How the new deal to increase radio quota monitoring could be a new chapter for the Australian music industry

One major music radio network has doubled its playing of Australian music to 15% in the first few days after APRA AMCOS, ARIA) and Commercial Radio Australia announced a new deal where stations would be monitored closely to ensure that the 25% quota is adhered to.

The music industry, while acknowledging the healthy result of more new Australian music on air and making new stars, remains apprehensive that radio will maintain its long time tricks of topping up the quota.

These include playing them in the early hours when no one listening, block-programming oldies-but-goldies or throwing up the likes of Lorde as an Aussie.

Justin Bieber was made a Strine because he’d done the vocals on a single in a Sydney studio.

However Dean Ormston, incoming CEO of APRA AMCOS, who spearheaded the new deal, tells TMN that “work has started on clarifying and confirming a definition of an Australian artist.”

“There are definitely some areas where clarification is required and we’re working through those examples now. “

As for airplay times, the radio sector has been reminded that as per the Code, any music which is not played between 6am and midnight seven days a week is not counted.

APRA AMCOS, ARIA and CRA agreed to meet every month for the next 12 months to obtain and review airplay data – an acknowledgement how essential radio quotas are.

Says Ormston, “It’s important and impacts the livelihoods and careers of Australian songwriters and artists.

“While it’s disappointing that some stations may not have been meeting the quota for some time, I think we need to acknowledge this as an opportunity to bolster the industry.

“The local music industry has seen some incredible growth in recent years, so imagine what we can achieve with support from commercial radio that meets, and possibly exceeds, quotas across the board.

This would also be a boon for the independent sector, whose share of the market has been growing steadily in recent years.

Maria Amato, general manager of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) agrees, “The independent recording sector in Australia is extraordinarily broad and as such, commercial radio airplay is more important to some genres than it is to others.

“Radio or any media support is an extremely powerful and for those that fall into that space then it is still critical.”

No figures exist as to how much product on Australian independent labels get mainstream radio support.

“But suffice to say that the indie sector does not perform that well on commercial radio as a general rule,” Amato points out.

“There are exceptions but if we’re looking at the indie sector as releasing the lion’s share of content week in week out then the per capita ratio is extraordinarily low."

Interestingly it was the independent sector that set into motion the process which led to last week’s agreement.

Says Amato, “This issue was actually brought into light at the AIR Con sessions held at BIGSOUND last year from work we were doing with (media company founder) Stephen Green and it has flowed very quickly from there so we are happy to see something catalyzed from AIR’s activities achieving the result we were aiming for. “

Last September, as the biz gathered in Brisbane for BIGSOUND, The Music Network had published an article alarmed that AMPCOM (Australian Music Performance Committee) which monitors quotas had been quietly and effectively dismantled.

The issue was discussed at the AIR board meeting and at IndieCon, while radio support was a theme touched on by Tina Arena during her much-quoted keynote speech.

Arena looked at how Australian TV supported local content with 50%, that “familiarity and frequency” of airplay made hits which could be shared with international acts which get play up to 10 times a day, and despaired the lack of diversity in radio formats.

The independent sector took its figures to APRA AMCOS at BIGSOUND, which in turn sourced third party data from different sources to ascertain if there was a problem.

It showed that some stations were not compliant with the Code.

APRA AMCOS met with the CRA just before Christmas, and advised ARIA at the same time. ARIA joined a subsequent meeting with CRA in February.

Ormston showed his leadership skills approached CRA with the idea that the issue could be more effectively dealt with a collaborative approach rather than with a threat to demand for government intervention.

He notes to TMN: “CRA acknowledged our concerns regarding the Code and the need to ensure it is being upheld – we’ve appreciated the co-operative and collaborative spirit!”

Despite new platforms throwing up new talent, commercial radio still remains the most powerful medium to break acts.

In recent years, Gang of Youths' crossover to commercial radio saw the band’s profile explode.

Airplay by Triple M for The Teskey Brothers saw the Melbourne act, already on the up escalator, taking a surge to selling out four nights at the Corner Hotel.

Figures released in January by CRA showed that an accumulative audience of nearly 10.5 million listen each week in metropolitan areas, and increasing draw younger audiences, with 79% of 18-24-year-olds tuning in each week.

Ormston says: “Radio is an incredibly important medium, and provides a vital connection to community – whether regional or national, small or large.

“It goes without saying that being heard on radio is important for songwriters and artists of all genres and at all stages of their career.”

AIR which has a target of making up 50% of the Australian recorded music market agrees.

Comments Amato, “The more Australian music being played on commercial radio means that there even more opportunities for the indie sector to get a presence in that space.

“There’s no denying that commercial radio airplay has an immense impact on those artists who are benefiting from the airplay and this has a flow on effect for them at live; on streaming services; on film and TV so every aspect that can increase that window of opportunity will contribute to AIR reaching that target. “

One radio plugger tells TMN that the problem with commercial radio is that “There are too many similar-format stations in the same markets.

“So not only is there little space to get new acts on, but the competition is intense, where a slip of just 1% in the ratings could lead to a loss of advertisers.

“The content directors have their hands tied as a result, so no-one will take a chance on a new Australian track unless another station risks it.”

Some executives contacted by TMN for this story are adamant that the government should intervene.

Among them are Chrissie Vincent, former artist manager and publicist who is now head of entertainment management at Collarts (College of the Arts) in Melbourne.

Vincent began researching radio quotas as part of a masters thesis in 2014 by monitoring, data and was startled to find that in a typical week, Nova played 7% local in a 24 hour period, FOX 11%. KIISFM 13% and Triple M was 24%.

Her report stated: "Overall, during the week commencing June 5th to June 11th, 2017, between 6am and 6pm, Nova Melbourne played a total of 68 Australian songs compared to a staggering 437 American, 297 UK, 134 songs by artists of the European Union, 77 songs by Canadian acts and 20 artists from New Zealand.”

“I didn’t think figures were going to be that bad,” Vincent says. “They were definitely shocking.”

Vincent alerted both AIR and APRA AMCOS to the figures.

She believes that the government should introduce regulations in monitoring of radio quotas.

“Self regulating isn’t working. I did a parity study on Canada, which has 35% local content played within 6am and 6pm.

“They have the incentive op play Canadian music and be supportive.  

“This is what the Australian government should be looking at.  

“Because of the free trade agreement we can’t change the 25% it’ll never go up. and if goes down, it’ll never go up again. We can’t change that.”

“The government should be doing a little more than what it’s doing.”