Christmas Spirit Wearing Thin : Some bands feel pressured by radio stations into playing a growing number of charity concerts.

The lineup for KROQ’s “Al most Acoustic Christmas” shows at the Universal Amphitheatre on Dec. 17 and 18 may well be the strongest ever for the annual event. The bills include such hot artists as Alanis Morissette, Joan Osborne, Porno for Pyros and Rancid.

And all around the country, other stations are putting on similarly impressive shows.

But some managers and labels are increasingly talking about avoiding them in the future. The proliferation of Christmas benefit concerts and the increasing competition between rock stations sharing the same market has made the experience of playing them less beneficial for the artists.

“If a radio station is asking you every time through town to play a free show, you circumvent the essential market development of playing shows for your real, core fans,” says Jim Guerinot, who manages Offspring and Rancid.

This year, the competition’s gotten even heavier, with two or three stations in some cities sponsoring competitive shows. In L.A. alone, KROQ’s format suddenly overlaps with both KLOS (which switched to a more “alternative” rock format last year) and the so-called “adult album alternative” station KSCA. Both will present seasonal events this year.

One manager, who asked that his name not be used to protect his acts, described the tactics used by stations to get acts to play their shows as “blackmail and extortion.”

“With one of my bands last year [KROQ] said they weren’t going to add the new single to the playlist until we committed to the Christmas show,” the manager says. “And as soon as we did they put it into heavy rotation.”

KROQ program director Gene Sandbloom denies that he’s ever offered airplay in exchange for a performance. But others in the industry admit that reprisals have been made when a coveted act has refused to appear.

“Stations do that,” says KLOS program director Carey Curlop. “We have certainly gotten into a situation where we look less favorably on a label or a manager if we feel they have not treated us fairly. It’s the ugly side of the radio business.”

The solution: “Don’t reward stations with shows--don’t succumb to the pressure,” Curlop says.

Guerinot agrees that may ultimately be the best approach.

“I always say I don’t want my band to be the custody child of radio wars,” he says. “There’s another station in every marketplace that helps level the playing field: MTV. You can go into a city and deal with your career without taking sides. Even if both stations drop you, you’re still on MTV.”