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Happy New Year 2025!

12/30/2025

Happy New Year! And thank you for an amazing 2025!

I feel like I say thank you a lot, but I really want to convey how grateful I am that you continue to listen to the Sounds of Christmas station and podcast.

For the station, I don’t know that we broke any records this year. And, to be honest, with more people than ever listening on their phones, tablets and other devices, and with security improvements made to protect your privacy, we have an even higher percentage ever of listeners in unknown areas.

In fact, unknown has more listeners than most - there are only seven other countries with more listeners: Hungary, the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Korea and Ukraine (and I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t hit the number one spot in the next couple years).

Bulgaria and Norway round out the top ten.

I’m not bragging, and I hope it doesn’t sound like I am. Frankly, these days, when it’s easier than ever to make a Christmas music playlist, I am so grateful, and even humbled, that so many seem to return to the Sounds of Christmas, year after year (and, since the station is on all year long, that so many continue to listen long after the traditional season has wrapped up).

And, really, the geographic particulars aren’t that important, at least not to me. I started the Sounds of Christmas back in 2007, hoping to share my love of Christmas and Christmas music with any who might be interested. And it’s beyond gratifying to know that, as I wrap up the eighteenth season, people are still sharing at least part of the season with me. No matter what state, or what country, they’re in.

I’m writing this as New Year's Eve becomes New Year’s Eve, at least on the East Coast of the U.S. And while I’m doing that, I’m listening to a "Always In the Season" by Pomplamoose (along with listeners in Cincinnati, Tuscaloosa, Redwood City, Toronto, Bulgaria, Hungary, New Zealand, Germany and Ukraine). And I think that’s pretty cool. I’m just so appreciative of everyone that takes the time to spend even just a little of this very special season with me.

So, thank you for listening. And while traditional radio stations have already put away their Christmas music, the Sounds of Christmas is still on, playing the Best Variety of Christmas all year long (except, as you probably know, when October rolls around and we switch to Halloween music for the month).

I’m also grateful for the support you’ve given to the Sounds of Christmas podcast. I believe we just posted our 298th episode, as we near the end of our fifth year.

Like the Sounds of Christmas station, I wasn’t sure that anyone else would be interested in listening to me talk about Christmas music, but I thought I’d give it a shot. And I owe a tremendous amount of thank you’s to you for streaming and downloading so many episodes. Especially during the past year, which saw the podcast pass the 500k mark.

Previously, I’ve mentioned several awards that the Sounds of Christmas podcast received and lists we made for top Christmas music podcast. I don’t think that’s something I want to do again, as it just feels like bragging. In fact, this is probably the last time I’ll mention the streaming/download milestone we just passed.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely thrilled to have the Sounds of Christmas podcast recognized like this, but it’s pretty amazing to be around so many other terrific podcasts. And I hope if you check any of the top Christmas podcast lists (and you can just Google that, if you want) you might find me there, but you’ll also find a bunch of other really good Christmas podcasts, and I hope you’ll check those out. I’m pretty sure you’ll find some that you like.

Really, all I can say is Wow. And thank you.

Thanks so much for listening, helping me share some Christmas Spirit and for continuing to support the Sounds of Christmas station and podcast.

May you always believe in Santa Claus.

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Merry Christmas 2025

12/30/2025

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Merry Christmas!

I have been so excited to be able to run the Sounds of Christmas these past eighteen seasons, and I wanted to start this off by thanking you for listening - whether you just found us this year, or you've been listening all along, or you're somewhere in the middle. I am so grateful that I was able to spend at least part of the holiday season with you!

For years, people asked us to stay on year-round. While we've been fortunate enough to have a growing audience over the last nineteen seasons, I didn't really think there would be many who would actually listen to a Christmas music station throughout the year.

Then, near the end of December 2017, I watched "A Christmas Carol" again, as I try to do at least once every December. And this part really struck a chord with me. “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

So we decided to do it.

Instead of signing off after Epiphany, as we did for the first ten years, we stayed on year-round. And while our daily audience did decrease by a huge percentage, it was gratifying to see that some were still listening - maybe not every day, but often enough that we noticed.

I'm sure there are those who will continue to scoff at this. There might even be a few who are really annoyed at the idea of Christmas music all year long. My hope, though, is that whenever you feel like you could use a dose of Christmas spirit, you'll remember that we're still on.

And if you like what we do, and feel so moved that you'd like to help keep us going, we'd be happy to have your financial support to help stay on! You can just click below and donate on the Paypal link, putting whatever you can or whatever you want to in our virtual tip jar!

Mostly, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! And I wanted to thank you for listening - to this station and also to the Sounds of Christmas podcast.

