No matter what side you stand on, a presidential election is taxing on the psyche. That’s why one radio station in Portland, Oregon gave its local listeners something to take their minds off the millions of votes being cast.
And how did they do that? With some “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reinder” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You” playing over the radio. Duh! Now that is something we can all get behind.
Radio 104.1 The Fish said to heck with Thanksgiving and November, skipping all the way to the best time of the year by announcing they would begin playing Christmas music at 9 a.m. On Election Day and doing so through the holidays.
Speaking with Portland’s ABC affiliate, KATU2, the station’s program director, Chris Kelly, explained the decision was because Christmas “is that one time of the year where we come just about as close as you can get to be unified.” Politics, despite its intentions, certainly doesn’t unify the whole, but some good ol’ Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, and NSYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” can do the trick.
Christmas music on the radio isn’t anything new. It’s also not jarring to see holiday tunes start popping up in November either. After all, Christmas is basically a two-month holiday at this point anyway.
You do have to respect 104.1 The Fish for getting into the spirit this soon while also doing it at a time that makes sense, as well. Well done!
The demand for seasonal songs has really amped up over recent years. SiriusXM has 26 different holiday stations running this season. Many cities and areas also have at least one, even two or three, radio stations that dedicate the month to nothing but Christmas songs, as well.
I’ll admit, I’m a bit jealous of the people in Portland who have a full-time Christmas station already up and running. I’m still eagerly awaiting when some of the stations out my way start to crossover into the festive spirit.
The post A Portland Radio Station Fought Election Day Anxiety With Nonstop Christmas Music appeared first on VICE.
The post A Portland Radio Station Fought Election Day Anxiety With Nonstop Christmas Music appeared first on VICE.
