A Lost Holiday Venue

SIRIUS/XM satellite radio is expanding their holiday programming this weekend.

Holly (November 16 — December 31) features contemporary holiday music as well as traditional favorites, including songs by John Mayer, Colbie Caillat, Josh Groban, Michael Buble and more. SIRIUS Ch. 3 | XM Ch. 23

Holiday Traditions (November 16 — December 25) features traditional holiday recordings from the ‘40s through the ‘60s by artists such as Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Ray Conniff, Nat “King” Cole and more. SIRIUS Ch. 4 | XM Ch. 4

Holiday Pops (December 7 — December 25) will feature classical Christmas carols sung by the greatest classical musicians of all-time, including the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Luciano Pavarotti, Boston Pops and Leontyne Price. SIRIUS Ch. 79 | XM Ch. 77

Country Christmas (December 7 — December 25) will feature a wide-ranging assortment of country Christmas music, including Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood and Kenny Rogers. SIRIUS Ch. 62 | XM Ch. 10

Radio Hanukkah (December 7 — December 19) will feature an extensive collection of Hanukkah music and special segments celebrating Jewish culture, including Jewish community leaders, prominent artists and various celebrities sharing personal stories and memories about the holiday season. SIRIUS Ch. 76 | XM Ch. 28

MISSING MY FAVORITE

I am sad that, for the second year, my special holiday programming is gone.

I enjoyed four years of  Special XMAS. This guilty pleasure kept me in the spirit with the best of the worst and weirdest holiday-themed songs and programs.

XM 107 is the soundtrack to your dysfunctional family holiday. It’s a special, different musical view of Christmas with parodies, novelty songs, hip numbers, retro oddities, and weird tunes that are so bad they’re the musical equivalent of getting underwear for Christmas. It’s like the oddest Christmas mix tape you ever got from that very strange friend.

Well beyond dogs barking Jingle Bells or a replay of the awful 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, it helped me appreciate and celebrate the Winter Carnival.

The Los Angeles Times did a 2006 article (HERE) on the Special XMAS channel. About 1,200 holiday songs and bits!

Hmm … this may say more about me than I realize(!!)

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
update of a 2008 Special Xmas lament and “re-gifted” to you this season