You know it’s not quite a NYC tv holiday season until WNBC Channel 4 airs its annual holiday commercials where management drags its local news people and other departments to the Rockefeller ice rink (or at least the stage under the Christmas Tree) and tape them singing Christmas carols. It’s always a little fun, because then you’d get to do fingerpointing by identifying the familiar tv personalities dancing about in a goofy way or else wearing a Santa cap or whatnot (“Look, Len Berman and Gabe Pressman! Just in time for Hannukah. And, Chuck Scarborough wearing a cool hat. Where’s Sue Simmons anyway?”). Channel 4 could just do a simple gaphic with “Happy Holidays” on the screen, but instead they do this, probably for PR purposes and to show off local network unity.
This year, it’s Jingle Bells, but the gang looks less spirited than they have in previous years (was it too early in the morning for them, before they all got their morning coffees? There’s no bopping around the Christmas tree, just straight singing. Geez, Channel 4 – didn’t management send out the memo to perk up? There’s usually different versions of the holiday commercials (sometime with other songs), so maybe the next one has Channel 4 people looking more cheery.