The official Christmas FM thread

TRS30

Call me Al wrote: »

Is the 28th kick off on the radio?
Even my oh-so-cool teenagers are looking forward to it :-)

Yea is most likely going to be the 28th at around noon. Will be a bit harder to make sure I’m listening as it’s a Sat however going to do my best.

JohnGreenFan

They're doing a full test of the breakfast show this morning with the retunr of the nicknames - Gifting Garvan and Lapland Laura are back! Great way to kick off a Monday morning

Loughc

JohnGreenFan wrote: »

They're doing a full test of the breakfast show this morning with the retunr of the nicknames - Gifting Garvan and Lapland Laura are back! Great way to kick off a Monday morning

I expect to hear alot of this, this week. Lots of testing/live programming throughout the week.

Declan A Walsh

JohnGreenFan wrote: »

They're doing a full test of the breakfast show this morning with the retunr of the nicknames - Gifting Garvan and Lapland Laura are back! Great way to kick off a Monday morning

It would be an interesting experiment if the powers that be tried to get every member of staff have an nickname using the letter of their first name!

They might have difficulties with some letters! For example, what appropriate word starting with the letter "K" would you put before Keith (Shanley)?

pigtail33

My sister lives in the UK and when she tries to stream Christmas FM, it says it is not available in her area. Does anyone know, is this block lifted when it goes fully live on Saturday? She has definitely listened to it previous years.

Loughc

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

It would be an interesting experiment if the powers that be tried to get every member of staff have an nickname using the letter of their first name!

They might have difficulties with some letters! For example, what appropriate word starting with the letter "K" would you put before Keith (Shanley)?

Kringle Keith

DvB

pigtail33 wrote: »

My sister lives in the UK and when she tries to stream Christmas FM, it says it is not available in her area. Does anyone know, is this block lifted when it goes fully live on Saturday? She has definitely listened to it previous years.

Surely its available online?

otnomart

pigtail33 wrote: »

My sister lives in the UK and when she tries to stream Christmas FM, it says it is not available in her area. Does anyone know, is this block lifted when it goes fully live on Saturday? She has definitely listened to it previous years.

I am in Continental Europe and listening right now (Holly Jolly Christmas is playing now) from here



https://live.mystreamplayer.com/christmasfm?autoplay=1


Check here for all info https://christmasfm.com/listenin/

pigtail33

DvB wrote: »

Surely its available online?

otnomart wrote: »

I am in Continental Europe and listening right now (Holly Jolly Christmas is playing now) from here



https://live.mystreamplayer.com/christmasfm?autoplay=1


Check here for all info https://christmasfm.com/listenin/

She was trying on a Google Home speaker, and it just says it's not available. I'll get her to try streaming directly from their website and see if that works. Thanks!

radiotrickster

pigtail33 wrote: »

My sister lives in the UK and when she tries to stream Christmas FM, it says it is not available in her area. Does anyone know, is this block lifted when it goes fully live on Saturday? She has definitely listened to it previous years.

The same happened for Halloween FM this year. They blocked people outside of Ireland from listening.

Might be a rights issue? Some UK radio stations have blocked Irish Alexas/Google Homes from streaming them.

Loughc

radiotrickster wrote: »

The same happened for Halloween FM this year. They blocked people outside of Ireland from listening.

Might be a rights issue? Some UK radio stations have blocked Irish Alexas/Google Homes from streaming them.

ChristmasFM is available online across the world so there's no rights issue there.

Looks like there's proper live shows all this week according to their Instagram stories, they're testing the remote access all week. Weird to know ChristmasFM will be remote this year and not in studio, I hope it doesnt lose any of it's magic cause of that.

Declan A Walsh

Loughc wrote: »

ChristmasFM is available online across the world so there's no rights issue there.

Looks like there's proper live shows all this week according to their Instagram stories, they're testing the remote access all week. Weird to know ChristmasFM will be remote this year and not in studio, I hope it doesnt lose any of it's magic cause of that.

"....Bringing you the magic of Christmas"!

Why is that every time I go into the website and "Listen" to Christmas FM, it is preceded by an ad for Disney Plus?

Also, while I think of it, it would be useful if they actually displayed the presenter (when live) on the screen along with the song. I appreciate that it might not be feasible or practical.

Declan A Walsh

Lar Flynn just identified himself! I never actually heard him before. He has a good voice and no nonsense style of presenting.

Declan A Walsh

I never knew Chubby Checker did a version of Jingle Bell Rock until a few minutes ago! I like his version. There is another one I like that I have a seen on Christmas video shows by Daryl Hall and John Oates. I wonder would Christmas FM ever play that particular rendition. Please spare us the version by Mel Smith and Kim Wilde!

