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playing Christmas Music after Christmas
- Thread starter JH_Radio
- Start date
Noncommercial WJMJ Hartford, CT, keeps the music -- secular and religious alike -- going for the full twelve days. They at least have religious justification. I can't imagine any sane radio programmer thinking there'd be any value or listener goodwill to be gained by pumping out Burl Ives, Jose Feliciano and Mariah past early Dec. 26. I see posters on this board calling for post-holiday ho-ho every year. It's a peculiar form of radio geekhood that I just can't wrap my head around.
You do, be it a music library or streaming platform. B101 has when Christmas falls right before a weekend sometimes, but otherwise, no one of significance (and I’m specifically leaving out what religious stations do).
This year, with Christmas Day on Sunday, I'd imagine all the seasonal songs will be locked away by the start of the morning commute on Monday.
Sure, and it makes total sense. What often doesn’t is the annual whining about how it’s supposed to last through whatever arbitrary day. There is an endless supply of options out there.
At least one station I'm familiar with used to play Christmas music from Thanksgiving Day through until New Years Day. This was before stations started playing holiday content as early as November 1 so people were tired of it by the time Christmas rolled around. Their thinking was that the Christmas season began on Thanksgiving and Black Friday kicked the holiday shopping season into high gear. Once Christmas was over, kids are still out of school, families are still visiting with relatives and most everyone still has their lights on and some holiday gatherings occurred through New Years Eve, so they kept the Christmas content going until New Years day.
As a Christian who follows the liturgical calendar, I appreciate the option of listening to Christmas music during the latter 10 days of the Christmas season. On Dec. 26, I listen to Heart Xmas (UK) and Sky Radio Christmas (Netherlands). From Dec. 27, I listen to mostly classical Christmas music, the majority of which is religious. I listen to a playlist of classical Christmas music and albums of choral music via YouTube Music. I will also be listening to WJMJ in the coming Christmas season.
That's not a bad idea, actually. Now so many stations use it as a stunt in whatever time of year, and I mean October 1st? I forget what year that was but somebody started it then.
Classical and choral Christmas music is beautiful, stirring and timeless. My radio listening includes a good amount of classical music from SiriusXM and the Vermont Public Classical local station, WNCH. Both will sprinkle in "Messiah" excerpts, Christmas Oratorio, Nutcracker bits, and various choral pieces associated with Christmas during their regular programming year-round. What I don't get is how anyone, even Christians such as yourself, would want to hear "Holly Jolly Christmas" or "All I Want for Christmas Is You" during the next 11 days of the liturgical calendar, much less "Frosty the Snowman" or "Jingle Bell Rock," songs that have become timeless in a negative way.
I enjoy the winter (including references to Christmas) more for a period after the holiday than before, but would never program a station that way, nor expect it should be.
The period leading up to the holiday is often stressful and disrupted. Time to slow down and enjoy the moments are hard to come by amid the cacophony of gift shopping/wrapping/giving; trying to squeeze in special events; decorating and I decorating; sometimes bad weather; travel and…let’s be honest…the stress that can accompany family visits)….it’s a lot, and it’s a blur.
When much of that is behind me, I enjoy some (relative) downtime, and the seasonal music. I don’t care one iota if Santa already came and went, I have no problem hearing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, because I’m not wound up in being so literal.
But I listen to the music from my library, because I know much of the world has moved on, and don’t expect a mass appeal ration station to cater to my quirks.
The period leading up to the holiday is often stressful and disrupted. Time to slow down and enjoy the moments are hard to come by amid the cacophony of gift shopping/wrapping/giving; trying to squeeze in special events; decorating and I decorating; sometimes bad weather; travel and…let’s be honest…the stress that can accompany family visits)….it’s a lot, and it’s a blur.
When much of that is behind me, I enjoy some (relative) downtime, and the seasonal music. I don’t care one iota if Santa already came and went, I have no problem hearing Santa Claus is Coming to Town, because I’m not wound up in being so literal.
But I listen to the music from my library, because I know much of the world has moved on, and don’t expect a mass appeal ration station to cater to my quirks.
As I implied previously, after Dec. 26, my focus is on the Christ-centered Christmas songs. Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty have their place during the Christmas shopping season and on Christmas Day; however, after that, they're gone from my audio devices until next November.
You probably won't enjoy WJMJ's post-Dec. 25th programming, then, for it will sound just like it sounded a few hours ago -- sacred and secular reconciled. It is a far deeper assortment than most stations offer, though:
| 10:19 | Candese Marchese - Christmas Card (For Sandy Hook) |
| 10:15 | Doris Day - Be A Child At Christmastime |
| 10:12 | Pointer Sisters - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town |
| 10:07 | BeBe & CeCe Winans - Hark The Herald Angels Sing |
| 09:56 | Kathy Mattea - Christmas Collage |
| 09:53 | Chicago - Silent Night |
| 09:49 | John, Yoko & The Plastic Ono Band - Happy Christmas (War Is Over) |
| 09:46 | Aretha Franklin - Joy To The Word |
| 09:41 | Jim Reeves - Silver Bells |
| 09:35 | Gloria Estefan - Love On Layaway |
| 09:32 | Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Jingle Bells |
| 09:29 | Rod Stewart - Red-Suited Super Man |
| 09:25 | Carpenters - Medley: Here Comes Santa/Frosty/Rudolph The Red Nose |
| 09:21 | Dean Martin - Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer |
| 09:18 | Boston Pops - Sleigh Ride |
In the Beautiful Music FM days, most of them tapered off rapidly. We'd get some mad people complaining about playing it after the 25th.
J
JoeLouis
Guest
WJMJ has the best DJ lineup just about anywhere, Jerry Kristafer in the morning, Glen Colligan from the YZ days and Friendly Floyd from DRC, doesn't get much better than that!
I'll take that bet, you're gonna regret ....
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