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Que. Radio Stations Want To Air Less French Music


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Que. radio stations want to air less French music

Updated Fri. May. 26 2006 11:47 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Quebec commercial radio stations want to play more English-language songs, saying they're losing listeners who want to hear the latest American hits.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandates that 65 per cent of music played on French-language stations must be in French.

"Every radio station sounds the same because we all play the same hits, and there's not a lot of them," Radio Rock Detente's Andre Lallier told CTV News.

French-language stations want the quota dropped by at least 20 per cent.

Ric Peterson, a talk radio host with Montreal's CJAD, said French-language stations could be losing listeners, but likely not to English-language stations.

"We are not seeing those increased numbers," he told CTV Newsnet. "We are not seeing what the French broadcasters are saying, that (listeners) are actually jumping in and listening to the English music stations more."

Meanwhile, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) argued that such quotas are outdated, because the Internet and digital radio offers access to stations far beyond Quebec's boundaries.

The Apple iPod, capable of storing thousands of songs, could also be turning listeners away from radio.

"The borders are no longer impenetrable," said CAB president Glenn O'Farrell. "What's coming across in the way of new technologies does not stop at the Quebec border or Manitoba border."

O'Farrell addressed the issue in a presentation to the CRTC on May 15, in which he said Canada has "both a regulated system developed over the past 80 years, and a largely unregulated, parallel system of new delivery options for audio content."

The association argued that radio stations should have more freedom in the amount of Canadian music they play, but be given extra credits for playing new artists.

However, the Association quebecoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video (ADISQ) said the CRTC needs to toughen regulations, so that radio stations play more new French music.

ADISQ president Yves-Francois Blanchet said existing quotas have helped push Quebec music to the attention of consumers. Without them, he argued it would have been much harder for artists like Celine Dion to rise to prominence.

"I am absolutely certain that a majority of the top-selling artists in Quebec music would not be there," he said.

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On the one hand, I can understand their situation (the radio stations, that is...). There's always the fact of competing for the ever dispersed consumer dollar and the best way to get it is to give the consumer what he/she apparently wants.

Yet, from the francophone perspective, to do so would be just lke a step backwards in the development and maintenance of the French language presence in North America.

Bottom line, I tend to sympathize with the francophone perspective.

:king: :hlogo: :king:

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But in the modern age the consumer always wins no matter what the CRTC says because there are things like ipods, itunes, internet radio, satelite radio and so on that will gladly take their business.

I know :blush: ... but, again, what's with the young Tommy Douglas pic? :?- :?- :?-

:king: :hlogo: :king:

Edited by shortcat1
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Why not just have one station that is all french, all the time?

huh? :?- :?- :?-

:king: :hlogo: :king:

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For people who live in Montreal, the radio here is trash. It has nothing to do with the language. It really is crap. The majority of the drivers I know listen to music that they play (CD, tape, etc).

I'm my opinion, the only good stations available are 2 stations that aren't even broadcasted in Montreal or in Quebec, go figure.

Edit: On a side note for Jets, they have many types of radio stations that are broadcasted in Montreal (I'm speaking music wise here). Some play English music all day, others play French music all day, some play a combination of both and some of play classical music all day (no words! :P).

Edited by Tony
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I'm a french quebecer and I think it's silly to force radio owners to serve us the same thing day after day after day

In the end it is a disservice to french music because people will think" well that french song is they're only to fit the quota". French music that really deserve credit will not get it because of that, and the french crap will get treated the same than the crème of the crème.

It really is the same than affirmative action. It serves right neither the french musicians nor customers. Only a bunch of politcally correct politicians

Really it's time for the state to stop treating us like children and let us do our own choices. I'm fed up of being told what to do or not.

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For people who live in Montreal, the radio here is trash. It has nothing to do with the language. It really is crap. The majority of the drivers I know listen to music that they play (CD, tape, etc).

I'm my opinion, the only good stations available are 2 stations that aren't even broadcasted in Montreal or in Quebec, go figure.

yeah !!

my car doesn't have the cd player( yet) and I' mso sick to listen to FM radio that I just listen to team 990( all sports all the time)

In a few week's I'll have the dough to buy my self a brand new car radio with all the nice stuff that goes with

anyway the really good french music doesn't play on those crappy commercial radio station

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They already broadcast the same thing anyways. Adding more english would not mean much because its already radio emitted tofu.

Trust me, there are a lot of french bands that doesn't get airtime because the major french radio broadcasters want to air bland, middle of the road music.

Also, for Rock Détente (also known as Rock Matante, or the radio where you listen to song that were popular 5 years ago [they made an effort there, before, it was actually songs from 10 yrs before]) to see english as a way to get more customers is the height of irony.

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I listen to Bandeapart on sirius and some of the stuff is bland but some stuff is quite good. Also found it funny that during the elections they were playing a song by a band called "Je Proteste" were the singer would sing "je proteste, je proteste, je proteste, je proteste" like 50 times during the song. I guess it got popular because I actually heard it a couple days later on CBC 3.

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But in the modern age the consumer always wins no matter what the CRTC says because there are things like ipods, itunes, internet radio, satelite radio and so on that will gladly take their business.

But unlike our neighbours to the south, the CRTC does have some control over satellite radio. Don't Sirius and XM have to have a certain amount of Canadian-produced content for their subscribers?

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Yes they do. The service's conditions of license provide for a minimum of eight Canadian-produced channels, and a maximum distribution of nine American services per Canadian channel.

But sirius has more then eight I think they have 10 currently. Heck I'm in the states and I get Bandeapart, CBC 1, CBC 3, Première Plus, Iceberg Radio.

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Ok, speaking of french music, I need some help figuring out an artist here. I saw the video for the song on French Kiss on Much a couple years back and really liked the song. It was just one girl, the song was poppy I guess. Her name was Jody or Jodee or something. I think the song was like....Je Taime.

Anyone know what the hell I'm talking about?

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Whats up with you and the Tommy Douglas pic? I like Tommy Douglas.

Maybe if you actually explained it to him he'd stop asking about it. Is it really that hard to figure out? He is curious as to why your avatar is some old politician. Seeing as how this is a hockey board, it is curious that you choose to identify yourself by using a dead politician.

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I choose because I believe and still do in there policies and visions that these people had and I respect for them for that.

He's the father of the universal health care in Canada, he's the greatest Canadian, and if you say anything bad about him, his grandson Jack Bauer is gonna track you down and feed you your liver.

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Did a google search I think I found it:

Lara Fabian - Je Taime

I'm really not into pop music but I'll admit I have a soft spot for lara fabian. she as a great voice, she's really good looking( not like the britney slutty look) and she seems like a genuine person.

she did a cover of a great old french song call je suis malade( i think that was the name) and she took it to a greater level

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He's the father of the universal health care in Canada, he's the greatest Canadian, and if you say anything bad about him, his grandson Jack Bauer is gonna track you down and feed you your liver.

I knew all of that, I'm not dumb thats why that picture is on my wall in my room and is one of my avatars.

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