Community Radio Blog

Emerging Canadian Artists on Commercial Radio

A report well worth examining, as well as the accompanying Call for comments on the definition of emerging Canadian artists on commercial radio, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-16. (below)

I was mistaken.  The graphs show that music by performers considered as “Emerging Artists” in 2003 is twice as likely to be played as that by performers considered as “Emerging Artists” from 2006. If I’m reading the graphs correctly, the commerical broadcasters are playing half as many “emerging” artists as they were back in 2003.

From the Notice:

For more than a decade, when the Commission has reviewed its commercial radio policies and considered applications for radio licences, there have been discussions about radio broadcasters’ role in presenting the work of emerging Canadian musical artists who are not yet familiar to most radio listeners and consumers of recorded music. Some allege that commercial radio stations have adopted programming strategies that minimize the playlisting of such music in favour of broadcasting the work of well-established artists. In their view, these practices hinder the development of a dynamic Canadian music industry. However, there is little publicly available information concerning the extent to which Canadian radio actually broadcasts the music of emerging artists.

In an effort to fill this void, as well as to supply information that may be helpful when discussing licensees’ commitments regarding the programming of the music of emerging artists, and to assist in the development of a common definition of an emerging artist,1 Commission staff has completed a study documenting the use of this music by commercial radio stations, according to nine possible definitions of an emerging artist based on music industry charts.

2008-16 Notice of consultation
Call for comments on the definition of emerging Canadian artists on commercial radio
The deadline for filing written comments is 25 April 2008.

The Commission invites written comments regarding the definition of emerging Canadian artists on commercial radio. The deadline for filing written comments is 25 April 2008. The Commission then invites intervenors to file replies to any of the comments submitted in the first stage of the process. Parties will have until 10 May 2008 to do so. Only submissions filed by parties which filed comments in the first stage will be accepted at this point. To assist intervenors in their consideration of this matter, the Commission is also publishing today a report detailing the actual broadcasting of the music of emerging artists according to nine possible definitions of the term. The report is available on the Commission’s Web site at www.crtc.gc.ca.