With only 55 shopping days left until Christmas, the seasonal shift to Christmas music at radio stations across the country is about to begin en-masse.
Clear Channel AC “92.1 The Coast” WLTQ Venice/Sarasota, FL and Milwaukee Radio Alliance Standards “1290 Martini Radio” WZTI made the move today to the holiday themed playlist joining stations in Albuquerque, Cape May, Syracuse and Yakima that made much earlier flips this year. Many more will be joining that list in the coming days.
A trio of Christian stations are using Halloween to give “Less Spook and More Cheer” to their listeners. “88.3 The Wind” KWND Springfield MO, “New Life 91.9” WRCM Charlotte and the “Shine-FM” network of 88.3 WHZN New Whiteland/Indianapolis, 88.5 WTMK Lowell IN, and 89.7 WONU Kankakee IL are using today to bring a one day preview of the Christmas music that will take over their frequencies later in November. WRCM states it will not play a Christmas song again after today until Thanksgiving Day.
Meanwhile, CNYRadio reports (via Tom Taylor) that Galaxy won’t flip its AC in Syracuse until the city’s “Lights on the Lake” event occurs on November 19th. Its AC in Utica will wait until Thanksgiving. The stations say they doesn’t want to overcommercialize the holiday and that research shows the audience thought they were starting too early. Previously they flipped November 1.
It appears we’ve hit the point of diminishing returns with all ho-ho-ho.