Christmas Fm

Trebor176

To get back on track, it's always a pleasure to hear all the great Christmas songs, as well as familiar greats presenting . Well done to everybody involved.

ford fiesta

does anyone have a schedule of when presenters will be on (not the names of the shows as per the christmas fm website)?

Radioman44

ford fiesta wrote: »

does anyone have a schedule of when presenters will be on (not the names of the shows as per the christmas fm website)?

I'm inclined to agree with you. It would be nice to know, who is presenting what. After all, many of our Radio Preseters from various stations are giving up there time. I believe there are also presenters who are not on Radio full time and who certainly should be. Mike Moloney, Keith Shanley are names that come to mind. The attention to detail on the Christmas Fm website is sadly lacking. After saying all that, it's a great station and for a great cause. Well done to all the "un-named"

STB.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I didn't think that Jim Kenny founded Christmas FM. Certainly he was involved with it for a few years but from the first run?

Jim (RIP) was involved in Christmas FM. He also did stints with Walter's other temp station runs ala Premier and Kevin B's Choice FM.

From memory Christmas FM was Darragh O Sullivan (ex Pulse103 Founder) Garvan Rigby's (Spirit FM PD) and Walter Hegarty's (jointer founder of serial temp Premier FM) baby. I am not too sure on this but I have some recollection that Garv tested this in his pirate days of runinng Sun FM, prior to what is now a licensed annual Christmas station, like they have in the US.

Anyway fair whack to the them, it takes a lot of hard work to setup and run a station for a month especially for a temporary basis. The old ethos of giving up your time for free is not lost on me.

The whole charity angle must be a wet dream for the BAI. One very good use of the 30 day licence.

Declan A Walsh

STB. wrote: »

Jim (RIP) was involved in Christmas FM. He also did stints with Walter's other temp station runs ala Premier and Kevin B's Choice FM.

From memory Christmas FM was Darragh O Sullivan (ex Pulse103 Founder) Garvan Rigby's (Spirit FM PD) and Walter Hegarty's (jointer founder of serial temp Premier FM) baby. I am not too sure on this but I have some recollection that Garv tested this in his pirate days of runinng Sun FM, prior to what is now a licensed annual Christmas station, like they have in the US.

Anyway fair whack to the them, it takes a lot of hard work to setup and run a station for a month especially for a temporary basis. The old ethos of giving up your time for free is not lost on me.

The whole charity angle must be a wet dream for the BAI. One very good use of the 30 day licence.

And also Paul Shepherd, who is joint founder of Premier FM. Garv and Darragh turned up on Premier FM too as presenters. I think that is how Paul and Walter got to really know them. By the way, Premier FM had 3 temporary license runs - hardly "serial", not compared to Christmas FM!

Trebor176

Who's the American female presenter on at the moment (up to midnight)? I don't think I've ever heard her before.

brick man

Whoever thought up of this station in the first place deserves great credit, a great station and a credit to all involved.

Chip Whitley

Whoever the guy on-air now is, he sure loves saying 'of course'. :pac:

byte

Does anyone have any issues with the internet streams?

I'm using a Roberts Internet radio, yet the stream seems dead most of the time.

Can't find a URL to add one manually, as the one on the radio list must be wrong.

Try using this link mate:

http://ice31.securenetsystems.net/XMASFM

byte

Cheers Bradley Kind Undershirt, that seems to work alright on Winamp. Now need to remember my login details for Frontier Silicon to add URL manually for the Roberts.

Thanks.

ford fiesta

Great to hear this back for 2016.

Though why does Stevie Bolger not name out the songs requested when reading out requests?
He sorts of blanks or mmmm's the song titles during the request, as if he is not allowed to say them...

Trebor176

Quite a few familiar faces to Christmas FM, along with some who I have never heard of before. I'm not sure who the girl is on the air at the moment. It was Esther O'Moore Donohue in that slot yesterday, but she's not mentioned in the line-up. I haven't been listening too much as yet, but will do once everyone in the office is in the festive spirit

Toto Wolfcastle

ford fiesta wrote: »

Great to hear this back for 2016.

