Too early for christmas music?

NEW YORK (Top40 Charts) - It's the beginning of Thanksgiving week and many US radio stations already are subjecting us to non-stop Christmas tunes! At 6 a.m. Thursday, a third Milwaukee radio, WOKY-AM (920), joins WLTQ-FM (97.3) and WMYX-FM (99.1) with a holiday playlist.
It's not that these stations are full of yuletide spirit and can't wait to share the joy.

All-Christmas radio is a trend around the USA, after two years of high seasonal ratings for such stations. US radio isn't the worst example of all these early reindeer games.
Two stations in Philadelphia flipped to constant holiday tunes two weeks ago. In a version of what happened here, Philly's WBEB-FM flipped Nov. 12, speeding the holiday format change at WSNI-FM.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the latest addition to radios' christmas music wars is the competitors ratings. When the ratings numbers come out, there's a chance that many stations will divide the yule tune audience, while others picks up some listeners who prefer to wait a while before decking their halls or jingling any bells.
Last year, WSNI � Sunny 104.5 � became Philadelphia's first station to try a full month of Christmas songs, and was rewarded with a ratings bonanza!

The question is for the radio managers: how early will the stations go?
This year, one Charlotte, N.C., radio station (WSSS-FM) started playing Christmas music at the stroke of midnight on Halloween.
The trend may continue as long as people keep feeling the need for an emotional lift. The US economy is still causin disease and there is the war, so a lot of people could probably use a little smile.
And what gets people smiling more than Christmas?