Radio in Canada required to play music by Canadian artists 30% of the time?

[Mr.Ree]

I read on Kon Kan's web site recently that radio stations in Canada are required to play music by Canadian artists 30% of the time. Do you think that's a good or bad idea? I understand that record companies in America STILL pay popular stations money to play music by their artists....

[BrunoRepublic]

I don't think so. It doesn't seem to have done much to boost the Canadian music industry. The effect is two-fold: the perception that if a Canadian artist gets success in Canada, it is due to this and thus is not "legit" (thus the phenomenon of how no Canadian act is taken seriously until they are big in the USA). Second, the insane overplaying of Céline Dion, Bryan Adams, The Tragically Hip, etc.

[Videoskooter]

The official Flemish radiostations are contractually obligated to play 20% Belgian productions. The language is not important. A lot of Belgian artists record their tracks in English, but the problem is: Belgium is a very small country, so the quantity of "own" artists isn't that high.

Just like Graham states: following that law there's a constant overplaying. You hear the same artists over & over again and that's not a good thing. Did it boost the homesales of Belgian music? Yes, without a doubt.

[BrunoRepublic]

The official Flemish radiostations are contractually obligated to play 20% Belgian productions. The language is not important. A lot of Belgian artists record their tracks in English, but the problem is: Belgium is a very small country, so the quantity of "own" artists isn't that high.

Just like Graham states: following that law there's a constant overplaying. You hear the same artists over & over again and that's not a good thing. Did it boost the homesales of Belgian music? Yes, without a doubt.

I can only imagine how many thousands of times the average Belgian has been subjected to Technotronic and 2 Unlimited... *shudder*

[Videoskooter]

I can only imagine how many thousands of times the average Belgian has been subjected to Technotronic and 2 Unlimited... *shudder*

Graham, here comes the surprise. In general Belgian Dance-Pop bands are simply neglected on those stations. Popular on the charts, in the clubs but generally despised by 'em. Groups like Ian Van Dahl, who have worlwide hits are not played that much.

They usually go for alternative Dance like:

Daan: "Swedish Designer Drugs"





Hooverphonic: "2Wicky"



Zita Swoon: "My Bond With You And Your Planet: Disco!

[Mr.Ree]

I only brought this up because music magazines in my area (Northern California) often carry articles about local artists complaining about being ignored by local radio stations in favor of artists from outside the area. Moot point to me personally since I don't listen to radio of any kind but I do occasionally listen to musicchoice television....can't say I hear many local artists but I do hear some, not surprising considering the Bay Area's rich music history.

[disco1999]

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)has shut down temporarily a french radio station (Quebec City) in the early 80's because they were playing too much anglophone music during the disco craze years.
This would justify later on that a lot of french stations aired more instrumental versions of disco tracks to "bypass" this rule and avoid further problems with the authorities.
There were no issues with canadian / US contents afaik

[discokicks]

I read on Kon Kan's web site recently that radio stations in Canada are required to play music by Canadian artists 30% of the time. Do you think that's a good or bad idea?

I, personally, am thankful for the 30% Canadian content rule. During my teen years in the 70s, local radio stations played some of the lesser known disco tunes to fill their quota of Canadian artists so that left its impression on my young, naive mind.

Locally, some songs that I got to hear...

Fightin' On The Side of Love - Wayne St. John
Dancer - Gino Soccio
Tattoo Man - Denise McCann
Stop! I Don't Need No Sympathy - Alma Faye Brooks
Early Riser - THP Orchestra
APB/ It Always Happens This Way/ What Would My Mama Say - Toulouse
...and how about this: Once Upon A Time In The West - Black Lite Orchestra !!!

If I recall correctly, I believe Claudja Barry's Boogie Woogie Dancin' Shoes went #1 in early '79 on my local radio stations.

[Mr.Ree]

I'm not sure I understand. Even if they ARE obligated to play music by Canadian artists 30% of the time, they wouldn't necessarily play the SAME Canadian artists over and over would they? Surely Canada has enough artists so they could rotate and give exposure to different artists.