Though why does Stevie Bolger not name out the songs requested when reading out requests?
He sorts of blanks or mmmm's the song titles during the request, as if he is not allowed to say them...

They don't play requests so I suppose it's because he knows he's not going to be playing that song next.

Losty Dublin

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

They don't play requests so I suppose it's because he knows he's not going to be playing that song next.

Some presenters mention the song in the text only to go off on one and tell listeners that it has been or will be played in the next few hours; in other words no we aren't playing it for you. Don't mention the songs and the links are snappier and less negative.

Trebor176

Trebor176 wrote: »

Quite a few familiar faces to Christmas FM, along with some who I have never heard of before. I'm not sure who the girl is on the air at the moment. It was Esther O'Moore Donohue in that slot yesterday, but she's not mentioned in the line-up. I haven't been listening too much as yet, but will do once everyone in the office is in the festive spirit

I believe the lady in question was Aisling Carragher.

Trebor176

Deleted User wrote: »

I believe the lady in question was Aisling Carragher.

Yep, I caught her name in the end. Looking at her Linkedin, she has volunteered with Christmas FM in the past, and has also presented on Dublin City FM. It's nice to hear 'new' voices on the airwaves.

lertsnim

Everytime I turn it on I hear Santa Got Run Over By A Reindeer is playing. Are they that stuck for Christmas songs?

Max Headroom

lertsnim wrote: »

Everytime I turn it on I hear Santa Got Run Over By A Reindeer is playing. Are they that stuck for Christmas songs?

Have'nt heard that one......honestly..
























Grandma..............:D

Seriously tho...theyre just not playing Ryan Sheridan enough...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B15iRRlSJwI

Declan A Walsh

I think Christmas FM has quite a wide library of songs. There are plenty you would hear on it that would not get played elsewhere (radio or tv music channels). And of course it is also about raising money for charity so that makes it a bit different.

It is always going to be difficult to please everybody because people have different music tastes. I can only listen to so much at a time. Some I do like and quite a lot I don't.

Personally, there are certain songs that they have never added to their playlist (AFAIK) that I would love to hear.

Examples:
Christmas Catalogue by Captain Sensible,
A Merry Jingle by The Greedies,
I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus by The Thrills,
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones,
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses,
Christmas Rappin by Kurtis Blow,
It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas by Dana,
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
and rather surprisingly -
Oh Santa by Mariah Cariah (it's the only one I really like by her and they don't play it!).

Also: some of the Christmas songs that the Killers put out.

Trebor176

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I think Christmas FM has quite a wide library of songs. There are plenty you would hear on it that would not get played elsewhere (radio or tv music channels). And of course it is also about raising money for charity so that makes it a bit different.

It is always going to be difficult to please everybody because people have different music tastes. I can only listen to so much at a time. Some I do like and quite a lot I don't.

Personally, there are certain songs that they have never added to their playlist (AFAIK) that I would love to hear.

Examples:
Christmas Catalogue by Captain Sensible,
A Merry Jingle by The Greedies,
I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus by The Thrills,
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones,
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses,
Christmas Rappin by Kurtis Blow,
It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas by Dana,
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
and rather surprisingly -
Oh Santa by Mariah Cariah (it's the only one I really like by her and they don't play it!).

Also: some of the Christmas songs that the Killers put out.

I'm almost certain I heard It's Gonna Be A Cold Cold Christmas yesterday or the day before. I'm sure Christmas Wrapping has been played on the station in previous years. I have yet to hear it this year, though.

Versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas by THe Muppets and Frank Kelly (Gobnait) have yet to be played, but I have heard other versions of it. Add Mannheim Steamroller with Deck The Halls in there too. Not heard anywhere else at Christmas, to my knowledge.

Not sure if anyone's interested but I recorded the shows for the first week:

http://xmasfm.blogspot.com

God knows why really...

Losty Dublin

Trebor176 wrote: »

Versions of The Twelve Days of Christmas by THe Muppets and Frank Kelly (Gobnait) have yet to be played, but I have heard other versions of it.

