Many of you have been waiting to hear the results of our decision about
which music mix we'll be choosing when we merge our two radio stations
into a single schedule this coming Monday, June 15th:
:: Will it be the current mix on our Sirius 86 station (roughly 85% Canadian)?
:: Or will it be the current mix on our web radio station (100% Canadian)?
We consulted a great number of parties, including Radio 3 staff, senior management at CBC Radio, and of course,
all of you.
We
reviewed EVERY single comment and email we received about this - and
there were a lot. I can't thank you all enough for the time and care
you took in passionately and articulately sharing your opinions with us
- it was extremely valuable, not to mention a delight to read! So what
have we decided?
As a public broadcaster, as a music fan, and as a Canadian, it makes me very proud to say that the music rotation on
CBC Radio 3 will be 100% Canadian! We
are going to stand and salute! Wrapped in the flag, hair tousled by
the Chinook, chugging maple syrup, worshipping the beaver, the moose,
and the
Canadian Canada goose!
And, most importantly,
we are going to continue to sing the praises of independent Canadian music across the country and around the world. We are unabashedly Canadian in our orientation, our perspective, our advocacy and our definition of success.
Why did we choose to only include Canadian music and artists in our rotation? It's a long list, but here are three big reasons:
:: To many of you, CBC Radio 3 is synonymous with all-Canadian independent music already.
:: We believe this music format makes a huge impact for Canadian musicians.
:: In a world of musical offerings, 100% Canadian is distinct.
One tiny caveat:
We're celebrating, but we're not bigots.
A
quick note to those among you who will call for our heads if there's
even a shred of content that can't be deemed ‘100% Canadian:' while we
will play 100% Canadian music in rotation day in, day out,
we will also
continue to reserve the right to play what some may consider
'non-Canadian' music when we feel it makes sense. For example we might:
:: Play
bands that feature Canadians prominently, even though they don't
technically qualify as ‘official Canadian Content,' like the new Buck 65 collaborative project, Bike For Three.
:: Play
a cover! If a Canadian artist is covered or remixed by a non-Canadian
artist and people are talking about it, we will feel very comfortable
playing that song for you once or twice for context, as we recently did
in our Remix Special Podcast.
:: Broadcast a non-Canadian band at a live event because they're on the same bill as several amazing Canadian acts, as we did two years ago at Pop Montreal.
:: Make an occasional exception: Our recent CBC Radio 3 Session with Neko Case, who is American, but is widely considered an ‘honourary Canadian.'
Embrace an artist's choice, if a guest host or artist wants to play a favourite track or talk about influences.
Basically, our rule of thumb will be this: if it
feels
Canadian and if audiences consider it a relevant and essential part of
the celebration, enjoyment, and discussion of Canadian music and
culture,
we're gonna play it. As Sloan put it, "
if it feels good, do it."
That's what 100% Canadian means to us.
Thank
you again for all your input and suggestions. Your loud and proud
support of CBC Radio 3 and all the artists we play are proof that an
all-Canadian music service can kick ass across this great country and
around the world.
So put on your Canadian tuxedo, pour
yourself a Bloody Caesar, lace up your hockey skates, and help us
celebrate the music of the Great White North every day on CBC Radio 3!
Steve Pratt
Head Hoser, CBC Radio 3
