You may not know the name Stan Klees, but he changed radio in Canada. It was Klees who suggested to the CRTC that more Canadian music needed to be played on radio stations in this country, a policy that eventually resulted in MAPL and a mandate to play at least 30% of Canadian artists on air. 

But he was far more. He worked for CHUM, produced Canadian artists for his record label, helped found the Junos, and published RPM Magazine, which eventually led to the rules stations are governed by to this day. 

“I did a study in RPM called ‘Legislative Radio,’ which was a 10-part series and it addressed the CRTC with a bunch of proposals that would make Canadian content viable,” Klees told Amplify’s Julijana Capone. “When I finished it, I regretted doing the whole thing, because I learned that none of these things would work at all and didn’t make any sense to the industry."

But the seed had been planted.

”Newly appointed CRTC Chairman took Klees’ proposals into consideration and in 1971, the CRTC introduced Canadian content regulations into radio vernacular: Canada radio stations had to incorporate 30 per cent Canadian content into their hourly programming during peak hours."

And there's more, including why he wound up in a bitter lawsuit with CHUM's Bob McAdorey, which he eventually won. FYIMusicNews.com has a complete obit on this pioneer who - for better or worse - changed the Canadian radio and music industry forever. 

R.I.P. CanCon Warrior Stan Klees: 1932-2023