I like The Temptations' soul-tinged version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that's just been played. I have heard that particular arrangement a few times on Christmas FM. It's one of those gems that I have not heard anywhere else.

Have to turn it off now! Nathan Carter's Christmas Stuff? No thanks!

Loughc

Launch day creeping up on us. While I completely understand why they launched so early this year (it was completely needed) and I enjoyed tuning in on my night-time walks, I think next year I'll wait to tune in until Launch day, I feel like Launch day is way more magical.

I think a bit appeal of launch day is listening in while being at work, so I think that's why this years launch lost a bit of appeal with me, I tend to be out and about on Saturdays and I will surely miss it.

Looks like 2021's launch day will be a Sunday, I don't tend to be AS busy those days.

DvB

Loughc wrote: »

Launch day creeping up on us. While I completely understand why they launched so early this year (it was completely needed) and I enjoyed tuning in on my night-time walks, I think next year I'll wait to tune in until Launch day, I feel like Launch day is way more magical.

I think a bit appeal of launch day is listening in while being at work, so I think that's why this years launch lost a bit of appeal with me, I tend to be out and about on Saturdays and I will surely miss it.

Looks like 2021's launch day will be a Sunday, I don't tend to be AS busy those days.

Said the same a while back re: launch day, I totally associate it with work and ideally being in the car on my way to or from a site (amazing how often that happens on Nov.28th every year) so a lunch time on a saturday means theres a 99% chance I'll miss it this year.

Still hope it officially starts with 'Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas' though, its tradition now!

TRS30

Loughc wrote: »

Launch day creeping up on us. While I completely understand why they launched so early this year (it was completely needed) and I enjoyed tuning in on my night-time walks, I think next year I'll wait to tune in until Launch day, I feel like Launch day is way more magical.

I think a bit appeal of launch day is listening in while being at work, so I think that's why this years launch lost a bit of appeal with me, I tend to be out and about on Saturdays and I will surely miss it.

Looks like 2021's launch day will be a Sunday, I don't tend to be AS busy those days.

Last year I WFH on the Friday and had the app on my phone and was on here to share the experience.

Will also be a bit hard to make sure I can listen in this year. Looks like I might have to work some of Sat as well.

Is the launch at 11am or 12pm does anyone know?

Loughc

12pm as far as I know.

lertsnim

pigtail33 wrote: »

She was trying on a Google Home speaker, and it just says it's not available. I'll get her to try streaming directly from their website and see if that works. Thanks!

That will be due to this

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2020/09/international-radio-stations-now-restricted-on-tunein/

Posy

I feel things get real once Christmas FM launches.

DvB

WFH today & playing Christmas FM through the pc while i work & thers been a few occasions of the music stopping altogether & total silence... our internet connection is stable so I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else?

JohnGreenFan

DvB wrote: »

WFH today & playing Christmas FM through the pc while i work & thers been a few occasions of the music stopping altogether & total silence... our internet connection is stable so I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else?

Are you playing it through tune in? That happens to me as well, it seems to stop after a certain amount of tiem and I have to click play again.

DvB

That bloody song by Hudson Taylor has been on at least twice today, I remember them pushing it a lot last year to the point I really began to dislike it, hope they're not going to do the same again this year.

Posy

I didn't mind that song too much when I heard it last year, but it's not a classic that needs that level of repetition!

TRS30

Article about Christmas FM on the journal. Christmas shoes even gets a mention in the comments

OUTDOORLASS

I was listening to it all day on the app and it kept losing coverage or something. Short periods of silence.

Jude13

I am still holding off till launch day though the OH may throw on some tunes on spotify tonight as I get the decorations from the shed.

Any sign of baby its cold outside being already played this year?

DvB

OUTDOORLASS wrote: »

I was listening to it all day on the app and it kept losing coverage or something. Short periods of silence.

Same happened me online. Tried through a few different platforms but was the same on them all.

JohnGreenFan

DvB wrote: »

That bloody song by Hudson Taylor has been on at least twice today, I remember them pushing it a lot last year to the point I really began to dislike it, hope they're not going to do the same again this year.

I love that one!
Christmas Shoes on the other hand, and Nathan Carter's Christmas Stuff get muted when they come on.

Declan A Walsh

I noticed that a number of Christmas FM presenters, past and present, have been involved with the Dublin "feel good" station on 102.2 - called at different times Lite FM and Q102.

They include:
Mike Moloney
Gerry Wilson
Hugh O'Brien
Lynsey Dolan
Tommy Greene (AFAIK he was with Christmas FM. He can also be added to my previous list for 106.8!)
Chris Maher
Electric Eddie
Isobel Tobin
Lucianne White
Mathieu Norrie (He can also be added to my RTE list!)
Mark Byrne
Marty Miller
Adrienne O'Hora (She can also be added to my dance pirates list!)