stations, which often mix personality-based talk programming and quick-fire headline
reporting, tend to sound quite different, this effect is more surprising. At the same time,
given the different political orientation of public stations and most commercial talk radio,
this result is also potentially important.
The focus of the crowding-out literature to date has been on competition for listeners.
However, although they are subject to regulations on exactly what messages they can
carry,
91
non-commercial stations also compete for advertising in the form of program
underwriting and sponsorship. Interesting evidence on this aspect of competition
between public and commercial stations may come in the future from Canada, where
the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is
going to allow CBC stations to carry 4 min of commercials per hour for 3 years, at which
point CBC will have to prove that this is not harming either programming quality or
commercial stations.
92
8.9. EFFECTS OF RADIO ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND CULTURAL
AND POLITICAL OUTCOMES
In many countries, one of the main roles of publicly funded broadcasters is to support
local culture, music, and language. For example, the CRTC requires that at least 50%
of the popular music aired on CBC Radio and its French-language counterpart
Radio-Canada are Canadian, based on a precise set of definitions of what constitutes
Canadian music, with the aim of introducing listeners to new Canadian music and artists
and supporting a vibrant Canadian music industry.
93
These mandates on the public sector
are also often supported by local content regulations on commercial stations. For exam-
ple, commercial stations in Canada must make sure that at least 35% of their popular
music is Canadian,
94
while all Canadian stations are required to have active local studio
91
http://transition.fcc.gov/osp/inc-report/INoC-31-Nonprofit-Media.pdf (accessed February 27, 2014).
92
Decision reported in “Ads Coming to CBC Radio 2 in October,” The Globe and Mail, August 19, 2013
(
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/ads-coming-to-cbc-radio-2-in-october/
article13842467/, accessed January 3, 2014).
93
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/cancon/r_cdn.htm (accessed December 30, 2013). CBC claims that at least
99% of its content is Canadian (http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/en/explore/who-we-are-what-
we-do/), although it is not clear how it defines Canadian for the purposes of this claim. The CRTC’s
website explains that content regulations, which originated in the 1972 Broadcasting Act, are aimed at
ensuring that the broadcasting system encourages “the development of Canadian expression by: providing
a wide range of programming that reflects Canadian attitudes, opinions, ideas, values and artistic creativity;
displaying Canadian talent in entertainment programming; and offering information and analysis concern-
ing Canada and other countries from a Canadian point of view” (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/cancon/
mandate.htm).
94
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/cancon/r_cdn.htm (accessed December 30, 2013). A diverse set of other
countries, including France, South Africa, Nigeria, and the Philippines, also have quotas for local content
during at least some hours of the day (Bernier, 2012, p. 7).
384 Handbook of Media Economics