U.S. Radio Stations Flip to 24/7 Christmas Music

Radio stations across the U.S. are switching to 24/7 Christmas music, kicking off the holiday season from late October into early November. Chicago’s 93.9 LITE FM will flip to around-the-clock holiday music Tuesday at 3 p.m., launching with a commercial-free two-hour celebration as it marks its 25th year as the city's Christmas station. Buffalo’s The New 96.1 already flipped over the weekend, is playing Christmas music through Christmas Day, taking song requests and running a “Cans for Christmas” food drive with St. Luke’s Mission of Mercy. Colorado stations including Christmas STAR 101.5 and KOSI 101.1 are returning to all-Christmas formats starting as early as Nov. 1 with live launch events and community activations. Grand Rapids’ Star 105.7 flipped at 7 a.m. with WOOD TV8’s Tom Hillen helping “flip the switch” and selecting Mariah Carey’s “Oh Santa!” as the first song, and many stations are pairing nonstop holiday music with contests, local events and streaming on station apps and platforms like iHeartRadio.