A few years ago I offered to give Garvan a Muppets Christmas album. His response?

"No thanks. We don't play novelty music on Christmas FM." :pac:

Max Headroom

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I think Christmas FM has quite a wide library of songs. There are plenty you would hear on it that would not get played elsewhere (radio or tv music channels). And of course it is also about raising money for charity so that makes it a bit different.

It is always going to be difficult to please everybody because people have different music tastes. I can only listen to so much at a time. Some I do like and quite a lot I don't.

Personally, there are certain songs that they have never added to their playlist (AFAIK) that I would love to hear.

Examples:
Christmas Catalogue by Captain Sensible,
A Merry Jingle by The Greedies,
I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus by The Thrills,
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones,
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses,
Christmas Rappin by Kurtis Blow,
It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas by Dana,
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
and rather surprisingly -
Oh Santa by Mariah Cariah (it's the only one I really like by her and they don't play it!).

Also: some of the Christmas songs that the Killers put out.

..and god forbid..The Darkness....Christmas time (dont let the bell end sing this song)....:D

Declan A Walsh

Max Headroom wrote: »

..and god forbid..The Darkness....Christmas time (dont let the bell end sing this song)....:D

I haven't heard it yet but they definitely do play that song.

podgeandrodge

Deleted User wrote: »

Not sure if anyone's interested but I recorded the shows for the first week:

http://xmasfm.blogspot.com

God knows why really...

thanks Bradley Kind Undershirt, was travelling by car down the country today so took a 12am to 3am slot with me! DJ is very funny, british guy, should get his own show. Maybe he has!

edit: Dave Miller. Funny guy. Can't see if he has a regular day job...

Declan A Walsh

podgeandrodge wrote: »

thanks Bradley Kind Undershirt, was travelling by car down the country today so took a 12am to 3am slot with me! DJ is very funny, british guy, should get his own show. Maybe he has!

edit: Dave Miller. Funny guy. Can't see if he has a regular day job...

From Radio Caroline's website:
http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djs8m.htm
Dave Miller was heard presenting late-night shows on Radio Caroline in July 1988. Aged 17 at the time, he arrived on board the Ross Revenge alongside Judy Murphy on the day the Dutch service of Radio 558 took over Caroline's frequency during the daytime hours. From Radio Caroline, Dave went on to Radio City in Liverpool, Key 103, Rock FM, Real Radio, BRMB and was responsible for launching Belfast CityBeat as its first Programme Controller and Breakfast Show presenter in 1996. He returned to Radio Caroline when it went legal and presented drivetime on its RSL broadcast from Rochester. He later went on to create The Super Station which was the last radio station to broadcast from the old Laser ship mv Communicator. After an initial trial run, the station was granted a full license to serve Orkney and Caithness, although not from the ship - the Communicator was scrapped. After seven years on air, The Super Station closed in November 2014.

He also seems to be a major contributor of articles for radiotoday.ie .

LordSutch

Lots of repetition, they don't seem to have too many records/CDs in the box

They also seem to play a lot of Christmas cover verions. 'In Tua Nua' destroying Slade's Merry Christmas comes to mind. On saying that, they're doing an ok job for a charity station + they put you in the mood for the festive season, which is nice ...

lertsnim

Repetition is definitely the order of the day. That horrid song about texting, Snapchatting etc for Christmas is always on

Declan A Walsh

podgeandrodge wrote: »

thanks Bradley Kind Undershirt, was travelling by car down the country today so took a 12am to 3am slot with me! DJ is very funny, british guy, should get his own show. Maybe he has!

edit: Dave Miller. Funny guy. Can't see if he has a regular day job...

