Holiday Music on the Airwaves is an Annual Tradition

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, November 28, 2016

With the season upon us, holiday music has proven to be successful around the country on the radio airwaves. Over the last several years, according to Nielsen, the number of stations that swap out their regular formats during the holiday season has been rising, with some stations making the switch as early as Halloween. Of the 1,942 AM/FM radio stations Nielsen BDSradio monitored in 2015, 171 stations made the switch, giving listeners more than enough variety on the radio dial to get in the holiday spirit.

So which markets and formats are making the switch? The change isn't ubiquitous, but many stations that are flipping the holiday switch seem to be reaping the benefits of increased listeners. AC stations lead the way, making the switch more than any other format. AC accounts for 43% of all holiday music airplay and has the largest music library of all, with almost 2,800 titles. Christian AC follows, making up 22% of the holiday music airplay, with 432,000 spins and 1,763 titles. Classic Hits, Country and Adult CHR round out the top five formats, with a combined 20% play of holiday music airplay.

Making the switch to all-holiday music seems to be paying off. According to Nielsen Audio, holiday music significantly increases the share of listening for the format. Between the November and Holiday survey periods from 2012 to 2015, AC stations saw their share of audience among listeners 6 and older jump an average of 72%, compared to the rest of the year. And the combined audience to the top AC holiday music stations across the top 10 markets has grown from 27 million weekly listeners (6 and older) in 2012 to 30 million in 2015, an 11% increase. This equates to a total of 3 million more Americans tuning in to all-holiday music stations over the three-year period.

However, it may be surprising that the top three markets -- New York, Los Angeles and Chicago -- don't make the top five list when it comes to markets with the most holiday music airplay. Rather, Cleveland tops that list with 48,000 plays, as three stations in Cleveland generate more than 12,000 spins of holiday music. Columbus, OH, ranks number two with 47,000 and Detroit ranks number three three with 46,000 plays.