

“And it works.”

 

From Taylor On Radio-Info:

http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/pdf/TRI10222007.pdf

Ready for Santa? Dan Vallie talks all-Christmas.

First, the consultant who’s worked with the All-Christmas format for over a decade says “I have seen Christmas music programming win so many times and so big in so many different markets, the only surprise to me is the hesitation some AC stations have – and when I say that, I’m referring to the mainstream and soft ACs, though the strategy can work in some markets with some of the hotter ACs.” I’d note that there are also contemporary Christian stations doing Christmas, and we’ll get into that some other day. Dan goes on to say “There have always been and always will be the ‘bah humbugs’ from the self-admitted Scrooges in the audience and in the biz, but most people love Christmas music. Why? The message in the music is of love and peace, and we don’t seem to get that message so clearly anywhere else or any other time of year…But even with all that said, the reason stations do this is not primarily to spread hope and good will – it’s to get ratings and revenue. If that wasn’t the result, you wouldn’t see most stations return to it, year after year. There are few strategies that have such a high batting average of success. I can count on one hand the number of stations among our clients that have not had anywhere from good to great success with Christmas programming.”

But Dan says “one thing has changed in recent years” –

“When this strategy first started, it was one station in a market, and some got away with just playing the music. Now – more than one station does it in many markets, and you have to be the best. The music must be right, along with the imaging and attitude and on-air aesthetics. So now, when you hear that a station did not do well with Christmas music programming, it often comes down to this: they didn’t make the kind of commitment they should have, or the other station(s) did it more effectively, or the station waited too long to go Christmas, or did not market it properly.” Vallie says the music “has to be programmed with the same if not more sensitivity as the music programming any other time of year. You have to balance it with style, tempo, etc., and at its best it’s balanced with the emotion the songs evoke.” And finally: “If the programming and marketing commitment is there, most of the time it is the most wonderful time of the year for ratings and revenues, as well.” (With apologies with Andy Williams!)

Appalachian State University’s Interior Design program will hold it’s 2007 Senior Portfolio Review from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Grandfather Mountain Ballroom in Plemmons Student Union.

For design students, this is one of the capstone events of their education. The public is invited to celebrate these individual and collective achievements.

 For more information, please contact Timothy Dolan at 262-7570 or dolantd@appstate.edu.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb571938.htm

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2007/1126/grandfathermountain.php

Students in the College of Fine and Applied Arts receiving scholarships were recognized Monday at the College’s annual Scholarship Reception at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center.

In addition, donors who have established scholarships were recognized. Dr. Glenda Treadaway, interim dean for the College, welcomed those in attendance and announced the scholarship recipients. Also speaking were Dr. Stan Aeschleman, provost; Charlie Sutton, scholarship donor, member of the furniture industry and adjunct faculty member; and Ashley Hilton, furniture design/management major and scholarship recipient.

Donors in attendance are featured below with their scholarship recipient(s). A full list of scholarship recipients follows the photos.

Petschauer-Polson-Penland Scholarship Recipient: Amanda Hart, Studio Art Donors: Joni and Peter Petschauer

Randolph A. Johnson Scholarship Recipient: Dayna Seman, Art Management Donor: Randolph Johnson

Butch Scholarship for Apparel & Textiles and Patricelli Scholarship for Apparel & Textiles Recipient: Alexis Nelson, Apparel & Textiles Donor: Baben Patricelli

Roger Thomas Scholarship Recipient: Cameron McCarthy, Physical Education, K-12 Donor: Ellie Thomas-Bevington

Michael M. Peterson Scholarship Recipients (l to r): Heather Severt, Child Development; Gabriel Stahl, Political Science; and Joseph Beckman, Accounting Donor Representatives: Debbie and Tom Peterson

Brett Hosley Scholarship Recipient: M. Hugh Owings, Product Design Donors: Jodie Genet and Dale Smith

David A. Rigsby Scholarship Recipient: Joel Valente, Furniture Design Donor Representative: Kenneth Sebastian

Dr. Robert A. Banzhaff Scholarship Recipient: Lauren Dennis, Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology Donor: Dr. Robert Banzhaff

Eric F. Reichard Photography Scholarship Recipient: Anna Donlan, Technical Photography Donor: Dr. Eric Reichard

Hastings Design Scholarship Recipient: Stefanie Tallent, Interior Design Donor: Karen Hastings

PICA Scholarship Recipient: Britney Hensley, Technology Education Donor Representative: Peter Krusa

Jenny Walton Scholarship Recipient: Crystal Frid Donor: Dr. Susan Cole

Theatre Faculty Scholarship Recipient: Ryan Barringer Donor Representatives (l to r): Dr. Susan Cole, Marianne Adams and Gordon Hensley

