By Anita Garner
Today we get our favorite music everywhere, any time, but not that long ago radio people played the music we listened to. I spent years on the radio and all of us on the air worked from a playlist which we didn’t get to select. Just before in-earnest holiday madness began, Christmas songs were slowly merged into the playlist, but no matter when they started, someone on the air staff hated it.
Here’s a scene from a typical radio programming meeting, where on-air people wrestled with our boss, the Program Director.
PD: So guys – and Anita – you’ll notice on your playlist that we’re rotating one Christmas song each hour starting…
ME: …Couldn’t we play more than one each hour?
EVERYONE ELSE: No!
PD: And then by week three of the season, we’ll play four an hour.
ME: Couldn’t we play more than that?
EVERYONE ELSE: Shut up, Anita!
ME: Could I have more Christmas music just on my show?
ON-AIR PERSON: I’ll be calling in sick.
ANOTHER ON-AIR PERSON: You can’t call in sick, because I’m scheduling all my dental work now. I’ll be gone for the whole month.
The foregoing is only slightly exaggerated. I haven’t met many people who like Christmas music as much as I do. For me, Thanksgiving begins the Christmas music marathon. Give me a couple of favorite holiday songs and lights that twinkle and I’m happy.
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I remember those meetings. They always depressed me. How can you not like Christmas music? Wait, forget I asked. I don’t want to know.
I wish people would keep pointlessly negative thoughts to themselves. Not just at Christmas, either
Amen Brother Dave!
We have one station in town that plays only Christmas music starting at Thanksgiving. I think it’s their month off – put on the tapes and skip work. I’m sampling through it off and on as I drive, switching away from talk radio when things get vitriolic. Christmas music is so cheerful; it’s a balm. One Christmas season I had nodes removed from my vocal cords about Thanksgiving time and had to be silent for 6 weeks. I sat in church with tears streaming down my face listening to the others sing the carols that were in my heart. I want to sing them.
Allison, so sad for a singer to have to skip singing during this season. I’m hoping you’re getting to make up for that sitting-it-out year ever since. My Christmas music goes everywhere with me for weeks.