I started the Sounds of Christmas podcast near the beginning of 2021, with no real idea what I was doing or if anyone would be interested in what I had to offer. After all, “Christmas music and other related topics” seems like a pretty small niche.

Along the way, I met some really cool folks in the Christmas Podcast network, who all do a wide variety of podcasts, all dedicated to some aspect of this season that we all love.

It’s been fun being a part of this group, and I’ve been fortunate to have even been able to have some of them on this podcast over the last few years, and I’ve been honored to have been invited onto some of theirs, too. I look forward to all of that continuing into 2026.

I also want to thank the artists that have advertised on the Sounds of Christmas station, or given their time to appear on episodes of the podcast.

Those include Liz Kennedy, Muirgan O’Mahony from Celtic Woman, Cliff Beach, Dan Ashley, Bob Sirois, Michael Sweet from Stryper, Mellani Day, Olivia Van Door, Kenny Nolan, James Robert Webb, Kevin Scott Hall, Dionya Marie, Linda Imperial, Luminare Christmas, Michelle Malone, David Arkenstone, Fans Of Jimmy Century, Judith Owen, Kenny Davies, Laurie Berkner, Suzanne from Suzanne’s Band and the Hound + the Fox.

You’ve gotten the chance to meet most of those singers and musicians on the last couple months of episodes, and one of the things I usually talk to singers and musicians about is being categorized as this kind of performer or that kind, and how the industry likes to put artists in boxes, even though there are multiple genres that they love and perform in.

I’m sure that applies to all of us. And even though you’re reading this on the Sounds of Christmas website, there are probably more things that you love about Christmas than just music. So I encourage you to check out some of those artists, and invite them to help you further enjoy the season, and maybe you'll find some of their non-Christmas music that speaks to you!

Mostly, though, I want to thank you. Thanks for listening to the podcast, and for listening to the Sounds of Christmas station.

And while I don’t usually like to talk about numbers, the podcast hit a milestone recently, as we went over five hundred thousand downloads and streams! Thank you so much for that. As I mentioned earlier, when I started the podcast, I wasn’t even sure if anyone besides me, and maybe my Mom, would listen. It is really amazing to find that there are so many others that love Christmas music so much they want to listen to conversation with others who also love Christmas music, talking about, for the most part, Christmas music!

I’m writing this on Christmas Eve Eve, and there are thousands in the U.S. listening to the Sounds of Christmas station right now, as well as thousands more in eighty three other countries. Wow!

When I first got into traditional radio, and was working on Christmas Day at my first station (two shifts on that day that totaling eighteen hours), it was kind of a thrill to get to feel like I was playing music that was a part of so many other people’s celebrations and observations of the holiday. And now, I’m lucky enough to get to do that again. In fact, this is the end of the nineteenth season of the Sounds of Christmas, so I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do that for a long time.

And I still get that feeling, that warm Christmassy feeling that means I’m getting to spend at least a part of the Christmas season with you, and with so many, all over the globe.

Thank you for that, too. I started the Sounds of Christmas station with the idea that there was just so much great Christmas music out there, and so little of it was actually getting played on traditional radio, maybe some other Christmas music fans would like an alternative, where you really got to hear the Best Variety of Christmas music.

And now, season after season, I get to share the Christmas music I love with so many others who love it, too.

Thank you. And I hope you have a wonderful, Merry Christmas, and that 2026 is your best year, yet.

And, I hope you always believe in Santa Claus!

Ken

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December Special Events

12/2/2025

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The Sounds of Christmas has some special events coming soon!

First, on December 9, we're giving thanks to all the singers and bands that have supported us over the years - from those in our earliest days to artists supporting us for the first time this year! Every single song we play on that day will be from them. It's our way of saying thanks for helping us get up and running, and stay up and running! It's a Gratitude Tuesday!

The following Tuesday, December 16, will be a New Music Tuesday! All day, you will only hear songs released in 2025! This will give you a chance to hear lots of the new music that's been released (or is going to be released) for this holiday season!

And in December, each weekend leading up to Christmas, you'll have the opportunity to catch our brand new exclusive special: The Beatles Christmas Anthology - exploring most of the Christmas music from John, Paul, George and Ringo, as the Beatles and as solo artists!

This will air for the first time on 12/6 at 8pm (Eastern). Then the following Saturday (12/13) at 10pm (Eastern). And one final time the Saturday before Christmas (12/20) at 9pm (Eastern).

We're also working on one or two more specials for December, and hope to have all the details soon! We'll also be updating this page with more specific info, especially for dates and times!

Thanks so much for listening and spending part of this wonderful season with the Sounds of Christmas, and we hope you enjoy some (or all) of the specials we have in story for you!

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Happy New Year 2025!

Merry Christmas 2025

December Special Events

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