Cumulus Media Oldies “Z104” 103.9 WWIZ Middlesex PA/Youngstown OH has become the first station in the country to go all-Christmas for the 2020 season.
WWIZ mad the move today at 12:25pm, rebranding as “Christmas 104“, exactly one month earlier than the station made the move in 2019. WWIZ intends to return to its Oldies programming at the end of the year, just as it did in 2019.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces the launch today of Christmas 104 (WWIZ-FM), The Valley’s Christmas Station, an all-Christmas radio station bringing holiday cheer and the season’s best Christmas music to the Mahoning Valley. Christmas 104 debuted today at 12:25pm on WWIZ-FM, previously programmed as “Z104, The Valley’s Goodtime Oldies” station. “We Need a Little Christmas” by Percy Faith and His Orchestra kicked off the festive and familiar lineup of holiday tunes, which will run through year-end on WWIZ-FM.
Bill Kelly, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Youngstown, said: “If ever we could use a little Christmas, right this very moment, it is this year. We simply want to lift people’s spirits.”Charley Connolly, Operations Manager, Cumulus Youngstown, added: “We’re bringing much-loved Christmas music to our listeners about a month earlier than we did last year. By playing traditional and new Christmas classics on Christmas 104, The Valley’s Christmas Station, we are doing our part to usher in the season of love, peace and joy even earlier.”
It’s way too early for this! Youngstown has pulled the Christmas music trigger too early! Some radio station did it on Good Friday this year, and I was almost stunned! This is too much!
Last year, WWIZ started their all-Christmas format on October 25. This year, it’s September 25. I’m wondering if they will start on August 25 next year.