The holidays are here—at least according to every retailer who put up Christmas displays before the Halloween candy was gone. As listening patterns shift and festive moods kick in, now is the time to position your station as the “soundtrack of the season.” Whether you flip to All-Christmas or sprinkle in holiday favorites each hour, these proven guidelines will help you sleigh… er… slay the season.
Program the Christmas Hits Listeners Actually Love
Fun fact: although it feels like there are thousands of Christmas songs, listeners really only love a limited few.
Focus on playing the 96 Powers hits that listeners love. (Yes, Mariah is a Super Power. No, she doesn’t hibernate the rest of the year—she just pretends to.)
Use these rules of the road:
- Schedule your Power titles often—listeners expect them.
- The week before Christmas, add Secondaries as rotations increase.
- Use the Lund Christmas Music Advisory of 250 researched titles for a safe, hit-driven holiday mix.
Blend Holiday Songs into Your Format—Smoothly
Don’t replace your Power songs; that’s how you end up with a Christmas format and strange quarter-hours. Instead:
- Identify which song categories on your clock can be switched for holiday titles.
- Place Christmas songs between two format Powers for smooth flow and maximum tune-in.
Your playlist stays strong, your brand stays on-point, and Santa stays happy.
Make Every Break Sound Like Christmas
Before every holiday song, air custom Christmas imaging to set the mood:
- Festive jingles
- Christmas greetings from staff, listeners, clients, or artists
- Seasonal liners (“Powered by cookies, cocoa, and questionable wrapping skills”)
On-air content should spotlight familiar holiday moments: tree trimming, house decorating, baking, shopping, snowball fights, wrapping gifts, visiting Santa, family chaos—err—family gatherings, and more. These moments create emotional connection and a sense of listener companionship.
Mix the Classics with Modern Holiday Stars
Listeners love a balance of timeless nostalgia and contemporary sparkle:
- Classics: Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Gene Autry
- Modern: Michael Bublé (King of Christmas 2.0), Taylor Swift, Lindsey Stirling
And remember to go easy on the instrumentals… unless your goal is to make people think they’re stuck in an elevator at the mall.
Extend the Christmas Spirit Beyond the Music
Make your station festive everywhere:
- Update your website with holiday colors, graphics, and promotions.
- Host or partner with charity drives—coats, toys, and food drives are community winners.
- Promote holiday events like Christmas Wish, light displays, parades, and hometown festivals.
These elements deepen listener loyalty and strengthen your station’s position as the heart of the community.
Be the Station That Feels Like Christmas
You don’t have to flip to All-Christmas to become your market’s Christmas leader. With the right music strategy, imaging, storytelling, and community engagement, your station can capture the spirit of the holidays—and enjoy a ratings bump that comes with it.
After all, Christmas is the one time of the year when listeners actually want to hear the same favorite songs repeated often. Let’s take advantage of it.
Pic designed by gpointstudio for Freepik.com.
John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful? You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.