The official Christmas FM thread

chuckles30

Just saw this on FB - great charity.  I'll have to start saving.....my texting always hits my Jan bill

CheerLouth

Fantastic cause! My best friends little girl is a regular up there - she has a rare genetic disorder - not only is the medical care she receives amazing, but the support for parents is brilliant! Will be texting in loads!

DvB

Having availed of their services a few times in the last near 8 years with the kids I know first hand what a fantastic job they do in Temple Street, terribly under resourced and always under pressure the work they do is pretty spectacular. I'm genuinely delighted they've been named charity partners this year & will happily donate as often and as much as I can.

Jude13

I have also had the cause to use Temple street and they were amazing. I will be out of the country, as usual, I am sure they will stick up something on the website for us expats to contribute and as I do not have to pay for mine and the family's flights I will be generous.

Loughc

Drumroll please....


Everyone’s favourite festive frequency, Christmas FM, will return to our airwaves on the 28th of November and run until the 27th of December.

SarahLil

What do you Elves think will be the first song on the 28th November?

Loughc

SarahLil wrote: »

What do you Elves think will be the first song on the 28th November?

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas?

SarahLil

Loughc wrote: »

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas?

Oh thats a goodie, once its not Christmas Shoes

hdowney

I just hope it's not that Sia one that was so popular last year. I'll even take Christmas Shoes.

*full disclosure, that Sia one is actually ok. I used to like it. Until 5pm on the 13th of December last when I was driving to work and a woman went out in front of my car and through the windscreen. That song was playing!

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

Hey everyone!!!
Sorry I haven't been around much in a while. Niamh from Boards.ie has been on looking for me to do a AMA (ask me Anything), so I'm gonna be around a lot more in the next months or so. I promise.
Before I start trying to answer questions I feel its important to point out I'm not at the Top of the Tree in Christmas FM. We all answer to Santa and then several really impressive people make all the Hard parts come together so that the presenters like me get to have tonnes of fun chatting on the Airwaves and doing what we love.

SarahLil wrote: »

What do you Elves think will be the first song on the 28th November?

Thats a good question, It'll fall to the first DJ who's on - Most likely Garvan or Keith im guessing. But what do you all think it should be?? First actual live broadcast will be during the testing day (27th) and will probably / hopefully be me, while we try to get things tuned up. So certainly I can let you decide the music for the first live song played before we are into official show rotations. I can promise it wont be Christmas Shoes, its just too controversial (ie. people love it or absolutely hate it).
Really delighted that you all seem to approve of our charity Partner Temple Street. They are Amazing!
Loving reading back on the messages posted during the year and giggling at the Reaction to the ChristMarch Snowstorm resurgence. That was a bit of a mad Idea Garvan, Walt and I managed to pull off with about 12 hours prep. 
So any questions?? Just Ask.

Posy

Welcome back, Ronan! Can't wait for the 27th.

Loughc

Welcome back Ronan! The snow day special was amazing! Such a special memory.

Can’t wait for the AMA love to hear about the work that goes into the run up before ye go live!

Jude13

hey Ronan thank you to you and the crew for keeping this going. It's a slice of home for the expats out there. The cause this year is also amazing and as we are not flying home this year we will have a little extra to give. This will be negatively weighted to the amount of time Christmas shoes is played....Im kidding.

Posy

Jude13 wrote: »

we will have a little extra to give. This will be negatively weighted to the amount of time Christmas shoes is played....Im kidding.

Kidding not kidding :pac:

Loughc

Jude is currently googling how to give negative donations.

Jude13

How about a bid system to choose the first song? Or is that too tacky

Loughc

Jude13 wrote: »

How about a bid system to choose the first song? Or is that too tacky

Anything that raises money for a Children's hospital can never be tacky.

big syke

I'm so delighted about this years cause. Absolutely buzzin now

DvB

Looking forward to this now. I felt last year the build up kind of peaked around the launch of christmas FM so hopefully this year will be no different.

I'd have my money on 'Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas' as the first song also.

Loughc

big syke wrote: »

I'm so delighted about this years cause. Absolutely buzzin now

I can't wait, I have €80 of extra credit that will go to good use on this. I'll be requesting shout outs for us here at boards so keep an ear out for them

Jude13

Sadly I do not have a job where I can listen however I will through a few requests in from the sandpit

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

Jude13 wrote: »

hey Ronan ..... This will be negatively weighted to the amount of time Christmas shoes is played....Im kidding.

Hahaha ok, I'll try to explain this one from my personal perspective. We've massively reduced the rotation that Christmas Shoes has been played in the last two years. To do this it means that the station is a little more prescriptive on the songs that are played and when.
As you know donations are made via text and often people will ask for a mention or song request with their donations. Occasionally we'll have some mad texts in saying you didn't play my song straight away so you better not charge me. And ofcourse to send that message they have just donated a further two quid. :ermm:
Christmas Shoes is still one of the most requested songs that I was getting during my shows last year, even on a Friday night when I try to be much more upbeat for getting ready to go to parties. 
So at the moment its looking like it will be on air, but it'll be infrequent. On the stream at the moment, you can vote up and down songs. This is our way of getting democratic as this will feed into the song rotation and play list selection.
https://radio.securenetsystems.net/cwa/XMASFMM

CheerLouth

I actually don't mind the odd play of Christmas Shoes But it did get to a point one year were it was played every hour! Once or twice over the season is enough for me!

Peatys

I don't know this Christmas Shoes song, and I'm not going to Google it either!

Happy ignorance!

DvB

Peatys wrote: »

I don't know this Christmas Shoes song, and I'm not going to Google it either!

Happy ignorance!

Just beat me to it. If I've heard it previously i certainly dont remember it. I tend to have CFM on in the background though so I probably have heard it & not acknowledged it.

Toto Wolfcastle

Oh to go back to a time before I'd heard Christmas shoes. I envy you.

SarahLil

Damm Christmas shoes going around in my head

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan

I'm just waiting for someone to chime in that its their favourite song and they listen to it all year round.

Peatys

TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan wrote: »

I'm just waiting for someone to chime in that its their favourite song and they listen to it all year round.

No no, that's baby shark do do do do

OK I'd never heard of Christmas shoes but you all had me intrigued so I YouTubed it. I couldn't finish. I'm sure it's very touching but it's also very bad. That was painful. I'm on board with the people who don't want it played much!!!

Also I like the idea of bidding for the first song. I know what song I want played!