HYPOC-RINCH

About two weeks ago I noticed that this radio station in Boston, 105.7 WROR, began a 24-7 format of exclusively broadcasting Christmas music from now until Christmas day. I was dumbfounded when I first realized that, yes, I was hearing Christmas music coming from my radio and no, I was not inside a retail establishment. Now, 105.7 has a tradition of being the go-to-local radio station for "all Christmas music all the time" around the holidays, but I can't ever remember the change taking place this early.

I was pissed. "This is ridiculous", I complained to anyone that would listen, changing the station to punctuate my point. Nearly everyone agreed with me. I just couldn't see the reasoning behind airing the music 24-7 in the early days of November, so soon after Halloween. They even have a drive time spot from 5-7 daily where the kids can call in and talk directly to Santa "from the North Pole" and tell him what's on their list. Every time I came across it while scanning the radio, it would piss me off a little more. I created all these plausible scenarios in my head like:

"They're in cahoots with the retailers"; IE: their advertisers= all important ad revenues.

"Maybe the station had a bad fiscal year and they are trying to mix things up and create a buzz by changing the format WAY TOO EARLY."

What I really thought was that it was a risky move that would alienate alot of their loyal listeners (myself included). I could only imagine what their email in-box and their voice mail in-box looked and sounded like.

105.7 WROR Boston

Listener E-mail

Dear WROR,

I have been listening to your station for some 20 plus years and I am disgusted by your choice of timing in changing your recent format. It's bad enough that I am forced into facing an early Christmas season by every major retailer before I even hand out even one piece of Halloween candy, because now I am left no choice but to escape the constant drone of your untimely Christmas cheer on the drive to and from my job. A once simple pleasure, now ruined by your early exploitation and over commercialization of an already used and abused holiday.

Thanks a lot WROR. I will be taking my listening habits elsewhere. Preferably to a station that respects the proper timing in observance of the holiday season.

A pissed off FORMER listener

That might have been me. I say might because I have realized over the past week that I have been shouting a bit too loudly. I would be remiss if I didn't admit to, while picking up the kids at school or practice and running daily errands, leaving the station on, all the while complaining at it's ridiculousness. I even found myself humming and singing along to a few holiday classics. I have become the thing I hate most, a hypocrite.

As the days go by, I find myself listening and enjoying the music more and more. While driving around this weekend, (doing what?) early Christmas shopping, I was listening. Now the kids are getting into the spirit also. So what am I teaching them? We all agreed that this is just too early, yet there we are, listening and singing right along with WROR.

I decided that this Grinch had better make amends but fast or I am destined for coal in my stocking and not much else along with some pretty confused children.

Could it be that my head isn't screwed on just right, or perhaps, maybe, my shoes are too tight? Whatever the reason, my heart or my shoes, I must stop this whole WROR Christmas-music-hating-ruse.

I puzzled and pondered till I couldn't remember what I was puzzling for. Then I remembered, "Oh yeah, maybe Christmas, this year, means a little bit more."

And what happened next...? Well in our house they say, that mom's grinchy heart grew three sizes that day.

And she proclaimed to all, in an act of contrition, "Every radio in the house will be tuned only to WROR to listen."