I’m not quite sure when it all started but the idea of radio stations playing non-stop Christmas music for at least a month has caught on nationwide:
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The holiday classics haven’t changed that much — radio stations still turn to Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Burl Ives to spread yuletide cheer. But your chances of hearing them on the radio are growing fast.
As of Monday, 399 stations from Maine to Hawaii were playing Christmas tunes around the clock to bring in listeners and advertising dollars. Portland has two stations competing over holiday listeners, and some cities have as many as five or six.
Most of the programming kicked off after Thanksgiving; the earliest station made the switch in October before trick or treaters made the rounds.
“It’s gotten to the point of ridiculousness,” said Tim Moore, operations manager at Portland’s WHOM-FM, which began broadcasting its holiday programming on the day after Thanksgiving.
Maybe, but if the ratings are any guide, it’s something that’s here to stay:
Behind the holiday cheer and goodwill are strong ratings: Portland’s WHOM sees a 38 percent bump in the number of listeners after it switches its format from adult contemporary to 24-7 holiday music.
In New York City, WLTW-FM sees a 25 percent increase in listeners even in one of the most nation’s diverse markets, said Jim Ryan, programming director.
In Milwaukee, WMYX-FM saw a jump of nearly 50 percent last year despite holiday competition from three other radio stations, said Brian Kelly, operations manager. The year before that, the station’s listenership grew nearly 100 percent in December.
“People from the outside may ask why we do this,” Kelly said. “The answer is because it works, and that’s what our listeners want.”
Not all of your listeners.
I like Christmas music, good Christmas music that is, as much as the next guy, but I think I’m pretty much burned out on Bruce Springsteen singing about Santa or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra signing about whatever it is you sing about in Trans-Siberia. Give me Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby any day.
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