FCC Seriously Considering Indie Music Requirement was the title of a post on Hypebot the other day.

Interesting proposal.

CANCON is the result of a Canadian broadcasting policy to ensure a wide range of programming that reflects Canadian attitudes, opinions, ideas, values and artistic creativity, by displaying Canadian talent in entertainment programming [in addition to radio it also applies to television, pay TV, etc.].

When most people speak of CANCON though they are referring directly to the requirements or quotas in place to ensure Canadian content is included in play lists on radio [TV programming etc.]. Currently commercial radio content must be composed of at least 35% Canadian selections [college and community radio have their own requirements].

Additional information regarding CANCON can be found at the CRTC [Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Division] Canadian Content area

Just as Canadian content rules have helped the music industry in that country flourish, independent music requirements could be a boon to the indie sector in the US. – Hypebot

True, but CANCON has certainly had its detractors on pretty well all sides from:
radio, who in 2006 they attempted to have the 35% quota reduced to 25% [there have been calls in the past to completely scrap the system as well]

to artists

Frankly, Avril Lavigne doesn’t need government legislation to receive radio airplay in Canada or anywhere else in the world. The songs of Sarah McLachlan, Nickelback and Celine Dion are heard in many countries around the world and will be played on our airwaves regardless of their nationalities. They are fully developed artists and are profitable, sustainable entities. In short, they’ve made it.

Canadians are proud of our international stars, yet surely, the point of creating CANCON (forcing radio stations to play more Canadian music) was not to merely pad the airplay of international superstars and the profits of U.S. based record companies.

CANCON was constructed around a sound idea. More radio play for homegrown artists would mean more musicians, more instrument sales, more rehearsal spaces, more recording studios, more managers, more promoters, more labels, more record stores, more fans of Canadian music, etc…

When Shania Twain gets a spin on Canadian radio today, it does none of the above. CANCON’s current formulas are undercutting the very foundation on which it was created.
From letsfixcancon.ca

to music fans in general.

Personally, I’m more interested in hearing good music than being force fed half-assed tripe just because it’s Canadian and it will fill a necessary quota.
- via Craptastic

The proposal put forward stems from:

a staff proposal that could resolve the agency’s investigation into payola allegations between the record labels and major radio broadcasters, according to industry and government sources.

While details of the Enforcement Bureau’s proposal were sketchy, sources said that radio station groups would be required to set aside a certain amount of airtime for music produced independently.

It was unclear how the airtime deal would work and what would qualify as “independently produced” music, but the sources said that some of the commissioners are concerned about the major labels’ ability to dominate the airwaves.

One of the concerns is whether the airtime component has real teeth or is a paper tiger that allows indie music to be aired when no one is listening.

Read the full report

That last point above can easily be addressed via a clause similar to the one existing for CANCON:

To ensure that Canadian selections are played during periods of high listening, at least 35% of popular music selections broadcast between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, must be Canadian selections.

If this goes through it will be interesting to see exactly how it is implemented and what type of response there is from independent labels and artists.

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