Christmas is coming, and the holiday hits are playing. The onslaught of annual all-Christmas music stations has begun.
iHeartMedia AC “93.9 Lite FM” WLIT Chicago will make the flip at 3pm on Friday, Nov. 1 with a message from Mariah Carey leading into two-and-a-half hours of commercial-free Christmas music.
“93.9 Lite FM listeners have spoken year after year — once Halloween ends, they are ready for Christmas music on 93.9 Lite FM,” PD/afternoon host Mick Lee said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to celebrate our 24th year as Chicago’s Christmas station, spreading cheer, unity, and warmth all season long.”
WLIT is a leader in being an early Christmas convert. Last year, the station flipped on Halloween, and in 2022, the change occurred on Nov. 1. For the past two years, iHeartMedia flipped 80-plus stations to Christmas on the second week of November.
Earlier this month, Bonneville AC KOSI Denver (101.1) announced that they would move to Christmas music with a live kickoff broadcast on Thursday, Nov. 14.
Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters has the holiday hits spinning on KKGO-HD2, and the Los Angeles-licensed FM translator K252FO at 98.3. The signals previously carried the classical “K-Mozart” programming from LMZT (1260), which flipped to classic country earlier this month.
Meanwhile, New Albany, Indiana Broadcasting’s WLRS (1570), which is simulcast on the Louisville, KY-licensed FM translator W223DK at 92.5, is in “The 92.5 Days of Christmas,” which will lead into a new Spanish-language format in the New Year.