Hark! Ding Dong! It's jingle bell rock

Christmas FM, the Irish radio station that has been broadcasting festive cheer (and cheesy Christmas hits) from its temporary base in Dublin city centre for the last few weeks, is urging the public to tune in and donate to its chosen charity over the next nine days.

The station, which has been granted a short-term licence for the fourth year in a row, is run by a team of volunteers and has raised more than €200,000 for charity to date. This year, they hope to raise a further €100,000 for the homeless charity Focus Ireland through donations and text requests sent to the station. In addition, 2011 marks their biggest year to date. A live stream via their website ChristmasFM.ie and iPhone and Android mobile apps allow worldwide access, while they have also expanded their FM range in Ireland due to a new transmitter. The station is now available to 60 per cent of Irish radio listeners.

A number of guest DJs are rostered on the station and some of them will be missing their Christmas dinners in the name of goodwill. “The station focuses on Christmas in a non-commercial way,” said director Walter Hegarty. “[It] encourages people to feel part of their community and enjoy the true spirit of the season.” christmasfm.ie