Wednesday, December 12, 2007

A closer look at Christmas programming


Neverendingwonder Radio
NeverEndingWonder Radio is now in THE HOLIDAY ZONE!
6 AM - 6 PM (Pacific Time): A freeform mix of modern holiday music & comedy.
6 PM - 6 AM (Pacific Time): Traditional & acoustic holiday music.
All scheduled shows will still air
http://www.neverendingwonder.com/
Neverendingwonder Radio is an internet radio station operated by my friend, “Uncle Ozma” in Portland, Oregon

Canada's CBC TV Holiday Schedule can be seen at: http://www.cbc.ca/holiday/CBC_HolidaySchedule.pdf

BBC 4
Your guide to Religion on Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/whatson/search/advance_search.cgi?&genre=fact_religion&service_id=49700

BBC 7 Christmas Season
Just a short walk from Broadcasting House, the Christmas lights in Oxford Street have been brightening up the recent dark and dismal afternoons. The colours this year are quite magical, in lovely silvers, pinks and purples, with illuminated castles and forests, on the theme of “An Enchanted Christmas”.

Here at BBC 7 we’ve been planning what we hope will be an enchanting world of radio for you throughout the festive season. In comedy you can look forward to a feast of Christmas specials, and without giving too much away, here is a little taster of some of the comedy on offer:
Plan Christmas Schedules the Burkiss Way; Hancock’s Christmas Club; Morecambe and Wise, and Christmas Eve with the Shuttleworths.

Our seasonal stories and drama include:
Adrian Mole, Just William’s Christmas Truce; Happy Christmas Jennings; Hercule Poirot’s Christmas; The Pickwick Papers and Christmas Ghost stories.

I’m also pleased to let you know that we have cleared the rights to broadcast a memorable drama, commissioned specially for radio in the form of 12 plays based on the life of Jesus, The Man Born to be King by Dorothy L Sayers. It is fifty years since Dorothy L Sayers died suddenly of heart failure (17th December, 1957) and the repeat of her plays seem a fitting tribute to a great writer. Now, I do know that dramatisations of her Lord Peter Wimsey novels are always popular on BBC 7 and most of you will have heard them, but The Man Born to Be King, is being broadcast on BBC 7 for the first time. Unfortunately, the original 1942 version, produced by the legendary Val Gielgud, has not been retained in the archive, but we do have a wonderful dramatisation produced in 1976, and I am delighted to include this in our Christmas package.
(BBC 7 Newsletter, November 30, 2007)
Access BBC 7 at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/

Radio Prague
In many ways, Radio Prague can be called your “Christmas Station” of the international bands. Of all the stations on the world band, our friends in the Czech Republic bring you stories of Christmas in Prague, contests and spirited renditions of carols sung by the staff. I could probably do without the traditional Czech Christmas dinner of fried carp and potatoes, but that’s just my bias. Radio Prague seems to embrace the season like no other station. If anyone could entice me to eat carp, it’s the people at Radio Prague.

Carp and Carols on Christmas EveOne Christmas carol that doesn't hail from the Czech Republic is the one about Good King Wenceslas, although he is this country's patron Saint and ruled here in the 10th century, until he was disposed of by the fratricidal Boleslav. The snow hasn't exactly been "deep and crisp and even" either so far this winter, but there is plenty of Christmas spirit about. Christmas Eve is the big day for Czech children, when "Jezisek" - the Infant Jesus - brings the presents, after the family has enjoyed a meal of fried carp and potato salad. And there is also a long tradition of sitting round the tree singing carols. In this programme, we'll be enjoying some traditional music from the Czech countryside - finding out what the Virgin Mary had for breakfast in the old Czech legend, and what words of warning Saint Elizabeth has for her sister in a Moravian carol. We'll also be exploring different ways of performing one of the best loved pieces of Czech Christmas music - the 18th century Christmas Mass by Jakub Jan Ryba, and finding out just how different it sounds when played on original Baroque instruments, as I talk to musician and carp-lover, Jana Semeradova.
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/86580 with Real Audio

Radio Prague Christmas Greeting
Through Radio Prague you can send your friends and relatives a Christmas greeting via the internet.
Choose a picture to accompany your greeting at: http://www.radio.cz/en/html/christmas_greeting.html

Treasure island Oldies
And be sure to mark your calendar for our Annual Christmas Special live Sunday, December 23rd.
http://www.treasureislandoldies.com/pages/start.html

Much of the programming at this time of year is obviously lighthearted, such as Radio Netherlands’ EuroQuest “investigation” in 2006 of just where Santa lives, Sweden, Norway or Finland; or Living in Germany’s (Deutsche Welle) tour of traditional German Christmas markets. Other programs are more serious, such as Cool’s (Deutsche Welle) look at the plight of homeless kids at Christmas.

Most radio stations in North America will air seasonal music, and some will even broadcast radio programs from days gone by. It’s an opportunity to hear music only heard at this time of the year. Then again, some stations get a jump on the holiday and play Christmas music ad nauseum, as early as October (way too early). Still, I love this time of year, and the musical choices available.
(Source: Fred Waterer/Doghousecharles http://www.doghousecharlie.com/christmas-programming/ )