All scholarship recipients:

Art Department Recipient, Major, Scholarship Patricia Cooke, Studio Art, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Valerie Olszewski, Studio Art, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Alyssa Pugh, Graphic Design, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Abigail Samelak, Graphic Design, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Erin Souther, Studio Art, Appalachian South (Formerly P.S.I.) Alyse Egan, Graphic Design, Art Mart Scholarship Aenon Moose, Studio Art, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff Annual Scholarship Melissa Markowitz, Studio Art, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff Senior Studio Heather Melissa Owens, Studio Art, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff Senior Studio Jennifer Livingston, Art Management, Eva H. Burress Memorial Scholarship Erin Dobbins, Studio Art, Jaroslav & Jarmelia Kabatnik Memorial Scholarship Alison Croft, Graphic Design, Martin & Doris Rosen Scholarship Amanda Hart, Studio Art, Petschauer-Polson-Penland Scholarship Dayna Seman, Art Management, Randolph A. Johnson Scholarship Anthony Deal, Studio Art, Sherry Edwards Memorial Scholarship Megan Shook, Art Education, K-12, Steele-Reese Penland Scholarship

Communication Department Zach Brown, Public Relations, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Matthew Gorry, Journalism, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Nick Ianniello, Journalism, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Gillian Medford, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Dorothy Samuel, Advertising, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Joseph Shook, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Jeremy Wright, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Kyle Conrad, Journalism, Carol J. Hughes Scholarship Andrew Baird, Organizational/Public Com., Charles E. Porterfield Scholarship James Jestes, Public Relations, David H. Matthews Scholarship Travis Frye, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, George G. Beasley Scholarship Elizabeth Lowder, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, George G. Beasley Scholarship Ashley Wilson, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, George G. Beasley Scholarship Chrisan Tolentino, Journalism, Golden & Stella Choi Scholarship Virginia Clement, Public Relations, Joe S. Epley Scholarship Bryce Johnson, Electronic Media/Broadcasting, SNB Memorial Scholarship

Family and Consumer Sciences Department Ashleigh Howe, Child Development, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Karolyn Huffman, FCS Education, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Janelle Knox, FCS Education, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Elizabeth Santangelo, Child Development, Annie Dougherty Rufty Scholarship Mareshah Abers, Foods & Nutrition, Betty Conley Lyerly Scholarship Elizabeth Santangelo, Child Development,  Brown, Perry, & Scoggins Scholarship Alexis Nelson, Apparel and Textiles, Butch Scholarship for Apparel & Textiles Alexis Nelson, Apparel and Textiles, Celia Roten Scholarship Mareshah Abers, Foods and Nutrition, John and Vivian Welborn Scholarship Heather Severt, Child Development, John and Vivian Welborn Scholarship Christian Sughrue, FCS Education, Karen McNamara Memorial Scholarship Melissa Cook, Nutrition, Karen McNamara Memorial Scholarship Christina Sughrue, FCS Education, Madge Rhyne Scholarship Alexis Nelson, Apparel and Textiles, Patricelli Scholarship for Apparel & Textiles Heather Severt, Child Development, Terry Scholarship

Health, Leisure and Exercise Science Department Christina Barrus, Physical Education, K-12, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship  Kristen Campbell, Exercise Science, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Eric Dendy, Recreation Management, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Sarah Grater, Health Promotion, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Sara Hammersly, Exercise Science, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Arick Johnson, Exercise Science, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Katherine Mebane, Health Promotion, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Lauren Trull, Health Promotion, Cleone Hayes Hodges Scholarship Lauren Trull, Health Promotion, Dr. John H. Williams Scholarship Brittany Williams, Health Promotion, Dr. John H. Williams Scholarship Maggie Sime, Physical Education, K-12, Dr. Ed Turner Scholarship Brittany Carr, Exercise Science, Eric DeGroat Scholarship Cameron McCarthy, Physical Education, K-12, Roger Thomas Scholarship Eric Bengston, Athletic Training, Ron Kannoy Scholarship

Military Science and Leadership Department Jeremy Coviello, Psychology, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Kaitlyn Bertsch, History, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Daniel Cooper, History, Secondary Ed., Col. John G. Collins for ROTC Scholarship Joseph Beckman, Accounting, Michael M. Peterson Scholarship Ben Allumbaugh, Criminal Justice, Michael M. Peterson Scholarship Heather Severt, Child Development, Michael M. Peterson Scholarship Gabriel Stahl, Political Science, Michael M. Peterson Endowment Kala Robertson, Criminal Justice, Brig. General Adams Scholarship

