We’ve heard of Christmas in July, but how about Christmas in August? The holidays are coming early this year — at least on WLDB-FM (93.3).
The station was playing Christmas tunes Aug. 29 — from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to “(There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” to Michael Bublé’s rendition of “Jingle Bells.”
It usually plays an adult contemporary music format until sometime in November, when it flips — often the first station around here — to all holiday, all the time.
But news recently surfaced that WLDB and sister station WLUM-FM (102.1) were being sold by the Milwaukee Radio Alliance to Tennessee-based Christian radio network K-Love Inc. in a $4 million deal.
So the station is having a festive farewell.
“Thank YOU for making us a part of your day,” WLDB posted to its Facebook page Aug. 29. “Enjoy the Christmas music – now – until the end!”
The station even decked out its profile picture and cover photo with holiday spirit: B 93.3 FM in red and green letters, a Santa hat atop the “B” and “Milwaukee’s home for the holidays” written below.
“We have gone all Christmas — the earliest ever,” morning show host Joe Krauss said in a video posted Friday to the station’s Facebook page. In a Facebook video the day before, Krauss said he was getting requests for Christmas songs and that his final show on the station would be Aug. 29.
Going back-and-forth from reading off of a note from fellow WLDB DJ Tony Lorino and addressing the camera, Krauss said:
“We have one more thing to do, make Milwaukee radio history, which we’re doing right now in more ways than one. WLDB FM and HD1 Milwaukee, the Milwaukee radio station to flip Christmas music the earliest ever, starting today. So, this is Friday, Aug. 29. Until we’re gone, this is Milwaukee’s home for the holidays. So, you got Christmas music for who knows how long. But, enjoy it. Because we can’t flip in December, we’re flipping now. We’re making history.”
From 2016 to 2022, WLDB was the first local station to flip to all-Christmas music.
In 2023, WRXS-FM (106.9) did it first, making the switch on Nov. 1, the earliest any Milwaukee radio station had gone all-yule, all-the-time in decades. WLDB regained the local title of first-to-Christmas music in 2024.
And, now again in 2025 — at least for the time being.
Chris Foran of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WLDB (93.3) has flipped to Christmas music: ‘Until we’re gone, this is Milwaukee’s home for the holidays’
Reporting by Hannah Kirby, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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