radio and canadian recording industry mit2000 12/16/2015 1
TRANSCRIPT
RADIO AND CANADIAN RECORDING INDUSTRYMIT2000
04/21/23 1
Canadian Radio Eras:
1. Towards Federal Involvement, ca. 1900-1932
2. Golden Age (Public Radio), 1932-1955
3. Challenge of Television, 1955-1970
4. Local Radio Competition, 1970-present
04/21/23 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
04/21/23 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)
04/21/23 4
Radio Adapts1. Radio Programming:
1. Mixed Format to Single Format
2. Format Programming
1. Specific demographics
2. Teens
3. DJ/ Rock Music formats
04/21/23 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
04/21/23 6
AM to FM
1. Share of Listening:
1. 1968: 6% FM
2. 2000: 65% FM
2. Stereo: better transmission
3. Post-1980s: AM
1. saturated
2. poor reception
04/21/23 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)
04/21/23 8
Canadian Content Regulations
1. Commercial Radio; AM/FM
2. 1970-98 (30%) 1. popular music selections in
broadcast week
3. 1998: 35%1. 35% from 6AM to 6PM, Mon-
Fri
4. Goals:1. cultural
2. industrial
04/21/23 9
Defining Canadian ContentMAPL SystemRequire 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
04/21/23 10
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”)
04/21/23 11
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
04/21/23 12
End of Branch Plant Era (1960/70s)
1. horizontal/vertical integration
2. “distribution oligopoly”
1. harder for CDN independents to compete
04/21/23 13
“Branch Plant” Case Study
1. Quality Records, 1950-1. 20% market late 1970s
2. license US songs/albums
3. lose CDN rights for multinationals
4. company collapses, sells assets5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=M8dipfD8-ww
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCl1zhKWZq8
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeKdIWSc6DU
04/21/23 14
“National” Era, 1970s/1980s
1. Manufacturing to Talent
2. Original content
3. Multinationals for CDN distribution
4. CDN Independent Record Production Association (1975-)
04/21/23 15
National-Era Recording Labels
1. Aquarius, 1968-1. concert-booking, local
recording
2. April Wine
2. True North Records, 1970-1. talent manager owner
2. Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLaughlin
3. Anthem Records, 1977-1. Rush’s production company
as owners
04/21/23 16
Case Study: National Era
• Attic Records, 1974-99• Diverse markets/ genres • Discover talent
• Teenage Head (late 1970s)
• “Picture My Face”• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc_wy8KNVXQ
04/21/23 17
Case Study: National Era
• License CDN performers for foreign markets
• The Nylons• Patsy Gallant (“From NY to LA”)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=haZCnt_SVgM (1976)
• Distribution: foreign multinationals
• Back Catalogues
04/21/23 18
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
04/21/23 19
Blue Rodeo/CDN Identity
1. Golden Era, 1980s-90s
2. Political Economy
3. Anti-Americanism
1. “Piranha Pool” (1987)
2. “God and Country” (1989)
04/21/23 20
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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRM7QAZ3IxI
04/21/23 21