Nursing Department Jason Moretz, Nursing, Great 100 Scholarship Chrysanthi Mitchell, Nursing, Do Unto Others Scholarship Faith Haywood, Nursing, Do Unto Others Scholarship Pat Rowland, Nursing, Do Unto Others Scholarship Sandy Norton, Nursing, Do Unto Others Scholarship

Technology Department Brian Hochman, Furniture Design, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Joel Valente, Furniture Design, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Bradley Wright, Building Sciences, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Jeremiah Grant, Technical Communications, Alumni Graduate Student Scholarship Matthew R. Fedorko, Appropriate Technology, Alumni Graduate Student Scholarship Micah Shristi, Appropriate Technology, Alumni Graduate Student Scholarship Whitney Bradford, Furniture Design/Marketing, American Home Furnishings Alliance Ashley Hilton, Furniture Design/Management, American Home Furnishings Alliance Benjamin Johnson, Furniture Design/Management, American Home Furnishings Alliance Hannah Maxwell, Furniture Design/Management, American Home Furnishings Alliance Tighe Smalley, Furniture Design/General Business, American Home Furnishings Alliance Thomas Tuck, Furniture Design/Management, American Home Furnishings Alliance Joel Valente, Furniture Design, American Home Furnishings Alliance Ashley Hilton, Furniture Design, Bernhardt Scholarship Rebecca Reavis, Interior Design, Bernice Bienenstock Scholarship Whitney Moore, Interior Design, Bernice Bienenstock Scholarship Thomas Tuck, Furniture Design, Bill Hanner Furnishings Design Scholarship M. Hugh Owings, Product Design, Brett Hosley Scholarship Christopher Brooten, Furniture Design, Celia Moh Scholarship Alison Gradischer, Interior Design, Celia Moh Scholarship Christopher J. Wells, Technology Education, Chancellor’s Graduate Student Fellowship John J. Rinehart, Appropriate Technology, Chancellor’s Graduate Student Fellowship Joel Valente, Furniture Design, David A. Rigsby Scholarship Uriah Dortch, Product Design, Debra Edwards Scholarship Lauren Dennis, Graphic Arts  Imaging Tech., Dr. Robert A. Banzhaff Scholarship Timothy Wensil, Construction Management, Enterline & Russell Scholarship Anna Donlan, Technical Photography, Eric F. Reichard Photography Scholarship Ashley Byrd, Interior Design, Gilded Age Scholarship Emma Golabek, Interior Design, Gilded Age Scholarship Jacob Newton, Construction, Hanson Brick Scholarship Stefanie Tallent, Interior Design, Hastings Design Scholarship Bryan D. Johnson, Appropriate Technology, Jean J. Wey Graduate Scholarship Meghan Wagner, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., Joe E. Minor’s Printing Scholarship Kierston Kahrs, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., Joey Pinkston Scholarship Kristen Weaver, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., John Gordon Scholarship Asha Little, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., John E. Thomas Scholarship William Atkinson, Appropriate Tech./Community & Regional Plan, NAPCO Scholarship Britney Hensley, Technology Education, PICA Scholarship Kristen Weaver, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., PICA Scholarship Alexandria Koury, Interior Design, NC Foam Scholarship Hannah Reeves, Interior Design, Sam Webb Scholarship Uriah Dortch, Product Design, Smith (Furniture Manufacture) Scholarship Tracy Chavis, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., William Marvin Reese Scholarship Keith Portante, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., William Marvin Reese Scholarship Natalie Kirkley, Graphic Arts Imaging Tech., William Marvin Reese Scholarship Danielle Adams, Interior Design, William E. White Scholarship

Theatre and Dance Department Lisa Bledsoe, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Lyndsay David, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Kerry Dunlap, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Crystal Harvell, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Kayla Haver, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Allie Senger, Theatre, College of Fine & Applied Arts Scholarship Kelsey Head, Theatre, Alpha Psi Omega Scholarship Allie Senger, Theatre, Betty Dowling Scholarship Jordan Flemming, Theatre, Christina Early Scholarship Shawn Stoner, Theatre, Cratis Williams Scholarship Katie Mebane, Dance Studies, Dance Faculty Scholarship Crystal Frid, Theatre, David H. Matthews Scholarship Catherine Ledford, Theatre Performance, Ed Pilkington Scholarship Crystal Frid, Theatre, Jenny Walton Scholarship Justin Attkisson, Theatre Performance, Susan Cole/Alpha Psi Omega Scholarship Ryan Barringer, Theatre, Theatre Faculty Scholarship