Christmas radio 2020 was indeed a holiday like no other. The Adult Contemporary stations that rely on the format had dealt with a year in which ratings were generally down, driven by work-from-home and other changes in daily routine. In the first pandemic Christmas, stations started earlier and struggled for the right mix of acknowledgment and safe haven that they had been grappling to provide all year.
When we listened to a sampling of holiday outlets a year ago, stations were trying to deliver Christmas-as-usual but punctuated with sweepers about Santa and hand sanitizer. There will be far less of that this year, judging from a Fresh Listen to four of the first holiday conversions. I heard stations from the three major AC groups. iHeart’s WLIT (Lite 93.9) Chicago, Audacy’s WSPA (Magic 98.9) Greenville, S.C., Cumulus’ Lite Rock 100.7 (KRMD-AM) Shreveport, La., and Summit’s WVEZ (Mix 106.9) Louisville, Ky.
I heard Christmas music in four very different contexts—WSPA in regular programming; WLIT during a big annual launch, which began its twenty-first year of holiday music; WVEZ during its morning show; KRMD during John Tesh-hosted middays.
At WLIT, the kick-off included the hosts’ acknowledgment of “a rough couple of years” At WVEZ, COVID was part of the stories being referenced by the morning team. But I didn’t encounter COVID directly or by inference on WSPA or KRMD. It did feel like the references to “bringing back childhood memories” were ratcheted up this year, perhaps as a way of acknowledging the current lack of normalcy.
Musically, most stations were tight and traditional in the way that has been the norm in recent years. Here’s what I heard at three of the stations I listened to.
WSPA (Magic 98.9) Greenville, S.C.
Audacy’s Magic 98.9 launched holiday music on Monday. When I heard midday host Barry McKay, there was a Trans-Siberian Orchestra ticket giveaway being promoted. When McKay played “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” into “Rudoph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” he joked about “being stuck in the petting zoo.” Here’s the station just before 11 a.m. on the first day:
- Ronettes, “Sleigh Ride”
- Josh Groban, “The First Noel”
- Thurl Ravenscroft, “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”
- Gayla Peevey, “I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas”
- Gene Autry, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
- Bobby Caldwell & Vanessa Williams, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”
- Crystals, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
- Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Linus and Lucy”
- James Taylor, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
- Andy Williams, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
- Mannheim Steamroller, “Carol of the Bells”
- Donny Hathaway, “This Christmas”
WVEZ (Mix 106.9) Louisville, Ky.
I heard Mix 106.9 with morning team Jesse & M.J., so when COVID was mentioned, it was in the context of Aaron Rodgers testing positive. On a Hot AC, Christmas sounded a little different. The “here’s what we do in regular format” promos were hotter, because the hooks were “Levitating” and “Shivers.” One attitude sweeper declared “we believe in WAP … wrapping all presents.” Here’s the station just after 6 a.m. on November 4; (some titles were augmented from the station’s Website monitor).
- Band Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
- Bing Crosby, “Do You Hear What I Hear”
- Brenda Lee, “Jingle Bells”
- Frank Sinatra & Cyndi Lauper, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
- Madonna, “Santa Baby”
- Burl Ives, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
- LeAnn Rimes, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
- Coldplay, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
- Andy Williams, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
- Amy Grant, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
- Johnny Mathis, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
- Gene Autry, “Here Comes Santa Claus”
One of the best things about the all-Christmas format is how it gives AC radio an opportunity for showmanship. WLIT’s kickoff of its twenty-first year of Christmas music was great radio. PD/p.m. driver Mick Lee was joined by the entire staff, as well as the Salvation Army’s Xavier Montenegro. The top of the Willis Tower was lit in red and green for the evening. The flip to Christmas is available here.
This is WLIT in its second hour of holiday music at 5 p.m., November 3:
- Madonna, “Santa Baby”
- Bing Crosby, “Frosty the Snowman”
- Carpenters, “Sleigh Ride”
- Stevie Wonder, “Silver Bells”
- Burl Ives, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
- Amy Grant, “Winter Wonderland”
- Dean Martin, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
- Ronettes, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra, “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”
- Frank Sinatra & Cyndi Lauper, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
- Elton John, “Step into Christmas”
- Barbra Streisand, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
- Mariah Carey, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”—“All I Want for Christmas Is You” had been the format launch song
- Bobby Helms, “Jingle Bell Rock”
