Holiday Hit Parade

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. And sing. And sing. Five years ago, just a handful of local radio stations would switch to an all-Christmas-music format a day or two before the holiday. Now, nearly 240 stations across the country have gone all Christmas, all the time, even before the Thanksgiving leftovers go dry. Two stations — KOSY in Salt Lake City, Utah, and KNEV in Reno, Nev.—even started spinning White Christmas as Halloween ended. "The decorations are around for a long time," notes Jim Ryan, program director at New York City's top-rated station, WLTW, one of no fewer than six in the New York metropolitan area that have switched to Christmas playlists. "The stores have sales for weeks. Why should radio wait?"

The foremost reason for the switch is that Jingle Bells rings the register. Most stations that change to an all-Christmas format see a spike in ratings. Advertisers flock to these frequencies, betting that holiday songs remind listeners that the season is all about giving — that is, shopping. Nor are all-Christmas formats a gimmick used only by struggling stations; even top stations like New York's WPLJ, whose Top 40 playlist draws a hip audience, have turned to Bing Crosby full time this season.

Despite the surge in all-Christmas stations, most insiders see no saturation. "It's hard to get sick of songs you only hear for six weeks," says Bill Conway, manager of KOIT, one of the Bay Area's top stations, whose ratings have climbed during its holiday switch. The Ronettes' Sleigh Ride, sure. But has he heard Last Christmas by Wham!?

MOST POPULAR SONG
Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives

This ditty from the actor-singer is the most played song on all-holiday stations. No. 2: Rockin Around the Christmas Tree

BUSIEST SINGER
Frank Sinatra

His 21 Christmas songs (including Little Drummer Boy and Jingle Bells) are the most of any artist in current rotation

NEWEST HIT
O Holy Night, Josh Groban

Celine Dion and many others have recorded it, but no one hits the "Noel! Noel!" high note quite like the pop tenor

ON THE RISE
All I Want for Christmas Is You

Mariah Carey recorded it in 1994, but last year's film Love Actually gave this song a major boost into the canon

Source: Media Monitors