An upside down Canadian flag in front of a radio (Kilian Dellapina, CMRU.ca)
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), requires all commercial radio stations in Canada (ie. Virgin Radio, AMP Radio, Jack FM, etc) to play at least 35% of Canadian content (CanCon). This number may be even higher for newer stations.
CanCon is determined by the CRTC as being music that fulfills at least two conditions:
- Music: must be composed entirely by a Canadian
- Artist: the music or the lyrics are performed by a Canadian
- Performance: must be recorded entirely in Canada
- Lyrics: must be entirely written by a Canadian
Here are two examples of popular songs, one fits CanCon, the other doesn’t:
Céline Dion – My Heart Will Go On: Not considered CanCon, as it only fulfills one requirement. Only the artist is Canadian, but the music, recording location, and lyrics are American.
Drake – Hotline Bling: Considered CanCon, as the artist, music, recording location, and lyrics are Canadian.
The idea behind this rule is to promote and protect Canadian identity and culture. But…
Is it efficient?
No. Although the idea is good, it doesn’t help put a positive impact on Canadian identity and culture.
Stations lack to promote new emerging Canadian artists. They often chose to play artists that are already popular. I had the chance to be a part of a student radio show where we invited many young Canadian artists who aren’t popular. Their songs were great, and many of them would be a great example of the talent young Canadian artists have. Yet mainstream stations never play them.
So: what is the point of the 35% CanCon requirement, if we only hear the same Canadian artists and songs over and over again (the Weeknd, Drake, etc)?
Some argue…
This is because stations don’t want to risk playing unpopular music, as they’re afraid people might tune out if they aren’t already familiar with it. The more tune out, the less advertising they sell, the less revenue the station makes.
BUT
This defeats the purpose of CanCon. We have excellent artists in our country who just don’t have the money or resources to get popular by themselves. Stations should have to play new, unpopular emerging artists for CanCon to work. If not, what’s the point of CanCon, if it doesn’t help those in need get promoted. Radio stations today should work as boosters for new emerging artists.
Most people listen to music on streaming platforms. Many tune in to the radio only as a backup, when their phone dies, or if their data runs out. If stations decided to promote songs that fit in their genre, but aren’t popular yet, perhaps more would tune in to listen to what new songs they could add to their playlists.
Playing the same artists and songs in the way radio currently does it, has a negative impact on Canadian identity and culture. It leaves many thinking “is that really all we have”? Yet there is so much Canadian talent and potential, we just need a better system that will force stations to unleash it.
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