RADIO AND CANADIAN RECORDING INDUSTRY MIT /16/2015 1
Canadian Radio Eras: 1. Towards Federal Involvement, ca Golden Age (Public Radio), Challenge of Television, Local Radio Competition, 1970-present 12/16/2015 2
Radio as Mass Medium (1930s/40s) 1. Emphasis on Evening broadcasts (drama, variety) 2. Heterogeneous audiences 3. US shows/stations popular (‘Amos n’ Andy’) 4. CBC is only network 12/16/2015 3
Challenge of TV, 1950s 1. Radio Audiences: 1. national to local 2. mass market to market segmentation 2. Advertising: National to Local 1. lower cost 2. local retailers (auto dealerships ) 12/16/2015 4
Radio Adapts 1. Radio Programming: 1. Mixed Format to Single Format 2. Format Programming 1. Specific demographics 2. Teens 3. DJ/ Rock Music formats 12/16/2015 5
Music Format Radio 1. Cheap promotion for recording industry 2. Cheap content for broadcasters 3. Music: national/global 1. audiences/advertising: local 4. Society to Segment-making Media 12/16/2015 6
AM to FM 1. Share of Listening: : 6% FM : 65% FM 2. Stereo: better transmission 3. Post-1980s: AM 1. saturated 2. poor reception 12/16/2015 7
Listening Changes 1. In-home to out-of-home (50-50 today) 1. Evening to Daytime – Mobile listening – transistor radio – car radios – suburbanization 2 Public (CBC) to private 3 Listening (early 2000s) : Private (85); CBC (8); US (4); community/campus (4) 12/16/2015 8
Canadian Content Regulations 1. Commercial Radio; AM/FM (30%) 1. popular music selections in broadcast week : 35% 1. 35% from 6AM to 6PM, Mon-Fri 4. Goals: 1. cultural 2. industrial 12/16/2015 9
Defining Canadian Content MAPL System Require minimum 2 of: M –music: composed entirely by CDN A -artist: performing piece is CDN P -production: recorded or performed wholly in Canada; broadcast live in Can. L –lyrics written entirely by Canadian 12/16/
CANCON/MAPL: Exceptions 1. Recorded before 1972 (+ one of MAPL) 2. Instrumental performance of piece composed by CDN 3. Live/recorded after Sept 1, 1991 and CDN has 50% credit as composer/lyricist 1. (“Bryan Adams exemption”) 12/16/
Canadian Recording Industry (Straw) 1. “Branch Plant” era (1950s-60s) 1. press/distribute 2. dependent on US firms (Capitol Records, etc.) 3. Musicana, Regal, Phonodisc 12/16/
End of Branch Plant Era (1960/70s) 1. horizontal/vertical integration 2. “distribution oligopoly” 1. harder for CDN independents to compete 12/16/
“Branch Plant” Case Study 1. Quality Records, % market late 1970s 2. license US songs/albums 3. lose CDN rights for multinationals 4. company collapses, sells assets 5. D8-ww D8-ww 6. hKWZq8 hKWZq WSc6DU WSc6DU 12/16/
“National” Era, 1970s/1980s 1. Manufacturing to Talent 2. Original content 3. Multinationals for CDN distribution 4. CDN Independent Record Production Association (1975-) 12/16/
National-Era Recording Labels 1. Aquarius, concert-booking, local recording 2. April Wine 2. True North Records, talent manager owner 2. Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLaughlin 3. Anthem Records, Rush’s production company as owners 12/16/
Case Study: National Era Attic Records, Diverse markets/ genres Discover talent Teenage Head (late 1970s) “Picture My Face” atch?v=oc_wy8KNVXQhttp:// atch?v=oc_wy8KNVXQ 12/16/
Case Study: National Era License CDN performers for foreign markets The Nylons Patsy Gallant (“From NY to LA”) ?v=haZCnt_SVgM (1976) ?v=haZCnt_SVgM Distribution: foreign multinationals Back Catalogues 12/16/
National Era: Summary 1. Creative Side 2. Multinationals for stability 3. National Musical “Canon” 1. Cockburn, M. McLaughlin, Lightfoot 4. Back catalogue profits 5. Lobby for govt subsidies, CANCON 12/16/
Blue Rodeo/CDN Identity 1. Golden Era, 1980s-90s 2. Political Economy 3. Anti-Americanism 1. “Piranha Pool” (1987) 2. “God and Country” (1989) 12/16/
Blue Rodeo/CDN Identity 1. Canadian Stories 1. “Fools Like You” –Elijah Harper/ Meech Lake 2. CDN places, symbols 1. “Western Skies” 2. “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” 1. m/watch?v=kRM7QA Z3IxI m/watch?v=kRM7QA Z3IxI 12/16/