“A Charlie Brown Christmas” has aired every year since 1965, although that tradition is about to change.
The special’s run on broadcast television ends this year.
Apple TV+ bought the rights, and will stream it exclusively starting next year. While a recognition of television’s new direction, will that reduce the chances of new generations of children happening upon the story and music?
“I just remember, back in the days of three channels and scheduled programming, that was one of those things we were excited about because we knew it was coming on and we were familiar with it,” said Harry Connick Jr., who covered “Christmas Time is Here” for his own holiday disc just out.
“It was actually an amazing opportunity for music like that to be heard by a lot of people,” added Connick, a jazz devotee even as a youngster. “It was not necessarily the kind of music that would be played on regular radio.”