[BrunoRepublic]

I'm not sure I understand. Even if they ARE obligated to play music by Canadian artists 30% of the time, they wouldn't necessarily play the SAME Canadian artists over and over would they? Surely Canada has enough artists so they could rotate and give exposure to different artists.

That was the idea and it has worked a little but, but for the most part, stations just play even more Bryan Adams and Céline Dion.

Commercial radio stations don't exist to play music; they exist to play ads. The music is just a way to get people to listen to the commercials. So, stations play what their advertisers want to hear, and for the most part, that is safe, popular, million-selling albums, not some unknown local artist with a song that nobody knows the words to.

[kdavid13]

Even worse...In Montreal we had a disco station called CKMF and it was THE disco station.Then in 1982 they were forced by the CRTC to not only play their quota of Canadian music but they also had to meet their francophone quota in the same breath.

So they had to find "danceable" music from acts that would never have been played on the air otherwise...

I remember one time the host had to explain to the audience to bear with them...and that if you listened closely enough to this song they were pushing,that it was sortof-dancey,in its own special way.

[BrunoRepublic]

Even worse...In Montreal we had a disco station called CKMF and it was THE disco station.Then in 1982 they were forced by the CRTC to not only play their quota of Canadian music but they also had to meet their francophone quota in the same breath.

So they had to find "danceable" music from acts that would never have been played on the air otherwise...

I remember one time the host had to explain to the audience to bear with them...and that if you listened closely enough to this song they were pushing,that it was sortof-dancey,in its own special way.

That answers a question I've had for a while... while most Canadian disco music came out of Québec, almost everything I've come across is in English. I wondered if there was plenty of French material and it just never made it out of Québec, or if the producers were aiming more for the international markets and just did everything in English.

[kdavid13]

That answers a question I've had for a while... while most Canadian disco music came out of Québec, almost everything I've come across is in English. I wondered if there was plenty of French material and it just never made it out of Québec, or if the producers were aiming more for the international markets and just did everything in English.

To be honest during the 70's you could find bona-fide disco hits sung in french.

All of Patsy Gallant's disco hits [Sugar Daddy/Are you ready for love/Slow down] were also huge hits in their french versions.

We also had our very own french cover versions of hits like Tina Charles' Hey Boy,Raydio's Jack & Jill...and more done by local acts.

Martin Stevens who hit it big in 78 with his cover of Love is in the air was releasing disco singles as far back as 1974/75.

But there sure weren't a lot of them. In fact the disco-era was the living proof that you could be Quebecois and aspire to have an international career...which was very positive in itself.

:icon_cool:

[Mr.Ree]

for those of you who are in Canada, I'd be interested to know if Unidisc's CDs cost $20 each there, as they do in the U.S.

[kdavid13]

I'm in Montreal and the CDs are pressed here and manufactured here and you would think that they would be easily available and perhaps a little cheaper than others...

I recently bought France Joli's Now CD on iTunes for 9.99 because I refused to pay 25$ in a local store.Even worse , the store didn't carry the disc,I would have had to go and order it then maybe a week later they would have me pick it up at the store.

Last year during our Gay pride ; Unidisc compilations were very visible at the same store. I bought tons of them because as a collector of disco ; I like to have the songs I loved on CD...even if the sound is mediocre at times...:icon_question::icon_question:

On the other hand ; I see stuff in used record stores very often. Those Unidisc CDs are always under $10.
Last week I bought Machine's CD [a combo of 3 songs off the 1st Lp + the complete 2nd album],Gayle Adams' Love Fever CD,L.A.X. Dancin' at the disco and Michael Zager Band's Dance collection for $7 each.

[BrunoRepublic]

for those of you who are in Canada, I'd be interested to know if Unidisc's CDs cost $20 each there, as they do in the U.S.

I can no longer obtain them in Toronto at all.