Can-Con

I guess it shouldn't be surprising with the small audience base here in Canada that it could be difficult to fund many great TV or music productions, and that people would turn to the US or other countries for more selection.  I recently learned about can-con requirements for radio and TV stations - which basically means a certain percentage of the content they air must be Canadian.  I find the whole concept very interesting, and apparently other countries have similar requirements. In Canada, these requirements are set by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).  Here is how it breaks down:

Radio:

Generally radio stations need to play 35% Canadian content with a few exceptions.  To qualify as Canadian content, a musical selection must generally fulfill at least two of the following conditions:

• The music is composed entirely by a Canadian.
• The music is, or the lyrics are, performed principally by a Canadian.
• The musical selection consists of a performance that is:
  • recorded wholly in Canada, or
  • performed wholly in Canada and broadcast live in Canada.
• The lyrics are written entirely by a Canadian.

There are a few other special circumstances that count as can-con including one that sought to ensure Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do It For You would count as can-con.

Television:

For broadcast stations, the requirement is that 60% yearly, and at least 50% of prime-time programming, 6:00pm to midnight, be of Canadian origin.  The requirements for channels available only on cable and satellite often differ greatly from those of broadcast stations.  Evaluation of Canadian content in a television program is based on the following criteria: whether its producer and key creative personnel are Canadian; the amounts paid to Canadians for services provided to make the program; and amounts spent in Canada on lab processing.  

There seems to be mixed opinions about the can-con requirements.  Some claim it is undemocratic for people not to be able to choose what they want, others claim the requirements force stations to play "safe" Canadian selections and don't promote the up and coming Canadian artists.