The final days of protectionist broadcasting

“Private Radio: Vital Every Day” is the name of a campaign from the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, in their effort to influence a revamped policy for the AM/FM dial – if nothing else, at least the tag line isn’t “Now More Than Ever” or “Right Here, Right Now”. Having submitted their stance to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, who will start chewing over the details two months from now, the CAB is shedding light on how culturally diminished many of their member stations have become over the past five years; for example, the Globe and Mail take, Radio feels iPod heat, focuses on the “key question” of whether teenagers – a demographic born after most radio decided to stick with aging boomers – can be repatriated to a medium they were never lured to in the first place. “If, as the Globe article suggests, the Canadian radio industry instead intends to maintain its fascination with how the different participants are comparatively regulated,” blogs technology lawyer Rob Hyndman, “we might as well turn out the lights, close the doors and go home”. But as long as the commercial revenue generated by every other platform remains marginal, broadcasters figure they have a fighting chance, even though advertisers become increasingly fond of outdoor messages. Canadian musicians continue to be pawns in the radio debate, with the CAB advocating perks for airplay of new artists, while suggesting that stations focused on pre-1985 music needn’t be saddled with more than 25 per cent CanCon. Scripted television shows, meanwhile, are enjoying one of those rare spurts of enthusiasm: Solid ratings for the CBC’s election-delayed mini-series on the life of Tommy Douglas, CTV trumpeting how they’ve reached 100 episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation and 50 half-hours of Corner Gas; and CHUM Television ordering three new drama series – one of which, a mystery show called Across the River to Motor City, is the co-creation of blogging screenwriter Denis McGrath. Fear not, show business will find some fresh gloom to blame on the government soon: Eye Weekly gives their cover to Jan Pachul, whose east end operation Star Ray TV was recently shut down, although there’s also indication the CRTC may be more willing to give low-power UHF licenses to anyone quixotic enough to pursue them.