WLTW First For Christmas

I knew something was up when I walked into Famiglia's on Friday for dinner and heard "Noel." It was confirmed for me this morning when I stopped at the deli and heard "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney. My worst fears were confirmed: WLTW flipped to their "All-Christmas" format on Friday.

November 18th.

5 weeks before Christmas.

The reason they flipped so early has to do with ratings - the Arbitron Fall Ratings book is in its last phase, and if WLTW picks up enough listeners, it'll reflect in the fall book (and thus positively enhance their advertising opportunities).

But listen, people - it's still too damn early for Christmas music. And I love Christmas music. I seriously love it. And when the time is right, I listen to it non-stop. But here's what I think:

1) Christmas music, at the very earliest, can start the day after Thanksgiving.
2) In the interests of good taste, radio stations should wait until December 1st, when you can actually say that Christmas is "this month."

There is something just so wrong for me about hearing Christmas music before I'm ready. I literally plug my ears so I don't have to hear it. Thankfully, I don't go into retail stores often (although I was in Brookstone last Wednesday and heard Sinatra doing the Xmas tunes - case in point), and I can listen to whatever I want at work.

But many businesses default to WLTW because they know it's going to be white-bread, safe music for their employees and customers. So many are being forced to listen to this stuff before it's really time! I wonder how many of them have switched to a different station...and if so, where have they gone? WPLJ? JACK?

I predict that PLJ will flip either on or the day after Thanksgiving. JACK will stick with its current format, as will 102.7, in the hopes of catching those who are sick to death of Christmas music.

And I'll continue listening to WNYC....until sometime in December, when I'll finally give up and listen to lots of Christmas music.

But not today.