Christmastime
It’s Christmastime, fresh cut Christmas trees, sugar cookies in the oven and the first opening of the Christmas storage bin. It all brings us to a specific place in our hearts, some full of joy, others loss but it’s always a noticeable emotion. Christmas is often an emotional time of the year and KSBJ wants to focus in on that and connect with our listener no matter what their Christmas feeling is. So, when planning for Christmas at KSBJ, we fully embrace the season and make every effort to create a memorable experience for our listeners. We kick off the Christmas season with an artist performance on a float during a televised Thanksgiving Day parade. During the parade, we hand out branded KSBJ Christmas ornaments to attendees, along with cume cards announcing that our Christmas music programming starts at 6 p.m. that evening.
Beginning on Thanksgiving night at 6 p.m., we switch to an all-Christmas music format, continuing through Christmas night. To complement this, we launch a targeted Christmas billboard campaign, capitalizing on the season to attract new listeners and market our all Christmas music position. The music selection is designed to not only satisfy our loyal audience but also appeal to potential new listeners. The music mix will include timeless secular Christmas classics, contemporary Christian Christmas music, and popular holiday songs performed by both Christian and secular artists.
KSBJ aims to celebrate the joy and spirit of the Christmas season, encouraging listeners to do the same. Our station imaging is a blend of nostalgia, positivity, and lighthearted fun, setting the perfect tone for the season. On-air talent will share personal Christmas memories and experiences, engaging listeners to tell their own cherished Christmas stories.
The Christmas season also presents numerous opportunities for the station to be active in the community, such as partnering with local food banks or charities, KSBJ wraps where staff goes to local malls and wraps gifts for free with custom printed KSBJ wrapping paper. Our morning show voices the narration for a popular Christmas story exhibit, for which we give away tickets, providing families with an immersive holiday experience. We typically host a Christmas concert during this time as well. Additionally, we promote Scrooge, a special podcast produced by Hope Media Group, featuring Hollywood actors and professionally mixed sound production, which adds another layer of quality content for our listeners.
In recent years, KSBJ has seen a significant increase in listenership during this period, with lasting effects well beyond December and January.
This season allows us to connect deeply with fellow believers through hope, joy, peace, and faith, while also welcoming new listeners to celebrate the birth of our Savior. My hope is that KSBJ listeners find transformation, escaping the stresses of the season—traffic, gift shopping, family obligations, or loneliness—and discover peace and joy. It’s our busiest time and a prime opportunity to point people to Jesus.