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

From Radio Caroline's website:
http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djs8m.htm
Dave Miller was heard presenting late-night shows on Radio Caroline in July 1988. Aged 17 at the time, he arrived on board the Ross Revenge alongside Judy Murphy on the day the Dutch service of Radio 558 took over Caroline's frequency during the daytime hours. From Radio Caroline, Dave went on to Radio City in Liverpool, Key 103, Rock FM, Real Radio, BRMB and was responsible for launching Belfast CityBeat as its first Programme Controller and Breakfast Show presenter in 1996. He returned to Radio Caroline when it went legal and presented drivetime on its RSL broadcast from Rochester. He later went on to create The Super Station which was the last radio station to broadcast from the old Laser ship mv Communicator. After an initial trial run, the station was granted a full license to serve Orkney and Caithness, although not from the ship - the Communicator was scrapped. After seven years on air, The Super Station closed in November 2014.

He also seems to be a major contributor of articles for radiotoday.ie .

I heard Dave Miller for the first time last night. He is certainly funny. It's the first time I have heard a real personality-driven program on Christmas FM. In fact, it is the first time I have heard an English (or British for that matter) voice on Christmas FM. It is a long time since I heard an English presenter with that style of delivery. I have to go back to certain presenters in the 1970s on BBC Radio1 and BBC Radio2. Of course, there is much British radio I have never heard over the years! He joked about quite a bit when he was not playing music. I wonder will he turn up on other Irish stations.

I also had another thought. Is this the first year that Christmas FM had live programming up to 3am?

ford fiesta

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I also had another thought. Is this the first year that Christmas FM had live programming up to 3am?

Last year Dave Miller was on up until 3am, think it was their first year broadcasting past 12 midnight.

The schedule is always changing to what is on the website and not very consistent. Stevie Bolger was on the afternoons for the first few days, now i havent heard him since?

Also, it would help if the presenters would announce who they are !!

They do announce who they are actually. I've been maintaining my site full of recordings and it's been tricky getting the names. I have to say 99% of the time they do identify themselves thankfully. Mostly around the 8 minute mark into their show. And other times around the 13 minute mark. Not sure about Dave Miller since his British accent is so identifiable it makes my job much easier!

ford fiesta

Deleted User wrote: »

They do announce who they are actually. I've been maintaining my site full of recordings and it's been tricky getting the names. I have to say 99% of the time they do identify themselves thankfully. Mostly around the 8 minute mark into their show. And other times around the 13 minute mark. Not sure about Dave Miller since his British accent is so identifiable it makes my job much easier!

not very much throughout their show though!

Declan A Walsh

I have heard Paul Shepherd / Ray Jackson (I don't think that's a secret any more!) intermittently over the last couple of years (including this year) - usually some weekend nights - and I have never heard Paul announce his name. I only know it's him because he did mention his radio name Ray Jackson on Premier FM and I possibly heard his name again in the first year or so of Christmas FM and now I recognoise his voice and his style.

Ray has been on only twice this year....Fridays the 2nd and 9th of December between 10pm and midnight. Never knew it was a pseudonym.

podgeandrodge

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I heard Dave Miller for the first time last night. He is certainly funny. It's the first time I have heard a real personality-driven program on Christmas FM. In fact, it is the first time I have heard an English (or British for that matter) voice on Christmas FM. It is a long time since I heard an English presenter with that style of delivery. I have to go back to certain presenters in the 1970s on BBC Radio1 and BBC Radio2. Of course, there is much British radio I have never heard over the years! He joked about quite a bit when he was not playing music. I wonder will he turn up on other Irish stations.

would deffo tune in if he had his own show in the morning or evening commute...Irish radio has become too clinical.

Declan A Walsh

Deleted User wrote: »

Ray has been on only twice this year....Fridays the 2nd and 9th of December between 10pm and midnight. Never knew it was a pseudonym.

If you look at the pirate history of Ray Jackson ('70s, '80s, '90s and '00s), it is identical to Paul Shepherd! Anyway, Paul has stopped the disguise by giving his radio history. The same can be said for fellow Premier FM and Christmas FM principal Walter Hegarty /Greg Townsend - he used to use the latter name on Christmas FM, now he uses his real name.

ford fiesta

Anyone have the Christmas FM 2018 schedule (not 'Our Team' on their website) for this year?.

