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Commercial Radio Review Comments Roll In

Rob Hyndman has a great posting on the CRTC’s Commercial Radio Review. With more than a hundred groups and individuals commenting so far (the overwhelming majority of which are not posted online, at least for now), I get the sense that the May hearings will be pure theatre with each group tripping over the other to claim how they are genuinely threatened by the Internet and new technologies.

Update: I spoke too soon as the CRTC has been busy posting the contributions online.

3 Comments

  1. fair_n_hite_451 says:

    That ship has sailed…
    Commercial Radio, as is defined in this review, is dead.

    It will take a fair amount of time – as Hyndman rightly points out, they’ve lost teens already – as their current captive demographic ages and is replaced by people who have no preconceived notion that it was ever relevant.

    But, they have only themselves to blame.

    The adoption of “narrow focussed formats” in the 80’s & 90s in an attempt to carve up big markets without having to compete with each other was a terrible call since it started the disenchantment ball rolling. (People wanted to have brand loyalty, they really did. But when “your” radio station does a complete 180 turn in format every few years … you lose any sense of ownership and turn to alternatives).

    They have failed to embrace new technology in a way that put them ahead of the curve rather than chasing behind waving their hands for attention.

    I used to complain that there was no format in this city I wanted, to the point of seriously researching equipment – and the legal penalties imposed – for broadcasting a pirate radio station.

    Now, a scant 7 or 8 years later, the technology is in my hands. I can create my own streaming audio feeds, or static podcasts and make them available with minimal tech skill.

    Yeah, they are genuinely threatened – technology combined with the stubborness of clinging to your aging business model = extinction.

  2. fair_n_hite_451 says:

    oops..
    That last bit should have read:

    “Enabling technology in the hands of your former consumers + clinging to your former business model = extinction”

  3. ThePortableConsultant says:

    Fading Ways’ contribution is interestin
    See the contribution posted for Fading Ways… I especially liked their point #8:

    “Fading Ways Records is in the unique position of having embraced file-sharing, and is happy to report that the sales bottom-line for our artists has increased as a result of the use of Creative Commons licences that keep p2p legal in territories where the WIPO WCT has been ratified in a premature and ill-considered fashion, such as the US DMCA and EU IP Enforcement Directive.”