Satellite Radio Expands To Canada
From Canada.com: "The two big U.S. satellite radio providers, XM and Sirius, will
be allowed to sell their services in Canada, but under onerous requirements governing how much Canadian content they air, the broadcasting regulator ruled in a landmark decision on the growing medium."
"…(Canadian broadcaster) CHUM was hoping to land the sole licence in Canada to provide subscription radio in exchange for offering an all-Canadian lineup of 50 channels…
"…the regulator imposed additional Canadian-content conditions on XM-backed Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Canada Inc. because their applications ‘didn’t go the whole way’ in promoting Canadian artists. So the CRTC stipulated that 10% of the channels they offer must be Canadian-produced…
"Among the conditions the CRTC imposed on CSR and Sirius:
- A minimum eight channels with original programming need to be Canadian-produced…
- At least 85% of music on Canadian-produced channels must be Canadian.
- A quarter of the Canadian channels must be in French.
- 5% of CSR’s and Sirius’s annual revenue must be contributed toward a development fund for Canadian talent. The money in the pot will be divided 50-50 between English- and French-speaking artists."
For the full atrticle click here.
