Some radio stations tend to wind down over Christmas, but the tradition at Boom has become to deliver as varied a range of entertainment as we possibly can.  Whilst it’s a time for celebration and the family, we know a proportion of our listeners spend time alone and a little friendly company from the radio is just the ticket.

This really is our busiest time of year – and we love every minute. There are special shows, jingles and sponsors to arrange, alongside all the festive online and social media programme listings - plus special duties like making sure the King’s speech can be heard at the traditional time.  New presenters to get to know too – all of whom need a little help to ensure they can present from their own homes as we all do.

Simon Bates is busy at his home in Devon finalising which great movie soundtracks he’ll feature on his Boxing Day show – and we’re still deciding which famous faces Graham Dene will feature in his First Record special, where they tell of their first pocket money purchase. I’m looking forward to my special Children’s Favourites, by popular demand, on Sunday 29th. Do drop me a line.

It’s been delightful to spend time with Gail Morecambe planning her Christmas Day show. As the nation sits down for another showing of the Morecambe and Wise Christmas show, Gail promises she’ll open up about what life was like around their house on Christmas Day when that treasured programme came on!

It’s one of the privileges of being part of the team at Boom that we get to meet such truly fascinating people. Working here alongside so many heroes is a little like one of those odd dreams with a puzzling cast.

My principal responsibility at Boom is planning the music – working with the presenters to make sure that the ebb and flow of the eras and styles works across the day – and that we play songs sufficiently often so you hear your favourites, without any becoming too repetitive!

At Christmas, the task becomes even more complex as I don my Santa hat and start to filter in those festive favourites too. It’s a challenge, as we know some listeners love the Christmas songs – and others less so!

Your views are very much in our minds and, after some research, we don’t play any until December 1st – and then play them in increasing quantity until Christmas Day before easing off rapidly on Boxing Day!  And there’s a large selection across on our sister station Boom Light too, with some beautiful recordings – but Boom Rock tends to escape the festive madness.

As far as the range of Christmas music is concerned, we'd just be daft to ignore the most popular songs - and we know from our Christmas Countdown which they are. Yes, other stations play them, but we'd rather our listeners didn't have to go to another station to hear their favourite.

The Boom difference is that we don't just play those - and we play them much less frequently than other stations. That's because we add in a large number of lesser-heard wintry tracks too.  From the brilliant Run With The Fox from Chris Squire/Alan White to Lynsey de Paul/Barry Blue's Happy Christmas to You From Me - alongside Connie Francis and a deeper repertoire of Bing and Ella than most stations would dare!

And – of course – we celebrate the 50th anniversary of those '70s classics like Gilbert O'Sullivan's Christmas Song and Wombling Merry Christmas!

It’s great too to check out the newer Christmas releases. This year they include Billy J. Kramer, who's celebrating his sixth decade in the business; there's a lovely new seasonal song by Chloe Carmichael, aka Martha Kirby from the TV series The Chelsea Detective; and we're also proud to support The Jive Aces from East Grinstead, the UK's top swing band with their unique festive offering. You can see the full list on our website.

Right! I must get on with my planning, otherwise it really will be a silent night.

Have a wonderful Christmas - and huge thanks for your generous comments about the music we play.  They mean a lot.

Paul