Once again in 2022, WCCO Radio is proud to present a special two days of holiday programming Christmas Eve and Day. We’ll give our regular shows a break and allow our staff to spend time with their families and bring you some new and classic holiday programs.
Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Christmas Eve, through 10:00 p.m. Christmas night, you'll hear classic WCCO programs from some of our biggest talent over the years, music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, specials from CBS News and more.
In 2022, we’ll start at 11:00 Christmas Eve morning with an hour long special from Lutheran Hour Ministries.
We’ll follow that up with the Winter Holiday Special from CBS News Radio at Noon. This year on the show, host Gil Gross will take you through:
- Santa Claus on how to get off the naughty list
- Photojournalist Mike Chen on a Peruvian Christmas tradition that involves fist-fighting and forgiveness
-Author Jennings Brown on how A Charlie Brown Christmas was almost canceled before it ever aired
-How Latkes became the favorite food tradition of Chanukah
-The best holiday show on the planet: Aurora Borealis --The Northern Lights
-How a medieval juggler became the inspiration for the beloved Christmas Carol: The Little Drummer Boy
At 3:00 p.m. we’ll revisit some of our classic musical specials starring our resident singer and musician, Jearlyn Steele. Her holiday specials included some of the top talent across the Twin Cities. The New Standards, Nicholas David, Nunn Above, Jim Brickman, Lori Line, Mick Sterling (with Ben Utecht), Vocal Essence, and of course The Steele’s will all be featured.
That show will be followed by a brand-new program for 2022 at 5:00 p.m. The National Press Club, in association with CBS Radio Network and American Heritage Magazine, proudly presents Marty Bufalini’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Show,” an adaptation of the classic story of George Bailey who, exasperated by life's challenges, wishes he'd never been born. Granted his wish by his guardian angel, he learns the positive impact that each of our lives has on so many others.
The cast includes many familiar voices to radio listeners across the country including Mark Hamrick, Sam Litzinger, Dan Raviv, Debra Silimeo, Irv chapman, Barbara Porter and Lisa Matthews.
WCCO will present another annual reading of "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans and voiced by Richard Thomas. That show will air 7:00-9:00 p.m. and again at 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Day.
Of course the other hours will be filled with wonderful music from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, holiday readings by WCCO talent and CBS News, and some of our favorite old bits from Dave Lee, Boone and Erickson, Clellen Card and others.
Here is the entire list of programs below. We hope you'll tune your radio to 830 AM, 102.9-2 FM, or the Audacy App and join us for this special holiday programming. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from all of us at News Talk 830 WCCO!
Christmas Eve:
11a
Lutheran Ministries Hour Christmas Special
12p
CBS Holiday Special (3 Hours)
3p
Jearlyn Steele’s Holiday Special (2 Hours)
5p
CBS News’ “It’s A Wonderful Life” (2 Hours)
7p
“The Christmas Box” (2 Hours)
9p
“A Merry Little Christmas” featuring Sutton Foster
“Angels Among Us” with Kristin Chenoweth
10p
“Because of Christmas Day” featuring Kelli O'Hara
“Christmas Day in the Morning” featuring Richard Thomas
11p
“Christmas Pipe Organs” Mormon Tabernacle Choir
“Blessings of Christmas” Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Christmas Day:
12a
“Messiah Story” Mormon Tabernacle Choir
“Oh Come Little Children” Mormon Tabernacle Choir
1a
Christmas “Sing with Bing”
2a
“Home for the Holidays” (Alfie Boe) Mormon Tabernacle Choir
“A Decade of Christmas” Mormon Tabernacle Choir
3a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- Sing We Now of Christmas
Gift of the Magi
A Cup of Christmas Tea
The Solitary Life (Howard Viken)
4a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- Sing Choir of Angels
Mr. Pickwick’s Christmas
Lutefisk Lament (Roger Erickson)
Uncle Olav’s Night Before Christmas (Dave Lee)
5a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- We Need a Little Christmas
Adams “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus”
The Juggler
Axel’s Night Before Christmas
Klem Kringle
Bong Crosby
The Undelivered Letter
6a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- Wondrous Christmas
Night Before Christmas
Douglas Edwards “At the North Pole”
7a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- Christmas
Boone and Erickson “Christmas Carol” (1967)
Boone and Erickson “Christmas Song” (1996)
8a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- The Spirit of Giving
BBC’s Christmas Story
9a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- Carols Then and Now
Tim Russell’s Comedy Christmas Carol
10a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- A Magical Season
Douglas Edwards Reports: Santa
Dave Lee’s Letters to Santa (2013 Edition)
A Cup of Christmas Tea
11a
Mormon Tabernacle Choir- O Holy Night
Boone and Erickson’s “Martha Stewartville”
Cedric Adams reading “The Night Before Christmas”
The Littlest Angel
Paul Stagg’s Christmas Gifts
Dave Lee’s Letters to Santa (2020)
12p Holiday Music
1p Holiday Music
2p “The Christmas Box” (two hours)
4p Holiday Music
5p Holiday Music
6p Holiday Music
7p Holiday Music
8p CBS Holiday Special (3 Hours)