The place to listen to Christmas and vacation music on the radio this yr – Orange County Register

As anticipated, Go Nation 105 (KKGO, 105.1 FM) is switching gears to grow to be Your Christmas Vacation spot as soon as extra, a competitor to perennial vacation music chief KOST (103.5 FM). The change was set to go on Nov. twenty seventh; you possibly can nonetheless hear your favourite nation music on KKGO HD3 if in case you have a succesful radio or on the varied radio apps.

You may surprise why two stations would go all-Christmas, particularly when KOST appears to be the one which advantages probably the most … its scores are inclined to greater than double yearly, whereas rivals are inclined to run about the identical as regular.

Within the case of Go Nation, it’s a matter of the proprietor doing what he thinks folks need to hear. Saul Levine has an extended historical past of taking part in both what he likes or what he thinks the native space is missing. Go Nation itself exists at the moment solely as a result of Levine famous the lack of nation music when the previous KZLA (now KLLI, 93.9 FM)  dropped it, saying it wasn’t common sufficient to maintain. Levine thought in a different way and the outcomes converse for themselves; Go Nation is likely one of the most listened-to nation stations within the, effectively, nation.

For the previous few years, Levine has wished to offer a alternative and whereas I’m positive he’d like for Go Nation to take a bigger piece of the KOST Christmas scores pie, I’m not positive he’s too involved about it both. Being an unbiased proprietor, he has the luxurious of doing no matter he desires. Frankly, he might have bailed out of radio utterly and made an enormous windfall promoting all of his stations years in the past. That he doesn’t exhibits his dedication to the shape.

Whereas each KOST and Go Nation overlap fairly a bit on the songs performed throughout the season, Go Nation tends to incorporate extra conventional songs with a barely extra expansive artist listing than KOST, which extra typically veers into up to date variations of some songs. Whereas I like each, I lean towards Go Nation with its extra various playlist, together with some nation artists.

Or perhaps it’s my predisposition to go along with the underdog.

Regardless, I as soon as requested why all vacation music on a regular basis … don’t folks get sick of it? Seems, no. Christmas and vacation music is common in most each metropolis it’s tried, together with Los Angeles the place KOST dominates the scores beneath the format. After I joked about it proper right here a couple of years in the past, I used to be good-naturedly chastised by readers — maybe you — with feedback concerning how the music simply places folks in an excellent temper.

Analysis backs that up. Apparently, listeners flash again to their youth, remembering extra easy, happier occasions. Who am I to make gentle of that? Something that helps folks chill out and really feel good.

Even Extra Selections

Over-the-air radio isn’t the one approach to get into the vacation music spirit. SiriusXM is, after all, working its slate of 26 holiday-themed channels — most accessible on-line or on the app solely — starting from conventional to hip-hop. The 4 over-the-air channels embrace Vacation Traditions on Channel 71, Holly (up to date artists) on Channel 79, Jolly (upbeat and novelty hits) on Channel 105, and Hallmark (music from Hallmark films) on Channel 107.

The assorted streaming apps equivalent to Apple Music and Spotify have their conventional vacation channels as effectively. AccuRadio.com units the usual this yr because it all the time does with over 100 completely different channels taking part in any vacation music you need — chosen by precise human curators — and the power to set your individual playlist if desired.