TORONTO – The satellite radio debate rages on, with the music industry today urging the federal government to force the CRTC to reconsider the licences it recently awarded to Sirius Canada and Canadian Satellite Radio, as it is rumoured will happen.
Groups representing the major and independent Canadian recording labels say the Canadian content requirements in the licences are too lax, and they released results of a poll they commissioned showing that three-quarters of Canadians think Cancon “is a good idea,” one-third think the quotas should be higher, and nearly 80% think that Cancon has helped Canadian artists become more successful.
“The broader interests of Canadians and their culture should come before the narrow commercial interests of satellite radio operators and automakers,” says Brian Chater, president of the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIRPA). “We need to find a way to make satellite radio work for all Canadians in a way that supports and advances our vibrant music culture, and doesn’t impede it.”
The recording industry survey found that only 15% of those questioned had heard of the upcoming satellite radio services, and of those, only 19% could name one. Of those who said they were interested in buying satellite radio, 3% said they were “definitely interested,” the groups say.
Also, only 13 of the 1,261 people surveyed said they currently subscribe to a U.S.-based satellite radio service, meaning that the Canadian proponents have “vastly overstated” the size of the grey market, the industry says.
“This hardly speaks to an overwhelming consumer demand for these new services,” says Solange Drouin, vice president of public affairs and director-general of l’Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ). “If we are going to risk the future of our highly successful Canadian content policy, we should ask why, what for, and is it worth it? Let’s get this right before we take irreversible action.”
The groups say the apparent low interest among Canadians for satellite radio should give the government time to rethink how it fits with cultural policy. “The government can rest assured that Canadians won’t be burning them in effigy just because they send this controversial decision back. We know that few Canadians are aware of satellite radio and therefore even fewer are waiting to tune in, which is yet another good reason for the government to pause for reflection,” says Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).
“We aren’t saying that satellite radio won’t go on to become enormously popular,” says Chater. “To the contrary, we have to assume that it might do exactly that. That’s what makes this dialogue so important. What we are saying is that current low levels of awareness and interest afford us the opportunity to take a close look at the ramifications of completely rewriting Canadian content regulations.”
