New York radio in no rush to being Christmas season as nation plays holiday tunes

Eric Charbonneau

Mariah Carey may show up in WLTW's holiday mix.

As of Wednesday, at least 16 radio stations around the country were already playing full-time Christmas music. New York, however, will have to wait just a bit.
WLTW (106.7 FM), which dominates holiday music listening around here, plans its annual switchover to Christmas music on Thanksgiving Eve, says program director Chris Conley.
That would be Nov. 25 - though Lite occasionally has broken out Mariah Carey, Josh Groban, Bing Crosby, the Eagles and Burl Ives and company a bit ahead of schedule.
One station that went all-Christmas last year and won't be doing it again is WCBS-FM (101.1). Program director Brian Thomas says he will only be doing holiday music features on some evening shows.
WCBS-FM's decision could stem in part from the fact it has had a remarkably successful 2009 with its regular music.
While no other local stations have declared Christmas plans yet, one or two usually join Lite.
Across the country, several hundred stations are expected to go all-Christmas. The trade mag Inside Radio reported Wednesday that all-Christmas stations are charging higher ad rates this year based on their spikes from holiday music in 2008.
The biggest holiday music bonanza will come on Sirius XM satellite radio, which has five holiday music channels - all of them, Sirius XM notes, commercial-free.
The flagship is "Holly" (Sirius 3, XM 23), which features mainstream pop. It kicks off Nov. 16 and continues through Dec. 31.

At the moment, the closest station playing all-Christmas is WEZW (93.1 FM), Atlantic City.
HANK SPANN REMEMBERED: A memorial celebration for the late Hank Spann, one of the famed '70s jocks on WWRL (1600 AM), will be held Tuesday, 6:30-9 p.m., at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, 132 Odell Clark Place (W. 138th St.).
Friends, colleagues and musicians are expected to attend.
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