| In my youth radio was a link to the holidays, with annual "Countdown to Christmas" playlists leading up to the tension-filled tracking of Santa on Christmas Eve. But no outlet dared cue this fare until after Thanksgiving. Once the turkey was done, DJs began mixing in a few Christmas songs, gradually increasing their frequency until, finally, a week or so before the holiday it was all-Christmas.
This year SiriusXM fired up 14 of its 17 holiday music channels in late October. Television, too, is rushing the season. Disney's Freeform cable channel launched its Christmas programming on Nov. 1, a full month earlier than in 2019. The Hallmark Channel's Christmas marathon began on Oct. 23, the same day the Lifetime channel triggered its Christmas barrage. UPtv began running more than 500 hours of holiday fare in its "Merry Movie Christmas" package on Nov. 1. Too soon?
Like many people, I'm seduced by songs of the season. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," first recorded in 1994, makes me smile. But blaring from my car radio on Election Day, it was unsettling and out of place.
Some psychologists warn that too much holiday music too early in the season can be stressful. If you're easily overwhelmed by the need to buy gifts, entertain guests and decorate the house—all during a pandemic—maybe you'd rather not think about Christmas while panicking over Thanksgiving dinner.
Some radio stations tried programming Christmas music last spring as a balm during quarantine. It didn't work. For many listeners, the gambit made a special holiday lose significance. Now stations are jumping the season partly out of economic desperation. Ad revenue has slumped during the pandemic, but since tune-in usually rises during the holiday-music season, an early boost in audience levels would be a welcome gift.
Personally, I'm looking forward to a "Holly, Jolly Christmas." But for the next few weeks at least, I'd prefer a "Silent Night."
(c) Peter Funt. This column originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.
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