I always love some of the things that larger broadcasters try to get away with. And though I'm no fan of the CRTC, I'm sometimes glad when they stick to their guns. 

All of which brings us to CIKZ-FM in Kitchener, owned by Rogers, a station they took over from another company, Larche Communications. When Big Red assumed ownership of the place, it also agreed to take on its 40% of CanCon requirements, part of the original licence. They were fully aware of it well in advance.  

In a remarkable release issued Thursday, the CRTC denied Rogers' request to reduce the larger than normal amount (usually 35%) of Canadian music, noting the higher percentage was one of the reasons it granted the previous owner the licence in the first place.

I think we all knew that was the case, which is why so many newer owners handcuff themselves with promises of higher Canadian content in trying to get the Commission to pick them. But you rarely hear the CRTC admit it so openly. From their release:

"In regard to CIKZ-FM, the higher commitment for Canadian musical selections was made by the previous owner in the context of a competitive licensing process and was an important factor in the Commission’s decision to grant the broadcasting licence to the station. When Rogers acquired CIKZ-FM in 2010, it agreed to continue operating under the same terms and conditions."

In its submission, Rogers argued its radio division is losing money over all and CIKZ-FM is being hurt by its Canuck obligations - not by other stations in the market, but by having to compete against sevices like Spotify and Apple Music. (Left unsaid, of course, is that neither of those services is subject to CanCon rules at present, so a reduction to 35% probably wouldn't make much difference in any event.)  But it's revealing to hear Rogers trot out that old argument that CanCon hurts ratings. 

The CRTC has denied the request, noting there's not a shred of evidence that reducing the CanCon limit on the station will do anything to improve its financial woes, that it only grants such requests in "exceptional circumstances" - and that this isn't one of them.

So for now, at least, "poor" Rogers is stuck with a proverbial pig in a poke - and that pig definitely includes an extra side order of Canadian bacon!

CRTC CIKZ-FM Release