Albany Radio Station Flips to All-Christmas, All The Time Format

Kill me now.

It’s established fact that playing nothing but Christmas music leading up to the day itself is a ratings bonanza for radio stations. Almost every market has an outlet–usually an adult contemporary station of some kind–that flips the switch and goes all-Christmas for four, six, eight and even ten weeks. Ratings can double or even triple for this period. And every year, Christmas creep sets it. I seem to recall that the first North American station to go all-Christmas in 2014 started their programming in late September.

This week, WQSH-FM/Albany, New York, decided that they’d just go Christmas all year round.  Yes, Christmas carols around the clock all year.  And they call the station Santa 105.7.

I quote from Syracuse.com:

Station owners at Townsquare Media, formerly Regent Communications Inc., said market research revealed a strong demand for holiday hits all year long. The company said the holiday music is not a stunt and promises “everything from Sting to Bing.

“This might strike some as being risky in this environment of new media, but I’ve looked at the numbers and they don’t lie,” said Townsquare Media’s local market president, Jake Demmin, in a statement. “There’s literally a clamoring for Christmas music 24/7/365/52.”

You can listen online anytime you like, too.