Aussie radio stations are being criticised for not meeting minimum quotas for local content after research found many are failing to support Australian music.
Radio stations are required to meet a minimum of 25 per cent local content, as set by Australian Communications and Media Authority. According to music industry veteran Chrissie Vincent, however, this ins’t happening.
Vincent wrote a Masters thesis on this very subject and found that commercial radio, in particular, is falling very short of these quotas.
“My research showed that during a typical week NOVA played a measly 7% Australian content, Fox FM just 11% and KIISFM played 13% during a 24 hour period, with the stations making their quotas playing local artists from 10pm till midnight during the ‘off-peak’,” she said.
Triple M was the only station researched that was meeting its 25 per cent quota during a 24 hour period. Meanwhile, triple j are smashing it, playing a whopping 49 per cent local content.
During her research, Vincent found only six Australian acts that were receiving frequent commercial airplay, calling the findings “shocking”.
The government has now decided to conduct a Senate inquiry in local content due to go down in May 2018.
Vincent also presented her findings to the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and they have responded. They will work with Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners- Society (AMCOS), Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) to determine whether or not radio is complying with the quotas.
CRA believes, however, that majority of radio stations are meeting their quotas or even exceeding them.
APRA was also sparked to take action after Tina Arena addressed it during Brisbane’s BIGSOUND music conference last year.
“All we ask for is the genuine voluntary commitment of support by commercial radio,” she said.
“There is room for so much great Australian music on all forms of radio, rather than a handful of international acts receiving high rotation airplay up to 10 times per day.”
This week, Delta Goodrem, Jessica Mauboy and Vance Joy are the only three local artists in the top 20 airplay chart.
