Radio stations that go all-Christmas in December | Hacker News Reader

Radio stations that go all-Christmas in December

washingtonpost.com

37 pointspmcpinto27 comments

"Here's Why."

Aaaand close tab. You too, WaPo?

But yeah. It's vogue right now to show disinterest in Christmas (at least in these here elitist North Eastern cities), but I'm one of the seemingly few that just loves the holidays. I didn't come from money, and even though my parents ended up divorced after 25 years, "family" as the most important thing in the world bar none was drilled into our heads. Christmas was all the wonderful that came from and surrounded family. It was visiting, gifts, and food - putting the world aside for a minute and concentrating on just being together.

So yeah, I'm the guy that puts on Vince Guiraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas album at 12:01 am the day after Thanksgiving. I have a tree much too big for my apartment. I remain like Scrooge's nephew Fred - impossible to bring down during the season, even if you're a generally miserable person.

And I think that's part of it. Don't get me wrong - 24 hours of Christmas music a day for weeks or more has to be defined somewhere in UN definitions of torture. But for some people, this is the happiest time of year because it was, at one time, the happiest time of their year, and is associated with the happiest memories they may have from their lifetime. Music is strongly associated with this season, and I imagine with those memories.

And that sells, baby.

And then there are those of us who wish we could teleport from Friday after Thanksgiving to December 31.

Music creates very strong connections like you've said, even showing it can help patients with dementia (https://musicandmemory.org/). I've sung and listened to Christmas music all month long.

I agree it is in vogue to be disinterested in Christmas. Not so much from advertisers but I've felt a lot less "happy" feelings this holiday season from the people in the stores I've visited. Like pulling teeth to hear a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah from anyone. No one seems to know what to do, what won't get them in trouble, or no one is celebrating any holiday at all. Do you have any ideas on why you think that is happening?

This is extreme, but I can't think of a milder way to say it. <rant>Why hate on Christmas? Do they hate on Hanukkah? Do they hate good will toward each other? Peace on Earth? How can you hate something that is generally a good message? Why not just let folks have their happy celebrations? Isn't that the idea behind tolerance for others? Must they hold someone else down to push themselves up?</rant> whew! Sorry about all that.

I'm reminded of The Offspring "It's cool to hate" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkRJzErnRmY

The objection isn't about Christmas, but the saturation marketing that comes with it.

For many people, Christmas isn't a happy time. If you're lonely, it can be very painful to be bombarded with sentimentality. Bereaved people can be rudely reminded of their loss. It can be difficult to feel festive if you're struggling to make ends meet. Many households will spend the next few months repaying the debt they took on to give their children a decent Christmas.

It is increasingly difficult to escape from Christmas. As mentioned in the article, media outlets go on an all-out festive blitzkrieg. Christmas gets shoehorned into everything, for the whole month of December.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

Some decorations were up the day after Halloween where I live.

The Peanuts album is amazing, but some of the other songs, well...

I find it comforting that the local Wal-Mart is playing Christmas music 24/7 now.

The other 48 weeks of the year they're playing music that's been targeted at whatever demographic shops at a that certain time of the day.

At least Christmas can be a time of honest manipulation.

“There are really only 25 songs people really want to hear.”

Yes, and they've been the same 25 songs for 40 years.[1]

Of course, there's this one [2], which had advertisers angrily canceling ads when it came out. Very seldom, and never on chain radio, will you hear that one.

[1] https://xkcd.com/988/ [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5IXlfJSEi4

It is probably annoying, if you work in a shopping center or somewhere were you cannot control the loudspeakers.

I never listen to a radio stations. I do listen to MP3 in the car, and carry some playlists with me (smartphone).

I didn't realise this was a common thing in the US. I don't think any radio stations do it in Australia.

God bless y'all. I wish the American radio stations, malls, stores, etc. didn't feel the need to do so for five weeks.

We definitely get it in shopping centres (it's in retail's best interest, after all), but radio stays largely the same over the Christmas period.

In NZ the stations don't go "All Christmas" but they do play a lot of Christmas Music. The easy-listening station in my local cafe was probably play 50% Christmas music for the last 2 weeks.

"Snoopy's Christmas" is the local cult Christmas song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-hWZGIWe_U

It is what listeners, customers, etc want to hear. Welcome to the minority. I am from the Southern US, so I know exactly what you feel since I do not like country, gospel, or Bible sermons.

You won't hear me bitching though, because I know I am in the minority.

>It is what listeners, customers, etc want to hear. Welcome to the minority.

Is it? Or are they just spoon-fed with it to the point of being conditioned?

Does it matter? I say this as an atheist who enjoys Christmas. Wacky holidays are fun. Krampus is kinda strange though.

>I say this as an atheist who enjoys Christmas.

Well, from the christmas tree to Santa Claus there's nothing much christian about christmas in the way it's celebrated in the US (and copied everywhere else too). It's mostly a shopping holiday with a Disney theme.

I lose one of my favorite stations during those five weeks. Harumph.

Ugh, you're link lead me to "Christmas celebrations banned in Somalia, Tajikistan and Brunei" http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/23/christmas-banne...

Not sure what I'd have to do, but I'd never want any religious celebration banned like that in the USA.

Growing up in a ultra-reformed Jewish-by-culture family, I have grown to truly hate Christmas music... the overt display of cultural dominance paired with the unapologetic consumerism irks me - I find it oppressive and evangelizing but totally un-inviting.

That was an interesting read ... not a radio guy, but I do always wonder how the radio stations playing christmas music at the coffee shops I frequent manage it.

The Pandora Christmas station is decent but Spotify's are terrible. The formula is pretty straightforward as this article describes.

Curious how many here still listen to fm radio in your car?

This is my modern yet crappy car stereo set up....

1. iPhone

2. Car stereo tape deck with tape deck adapter into iPhone

3. Apple music

4. Siri to control what plays

What's yours?

Bluetooth, Spotify, Tasker to automatically choose playlists based on a few parameters, Google/Moto Now to add some manual control. I actually replaced my (busted) tape deck recently with a new head unit, and the improvement is thousandfold. Everything is automatic now.

You're are in a tiny, tiny minority.

Tiny minority? In terms of using streaming apps in the car over FM radio?

If so, even here on Hacker News? I would fair to say the demo here consists of innovators, early to late adopters.

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