Emerging Artists Get the Shove

I wrote this as my investigative article back in my second year of university. There was some talk about it on Twitter so I thought I'd share this with you guys so you'd understand the MAPL system and how the Canadian Government determines what is Canadian music and what isn't. It's more so based on the Indie bands but you still get the idea.

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The Canadian government has always pushed the idea upon Canadians that they are a diverse and unique country with ideas and values that differ from any other. Canada is known for their amazing hospitality and willingness to open themselves to new and different cultural experiences. A part of the cultural experience that makes Canada unique is the recording industry and wide variety of Canadian talent.

Something that Canada prides itself in is the Canadian recording industry – especially the indie music scene. Many Canadian artists and bands may not be as well-known as those from the United States but their fan bases are just as strong and the music stronger and better than ever.

To determine what exactly is Canadian music content and what isn’t, the Canadian Radio Television-Telecommunications Commissions (CRTC) created the MAPL system to help determine Canadian artists from other artists. MAPL stands for Music – composed entirely by a Canadian, Artists – music, or the lyrics, are performed by a Canadian, Production – recorded wholly in Canada or recorded in Canada and preformed live, and Lyrics –lyrics are entirely written by a Canadian. In order for a Canadian artist to qualify for MAPL, they need to fulfill at least two of the four of these definitions.

An example of MAPL would be the issue that occurred with Brian Adams. He is a Canadian artist, and always has been but the album Waking up Neighbours caused a bit of controversy. Although Brian Adams was Canada’s biggest music phenomenon at the time, his partnership with the “British-White-Zimbabwean Lange” meant that under the CTRC rules forced until 1991, the album did not qualify as Canadian content. Rules have since change a bit since 1991 but it still shows a similar system as to how they define what truly Canadian content is.

Over the years there have always been issues in determining what exactly an “emerging artist” is. According to a study released this past February, the CRTC suggests that an emerging artist should be one that has never reached the Top 40 on any chart that is eligible before the prior year. Artists as defined by the study were only played 2.9 per cent of the time on English-speaking radio stations.

Chris Fraser is currently the bass player for St. Catharines based band, Flatlined. The band is considered to be an “emerging artists” by way of the CRTC definition. Fraser’s description seems to be somewhat similar to that of the CRTC survey definition that was released this past February.

“I believe an emerging artist is an artist that is currently unrecognized in charts across Canada. Be it on radio, television, or the internet. The point of classifying these artists as such is to ensure a large variety of new music that isn't recognized by the public. Artists who take the time to create music and release it in a professional fashion are a general a cut above the garage band scene, although there are obviously exceptions,” Fraser says.

Those responsible for Canadian music and content would be the CRTC in partnership with CanCon (Canadian Content). Without these two government run programs American music and television would be completely infiltrating our lifestyles. There are a few questions that need to be answered though before moving on. First, why are Canadian public radio stations only required to play 35 per cent Canadian content? Secondly, out of that percentage, why are “emerging artists” getting only 2.9 per cent of airplay when the CRTC is saying that radio stations should be playing more emerging artists as per the condition of their licenses.

Stacey Patton, who is a lifestyle marketing and artist promoter for Sony BMG Canada, is a big supporter of independent music but doesn’t always agree that it should be played on the radio.
“Something to think about is whether all Canadian artists should be played on the radio. Yes they should have the chance to be heard like anyone else but I would bet that only five per cent of all recorded music is anything that anybody would want to listen to. Radio shouldn’t have to play any old crap that is submitted just because it meets CANCON requirements,” she states.

In a study released by the CRTC it states that “some allege that commercial radio stations have adopted programming strategies that minimize the play-listing of such music in favour of broadcasting the work of well established artists.” By doing this though, does it not diminish the type of music industry they are trying to build in Canada?

The study continues to point out statistics from the years in between 2003 and 2006. The most noticeable stat was the fact that all music labelled as “emerging artists” was in decline in many aspects. It shows that emerging artists who’ve reached the top 100, 60, or 40 in four years is more significant then that of artists who’ve reached the top charts in less than six months. It almost seems as if it’s pure luck instead of hard work to reach success for an emerging artist in less than six months.

In charts illustrated in the study, it shows that emerging Canadian artists being played on the air have declined significantly. Artists who’ve reached the top charts after April 15, 2003 were played on Top 40 stations an average of 18.5% (of the 35%), whereas artists who have reached the charts after October 15 2006 were played approximately 3.3%.

In a statement on the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (CIRPA) website, it’s clear that the President and CEO of the company, Duncan McKie, believes that the statistics are true. Canadian music is becoming harder and harder to come across.

McKie says of the CRTC report that, “the report makes it very clear that English commercial radio did not play substantial numbers of Canadian acts…” He goes on to say that, “…in order for Canadian music to survive, it must find an audience. Small recording companies often do not have the marketing funds to widely promote their works. Radio play can be an important part of creating a following for new acts that otherwise may go unnoticed by the public.”

Fans of emerging artists, despite the myth that they don’t want to hear Canadian music, are eager to hear music they can relate to, and bands they can support whole-heartedly. Sarah Byrnes is an avid music listener. “I understand the popularity of, desire to listen to, and the commercial value of the American top hits, but there are times where I really wish that the songs I'm hearing could be more relevant to me. 'Alternative hours' on 'alternative stations' are fine but I want to be able to turn on the radio and hear a great band from my local music scene,” she says.

There are crucial times during the day when the audiences of radio stations are at its ultimate high. Most radio listeners are tuned into their favourite stations around the times of six and nine a.m. and again from four to six p.m. Data shows though that the majority of music (averaging at about 1.2%) is being played on all radios classified between the hours of six p.m. and midnight. Hours in which people aren’t nearly as much listening too the radio. Hours in which the television is more than likely their medium of choice. They say that emerging artists are spread out evenly throughout the day when it’s clear that they are focusing on the after hours.
How exactly can radio stations get away with such acts? The CRTC enforces rules and regulations but in the end it’s not enough. There are obviously ways stations are getting around the rules and playing what they want to play.

The 37th annual Juno awards that took place April 6, 2008 proves to people in Canada along with the rest of the world that Canadian talent does exist and that they can make it in today’s industry. But how did they get there? What makes them so different compared to the rest of the talent that has yet to be discovered? Canada has a wide variety of musical choices, most of which have yet to be discovered.
Music on the radio is a great way to get a band promoted and heard by many people. When producers and record companies don’t have the means (or money) to get their artist out there, the radio is something they should be able to rely on as a source of communication.

“In order for Canadian music to survive, it must find an audience. Small recording companies and individual artists often do not have the marketing funds to widely promote their works. Radio play can be an important part of creating a following for new acts who other wise may go unnoticed by the public,” says McKie.
The music that is created on our ‘home and native land’ is an important feature and it defines a lot of Canadians in many ways that are indescribable. Music is a sign of expression and there are many emerging artists who are just dying for the chance to get their voices heard. Being an independent artist is difficult enough due to the lack of money and support received from everyone besides their fan base. The radio outlets and especially the CRTC should be there to back up those who can’t afford to.