Robbie Irwin from RTE Radio is on now..

Technocentral

You can here this insipid xmas crap in every shop and on every street who needs more of it?

California Dreamer

Technocentral wrote: »

You can here this insipid xmas crap in every shop and on every street who needs more of it?

I was wondering what was the point of the post?

Max Headroom

Technocentral wrote: »

You can here this insipid xmas crap in every shop and on every street who needs more of it?

Very charitable......its not like its on all the time annoying us like, oh i dont know..colm and lucy.??..:P

Gavlor

Technocentral wrote: »

You can here this insipid xmas crap in every shop and on every street who needs more of it?

I can where that insipid crap?

California Dreamer

Max Headroom wrote: »

Very charitable......its not like its on all the time annoying us like, oh i dont know..colm and lucy.??..:P

You just cant let that bone go can you? Even dragging it into this thread!!!! :mad::rolleyes::eek:

Max Headroom

California Dreamer wrote: »

You just cant let that bone go can you? Even dragging it into this thread!!!! :mad::rolleyes::eek:

I was wondering what was the point of the post? ....:p

Declan A Walsh

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I think Christmas FM has quite a wide library of songs. There are plenty you would hear on it that would not get played elsewhere (radio or tv music channels). And of course it is also about raising money for charity so that makes it a bit different.

It is always going to be difficult to please everybody because people have different music tastes. I can only listen to so much at a time. Some I do like and quite a lot I don't.

Personally, there are certain songs that they have never added to their playlist (AFAIK) that I would love to hear.

Examples:
Christmas Catalogue by Captain Sensible,
A Merry Jingle by The Greedies,
I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus by The Thrills,
Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) by The Ramones,
Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses,
Christmas Rappin by Kurtis Blow,
It's Gonna Be a Cold Cold Christmas by Dana,
December will be Magic Again by Kate Bush
and rather surprisingly -
Oh Santa by Mariah Cariah (it's the only one I really like by her and they don't play it!).

Also: some of the Christmas songs that the Killers put out.

With the possible exceptions of Dana and Kate Bush, they still don't seem to have any of those songs two tears later! Another one I don't hear but would like to is Band Aid 2's version of Do They Know It's Christmas. Maybe they need a slightly alternative or quirky show to cover the less played ones. I think there is room for a bit more variety. Heaven knows they do have a big library as it is!

davef1000

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

With the possible exceptions of Dana and Kate Bush, they still don't seem to have any of those songs two tears later! Another one I don't hear but would like to is Band Aid 2's version of Do They Know It's Christmas. Maybe they need a slightly alternative or quirky show to cover the less played ones. I think there is room for a bit more variety. Heaven knows they do have a big library as it is!

Yeah, let’s replace 1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas with the more recent version. While we’re at it, swap the Pogues version of Fairytale for the Ronan Keating one.

Declan A Walsh

davef1000 wrote: »

Yeah, let’s replace 1984 Do They Know It’s Christmas with the more recent version. While we’re at it, swap the Pogues version of Fairytale for the Ronan Keating one.

Now Now! I never said anything about replacing - just add! In relation to Do They Know It's Christmas, Band Aid 2's version was in 1989. There have been two more recent version's since then!

California Dreamer

Max Headroom wrote: »

I was wondering what was the point of the post? ....:p

The point of that post was your constant barrage of anti-nova posts on the nova thread which you brought into this thread.

Max Headroom

California Dreamer wrote: »

The point of that post was your constant barrage of anti-nova posts on the nova thread which you brought into this thread.

Yawn....you're the one dragging it on.....btw I'm not anti nova...;)

Declan I agree with you on the tracks you mention, there are even more I'd like to hear...I think it's more a popular choice that won't offend tbh....

ford fiesta

Was reading last night that Robbie Irwin (Christmas FM 2018) retired from RTE in Oct. 2017. I didn't know this.

He still had his RTE Gold show "You can't beat the intro" up until a few weeks ago..

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/presenters-build-up-new-ageism-cases-against-rte-c7vn7nhhg