Broadcasters Resist Calls for Music Quotas

Michael Hedges October 10, 2004

German broadcasters are resisting music industry calls to impose quotes on radio stations

500 German artists signed a petition at the recent PopKomm annual music trade fair in Berlin demanding limits on non-German music played on radio stations. German culture, said the signers, is threatened by stations that restrict play-lists to only well-known, and largely British and American, artists.

The music industry – which includes artists, performers, managers, studio technicians, retailers and lawyers – has been reeling from the impact of digital technologies and consumer trends.

German broadcasters have generally opposed any quota scheme. Commercial broadcasters dismissed the idea as “insane” while public broadcasters, who program as much as 35% German productions, find it “pointless.” German commercial radio presents – according to music industry officials – only 10% German music.

Commercial radio consultant Ralf Mothil sees money, not culture behind the latest quota demands.

In his view  “unsuccessful German artists are frustrated about the fact that their products are not passing the stations´ music tests. They just want more money and try to cover it by saying this is a cultural challenge.”

“An official German music quota is an insane idea,” he said.

Stephan Laack, music director of public channel EINS LIVE, believes a quota system won’t solve music industry problems. “From our point of view,” he said, “the discussion about a German radio quota is an attempt to use public radio stations for marketing campaigns by some record companies, but the real problem, illegal downloads, will still exist.”

German public channels programming for younger audiences – like WDRs EINS LIVE and SWRs DAS DING – are highly competitive with commercial stations and, according to Laack, support young German artists.

“As a result, “ he noted, “German music these days is more popular and successful than ever.”

The quota petition was presented to a German Parliamentary committee discussing the plight of the music industry. Former French Culture Minister Jacques Toubon spoke to the committee in favor of quotas, which he imposed on French radio stations ten years ago. One committee member said she hoped broadcasters would voluntarily commit to a larger percentage of German produced music.

The French quota system imposes on all public and private radio a 40% quota of French language music. Music business analysts say the French music business has benefited.

Other countries, such as Norway, also impose local music quotas on public broadcasters. The European Union demands European content quotas on television but has only recently considered similar rules on radio.

As a public broadcaster and citizen, Stephan Laack said the idea of quotas is both irresponsible and wells up bad memories.

“The big danger about the discussion on the German radio quota is that this is at least the attempt to put an end to freedom of programming, which is a big advantage for public radio in Germany. We should do radio programs for our listeners, who pay the license fees. It is not our aim to please the (music) industry.

“Furthermore, we should not forget that there was a time in Germany, when radio stations were forced to fulfill a quota. This happened in East Germany during the period of the GDR.”