Downsizing the Dial: the Reinvention of Private Radio in Canada
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DOWNSIZING THE DIAL: THE REINVENTION OF PRIVATE RADIO IN CANADA by Randy Taylor Master of Arts, Simon Fraser University, 1998 Bachelor of Education, University of Alberta, 1995 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the School of Communication © Randy Taylor 2008 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2008 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. ii APPROVAL iii ABSTRACT Private radio broadcasting in Canada has generally been examined as a component of the larger broadcasting system. This system includes television and public broadcasting, and in more recent years, the so called new media. To properly situate private radio within this larger context, the various factors that have contributed to the development of private radio as a distinct entity need to be investigated. In so doing, we can develop a better understanding of content and programming, but also communication policy and regulation in this country. Radio is inherently a communicative medium with a framework that is constructed around the notion that communication exists between one broadcaster and a larger body of listeners. This is, of course, a reductive simplification, although it serves to illustrate the importance of the individual broadcaster as a point of origin. This thesis begins by exploring English-language private radio, in particular, private radio broadcasters, from a cultural perspective. This is done by applying a model of analysis that includes an examination of the founders and leaders in the private radio sector and the codes and values that are transmitted and adopted by newcomers to the field. Given that Canada’s private radio stations are governed by the Broadcasting Act, the growth and development of private radio must be gauged alongside the cultural objectives specified in the Act. To that end, several key variables are examinbed in this paper including the use of technology and the degree to which private broadcasters have been able to affect change in the regulations that govern their use of the broadcasting iv spectrum. This research also documents the dramatic influence of the US on radio programming and culture in Canada. The methodological approach includes extensive interviews with broadcasters that examine hiring practises, programming philosophy, and format development. The thesis suggests that as a result of these forces local private radio in English- Canada has been has been redefined providing fewer community programming alternatives. The paper concludes with a discussion focused on the potential for change in private radio to better reflect the potential of the medium to communicate. v For Michele vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My sincere thanks and appreciation to Peter Anderson for his many years of enduring support and his perseverance as my senior supervisor for this dissertation. Committee members Alison Beale and Shane Gunster generously gave of their time and expertise to enhance my work. I thank them for their contribution in what seemed an insurmountable task for me at times. The faculty and staff in the Simon Fraser University School of Communication have been truly inspirational over the years and I am very proud to be associated with them. I would also like to acknowledge my colleagues at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. This work would not have been possible without support from the School of Business leave committee and Associate Dean Brian Antonson of the Broadcast and Media Communications department. The faculty and students in BCIT’s Radio program have shouldered their share of disruption as a result of my efforts. They have my heartfelt thanks. I am also grateful to Cheryl Stephenson and the staff of the BCIT library for their assistance. I must also acknowledge all those who graciously gave of their time for interviews. Special thanks to my first broadcasting mentor Gordon Cruse who, in 1970, provided me with my first glimpse behind the radio curtain. Many others deserve my thanks. They are the friends and family that, in many respects, have taken this journey with me. My wife vii Michele deserves my deep gratitude for her emotional support and my daughter Alexandra assisted with transcribing. Sarah, Jess, Andrew and Owen Foreman of Sayward, BC also helped me keep a perspective on what is important in life. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL ....................................................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ............................................................................................................ ……v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 Broadcast Culture ........................................................................................................ 3 Broadcast Regulation .................................................................................................. 6 Broadcast Technology and Programming ................................................................... 7 Personal Declaration ................................................................................................... 9 Methodology ............................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER ONE: REFERENCES ................................................................................ 17 CHAPTER TWO: THE FORMATIVE YEARS .............................................................. 20 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 20 Early Radio in Canada .............................................................................................. 21 Radio Regulation: 1920s ........................................................................................... 24 Ownership Groups .................................................................................................... 28 TPC ........................................................................................................................... 29 The Siftons ................................................................................................................ 30 Thompson ................................................................................................................. 31 Aird and the CRBC ................................................................................................... 33 Content and Regulation in the 1930s ........................................................................ 35 The Canadian Radio League (CRL) ......................................................................... 42 Political Economy and Technology: 1900s .............................................................. 45 Marconi ..................................................................................................................... 47 AT & T ...................................................................................................................... 48 The American Shadow .............................................................................................. 50 NAB and American Radio ........................................................................................ 53 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER TWO: NOTES ........................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER TWO: REFERENCES ............................................................................... 63 CHAPTER THREE: THE SOLIDIFICATION OF PRIVATE RADIO .......................... 68 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 68 Rise of the CAB ........................................................................................................ 69 Regulation ................................................................................................................. 72 Early Canadian Content Issues ................................................................................. 74 The Davey Report ..................................................................................................... 77 Early De-Regulation ................................................................................................. 81 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER THREE: REFERENCES ........................................................................... 87 CHAPTER FOUR: THE ASCENSION OF FORMATICS ............................................. 89 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 89 ix Pre-Format Programming ......................................................................................... 90 The