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Talk radio stations abandoning christmas music programming!

blackgold

blackgold

With the exception of KDKA in Pittsburgh, WGN in Chicago and WCCO in Minneapolis, many news/talk stations around the country have more or less abandoned the Christmas Music programming that has been a mainstay for decades. Most of the IHeart radio stations have chucked the Christmas music programming traditionally present on Christmas Eve and Day, preferring to air talk shows like Coast to Coast AM and Red Eye Radio. WBZ here in Boston abandoned the Christmas music format in the 1990s; the only Christmas program they have is their dramatization of "A Christmas Carol" on Christmas Eve. The WBZ Radio Holiday Players' version of the story is the worst I've ever heard. I wish they'd go back to having music on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but today money talks. I tuned in on the AM band to find some Christmas music last night, but with the exception of WCRN in Worcester, most of the AM stations from out of town were playing talk shows like "Coast to Coast AM."
The FM band is even worse. Except for the All Christmas format on WMJX and a Christmas music program on WPLM-FM, most stations were sticking with their regular formats. Of course, some of the classic rock stations may have mixed Christmas songs with their regular playlists, but it seems that nobody wants to program special music on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It just isn't Christmas anymore, as far as radio is concerned.
Any comments on this?
 
AM stations don't play music. They do talk. That's the format, and that's what their listeners expect. Lots of FM stations played Christmas music on Christmas eve. At least one station per town was 24/7 Christmas since before Thanksgiving. Some people complain there's too much Christmas music. You complain there's not enough. Which proves there's no pleasing everybody.
 
I'm the opposite. The more 50KW AMs running Christmas programming, the better. They sound better with music, and it's something different for them to air, other than repeats of conservative talkers. KKOH and KBOI were both airing Mannheim Steamroller's 'An American Christmas' tonight and last night. Chip Davis shares a lot of interesting stories and some good Christmas music. Tonight, he shared the story of the Apollo 8 Christmas message - 50 years ago last night.
I couldn't believe that KFAB wasn't running Mannheim. They have traditionally done that for years. And Chip Davis lives near Omaha, too! KSL was airing other Christmas music last night, along with a Christmas Eve mass (Mormon Tabernacle I suppose). KGO, KSFO, WJR (yes, conditions were very good to the east, I heard WJR!), and the 50KW CBCs were also airing holiday tunes.
 
KMJ had the Mannheim program too. It is nice to hear music on a strong AM signal once in a while.

I has kinda disappointed with the local iheart talker, they usually play Christmas themed radio plays. At least I didn't have to work so I just watched It's a wonderful life of the TV like a normie.
 
TheBigA said:
AM stations don't play music. They do talk. That's the format, and that's what their listeners expect. Lots of FM stations played Christmas music on Christmas eve. At least one station per town was 24/7 Christmas since before Thanksgiving. Some people complain there's too much Christmas music. You complain there's not enough. Which proves there's no pleasing everybody.
Click to expand...

I have actually detected something of a trend in smaller market AM talk stations going back to music.
WFRB in Frostburg, Maryland had been a talk station for a couple of decades before recently going back to
it's roots in Classic Country. WSOM in Salem, Ohio did something similar.
 
WOR, WABC, and WPHT were all playing Christmas music yesterday. In WOR's case I don't know if it was local because they had promos from Rush Limbaugh telling listeners to enjoy the music -- so maybe it came from his network show? WABC was playing holiday tunes mixed between "best of" segments from Curtis Sliwa's talk show. WPHT was all music. Local NJ talk station WCTC was simulcasting the music from their FM sister station.
 
If WOR aired Christmas music somewhere between noon and 3PM on 12/25, it was Rush Limbaugh's show. He traditionally puts away the conservative talkfest on 12/25 and airs Christmas music over the EIB network.
 
There are a plethora of options for Christmas music. They (AM talk stations) don't need something different to air. They have a format that serves their audience. If they want to fill dead time when no one but a few holdouts want to tune in distant signals for whatever reason, have at it. But times change, and if they don't feel the need to adhere to some old way of doing things that dates back to the pre digital era, that's not exactly a tragic loss.
 
I heard some Christmas music and Christmas oriented programming on a couple local talk stations, and then they also had standard programming as well.

I don't think stations are abandoning Christmas, and I don't think AM stations are abandoning Christmas. They're trying to serve their audience, many of whom celebrate the holiday, but also others who either don't, or for whom Christmas isn't a fun time of the year.
 
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