Sitting behind my computer keyboard in Houston, TX where we're in our 11th day of triple-digit temperatures, it's not that easy to think about Christmas music. There's no chill in the air, no frost on the pumpkin, and the only smell of burning foliage in the air is because of wildfires rather than burning leaves.
But, before we know it the Christmas season will be knocking at our collective programming doors, and listeners will want to be put in the Christmas spirit by great programming on your station. So, when do we add the first songs? How often do we rotate them? And, when do we put them away for another year?
The best programming advice I can give you is to start playing Christmas music when your audience expects to hear it. And, even if your audience lives in the Southwest, where it almost never feels like Christmas, that usually takes place right around Thanksgiving. Television, newspapers, other radio stations and even the internet are starting to put Christmas in the mind of consumers in mid to late November (earlier in some very aggressive retail markets) so, you and I should take advantage of the collateral promotion we'll get.
For that reason, it makes sense from a programming standpoint to hit Christmas music hard the day after Thanksgiving and ride it hard throughout the weekend. How hard you hit it depends a lot on your station and how badly you desire to "own" Christmas in your market, but it's generally safe to recommend at least one recognizable Christmas song every quarter-hour. By recognizable, I mean a Christmas "standard", even if it's updated and performed by one of your core artists. That way, listeners sampling your station will get an idea of what's in store for them in days to come.
Those stations who work hard to promote their station as "The Christmas Place To Be" will continue to program Christmas music heavily for the remaining four-and-a-half weeks, right up to Christmas day. Some of these stations will program Christmas music almost exclusively, although for most that would be overkill.
So, following is a sample schedule for a music intensive Adult Contemporary station to ramp into Christmas and let your audience down slowly on the other side of the 25th.
| 11/24 - 11/26 |
One "classic" Christmas song every quarter hour. Keep the tempo's up and bright, and feature as many "core" artists as possible. |
| 11/27 - 12/03 |
Two to three Christmas songs per hour. One of these songs should be a "non-traditional" type of song from a core artist. These songs still give you an opportunity to say "Christmas" without sounding like there's holly coming out of your ears. |
| 12/04 - 12/10 |
Increase the number of Christmas songs to four to five per hour, spaced evenly throughout the hour. The ratio should be about 50/50 "traditional" to "non-traditional" with the emphasis going to traditional in the case of a station that plays 5 songs per hour. This is also a great time to add new "Christmas currents" - new songs from core artists being released to help promote a new Christmas project. In hours where those songs play, they will "bonus" your listeners. |
| 12/11 - 12/17 |
This is a good week to really begin to pull out the decorations. More than 50% of the music you play every hour should be Christmas in nature. Make sure you're programming plenty of "classics" so that your audience (and those sampling your station because of your effective Christmas marketing campaign) hears familiar songs. |
| 12/18 - 12/22 Noon |
It's time to pull out those songs we all grew up with. These are the songs your core audience remembers from CBS Christmas specials as a kid. Tempo's can begin to come down here, because the audience is finally in the Christmas mood. For those stations who's audience will tolerate an occasional "secular" artist (Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, etc.) this is the week to let those songs play. 75% of the songs you play this week should be Christmas in nature. Keep mix of traditional to non-traditional about 60/40. |
| 12/22 Noon - 12/25 |
Play everything you can nonstop through December 25th at midnight the waning hours of Christmas day. Ultra traditional (read slow & sleepy) versions of songs can play here, because your station is now the official Christmas station in your community. You're going to hear five different versions of "Silent Night" but that's OK because it's Christmas! |
| 12/26 - 12/27 |
It's time to decompress. Put away the sleepy stuff, and play the classics. About five per hour the first day, perhaps fewer the second. Keep the mix toward familiar Christmas songs, with an occasional non-traditional song thrown in for spice. |
| 12/28 - 12/29 |
More decompression - you should be at three songs per hour by Friday. |
| 12/30 - 12/31 |
It'll seem like a screeching halt compared to just a week ago, but most of the leftovers are gone. Your Christmas rotation should be also. Plan for two songs per hour through Midnight on New Years Eve. Then you're done for another year. |
About the author
Jon is recognized as one of the leaders of AC Christian radio. His career includes stints at the pioneering WCIE, Lakeland, FL, where he was Program Director and Station Manager. He has served as Program Director and Operations Manager at K-LOVE, Program Director for The Word In Music Satellite Network, and currently holds the Program Director position at KSBJ in Houston.
Jon has been a contributing editor for the Christian Research Report (CRR) and has written articles for Radio World, Contemporary Christian Music Update and Religious Broadcasting magazine. He also conducts Share-a-thon’s around the nation and consults Christian stations on fundraising through ShareMedia. Jon also serves as Chairman of the NCR.
Jon and his wife Karen have been married since 1978 and have two children, Megan, and Anna. They are members of Kingwood Community Church. |
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