Pop Music and Nationalism

Neil McCormick suggests that BBC Radio 1 is playing too much American music and speaks favorably of a quota system to ensure greater playtime for British music. McCormick says:

So how to protect homegrown music against homogenisation by US commercial forces? It is worth noting that France was the only record market in the world last year that didn’t contract. And Canada has suddenly appeared in the top five exporters of music. Both of those countries operate quota systems, whereby stations are legally compelled to play a significant percentage of locally created music. Might these facts be in any way connected?

This got me thinking. Hear me out:

The Beatles? Didn’t need protection. The Rolling Stones? Don’t require quotas. Craig David? Ditto. Exactly which British artists require protection? And how will a quota work — in the real world? Will it simply result in the already-successful artists (like Craig David or Elton John or Robbie Williams) getting even more playtime? To be well-targeted to achieve its goal, a quota would also be required to specify certain criteria other than mere citizen-status, wouldn’t it?

Also, most artists convey their content rights to record labels. Quotas won’t really benefit “British” music (a very abstract concept ~ think about it), but will instead benefit labels that sign British acts. Thus, McCormick’s claim that Canada is one of the top 5 ‘exporters’ of music appears bogus to me.

Shania Twain is Canadian. She’s hugely popular in the U.S., about as big as a pop/rock/country star can get. If I buy her CD, am I benefiting Canadian music generally, her (non-Canadian) record label, or Shania Twain? And did my decision have anything to do with the quota system maintained by Canada?

Music seems like one of those industries where it’s difficult to apply trade policy type arguments.

But I could be wrong. Maybe Ofcom should require British broadcasters to play a specified amount fo British music. You never know which British artists may benefit. And, in the immortal words of Patrick Bateman … I stress the word, ‘artists’.

Good day.