Christmas will be Free this year: Free Radio 80s goes Xmassy

From a press release to news@media.info
Posted 14 November 2014, 5.36am est

Free Radio 80s across the West Midlands will be transforming into ‘Free Radio Christmas’ – and playing nothing but Christmas classics continuously during the festive period.

For the whole month from November 24th to Boxing Day, listeners can expect to hear all the hits including The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York, All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey and Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?

The West Midlands boasts a significant Christmas heritage. Noddy Holder, lead vocalist and guitarist from Slade is from Walsall, and the band’s hit Merry Xmas Everybody reached number one in six different countries. Roy Wood from Wizzard whose famous song I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday has over four million views on YouTube, is from Birmingham.

However, despite the West Midlands Christmas legacy, a complete Christmas song takeover has never been done before across the region until now.

Toby Mackenzie, Deputy Programme Director at Free Radio, will temporarily become “Head of Christmas Music”.

He said: “The West Midlands is the birthplace of some of the biggest Christmas songs – so it seems fitting that we offer a Christmas song takeover to our audience.

“As ever, Free Radio on FM will also play a sprinkling of great Christmas hits during the festive period, but this is the first time we’ve dedicated our other station – on AM and DAB – to spreading festive cheer 24 hours a day, seven days a week for five weeks.”

Free Radio 80s broadcasts across Birmingham and Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, and Shropshire.

(Ed: Free Radio 80s is also available online. This service joins Smooth Christmas and a Christmas service from UTV stations as themed services this holiday season.)