APPENDIX VI^*

[SECTION III]

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Notes and Comments:

Programmes of United States origination on the French network are understandably few, given the language problem, and consisted of two concerts and two dramatic programmes.

In two groups (Trans-Canada, Private A and Dominion, Private B) transcribed programmes of United States origin alone, amounted on an average, to approximately one-quarter of the evening period examined.

In the three other station groups transcribed programmes of United States origin amounted on an average to some 10% of the period.

The total percentage of evening hours devoted to programmes of United States origin (French network excepted) ranged from a minimum of 15.6% (CBC Group A, Trans-Canada) to a maximum of 31.3% (Private Group A, Trans-Canada).

The average percentage for all Private affiliated stations on Trans-Canada and Dominion was 25.9%, i.e. more than a quarter of the period from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Transcribed programmes of United States origin on Trans-Canada and Dominion consisted mainly of music (mostly popular), with religious programmes trailing some way behind in second place and variety programmes third.

United States programmes broadcast over CBC and carried by stations here examined were more or less evenly composed of drama, comedy and variety, music, and sports in that order. An exception is the French network to which reference was made earlier.

Combining the facts relating to the content of United States transcriptions and of United States programmes carried on CBC networks, and noting that in all but two groups (Trans-Canada Group B and Dominion Group A) the percentage of transcriptions is considerably higher than that of United States programmes taken off CBC network, one might conclude that popular music is the major import from the United States. It would take more elaborate analysis than we had time for to identify the exact proportion of the secondary imports of drama, comedy and variety, religion and sports.

c. Records and Transcriptions.

1. On all three networks and in every station group the percentage of time devoted to records and transcriptions in evening hours is less than that for all day broadcasting.
2. The smallest reduction (5%) occurs on CBC Group A stations (Trans-Canada). Note, however, that the percentage of recorded matter in the all day schedule of this group of stations is about half that of any other group.
3. The highest percentage reduction (20.6%) occurs on Private Group A stations (Dominion). Note here, however, and by contrast, the very high percentage (64.2%) of recorded matter in the all day schedule.
4. While the percentage of recorded and transcribed matter is uniformly lower of an evening in each station group, the percentage of transcriptions of United States origin is higher of an evening than in all day broadcasting on Private Group A and B stations (Trans-Canada) and Private Group A stations (French). See chart on p.456.

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d. Sponsored Programmes.

1. Of the six station groups evamined [sic], four have increased percentages of sponsored programmes in evening hours. But only in three groups is this increase more than marginal.
2. The highest percentage increase (14.8%) occurs over Private Group B stations, Trans-Canada, with Group B stations, Dominion, close runners-up (14.2%).
3. The mean percentage of commercial programmes in evening hours for all groups is 41.9%. The range of variation between station groups is, with one exception, narrow (31.4%-44.2%).
4. The one exception is the group of Private B stations, Trans-Canada, whose average percentage of total hours devoted to sponsored programmes amounts to 69.4%. This figure is over 50% higher than that for any other station group.
5. In all station groups sponsors concentrated heavily on entertainment programmes. On Private Group A stations, French network, 92% of sponsored programme time consisted of entertainment. In no station group was less than 65% of sponsored time devoted to entertainment.
6. Sponsors' second choice was news. In two station groups (CBC Group A and Private Group B, Trans-Canada) approximately 24% of sponsored time consisted of news broadcasts. In all other groups lower percentages occurred.
7. Sponsorship of other types of programmes (e.g. talks, religion) was negligible, as will be seen if the figures for sponsorship of entertainment and news broadcasts are combined.

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8. In the 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. period, the true picture of the extent of commercial matter introduced into programmes is only partially obscured by the additional consideration of spot announcements. These being prohibited between the hours of 7:30 to 11:00 p.m., only their incidence between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. has to be reckoned with. We were unable to identify the extent of such incidence in this ninety minute period.

PART II.

PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTICS OF PRIVATE

UNAFFILIATED STATIONS

Private, unaffiliated stations enjoy neither the benefits of available programme service nor of commercial revenue which accrue to the network affiliated stations previously examined. Thus, with the exception of three stations (CFRB, CKAC, CKWC) with United States network affiliation all of the twenty-five stations about to be discussed are distinguished by the necessity (1) to rely in the main on local sources of revenue and (2) to supplement or substitute for network programme service to their communities. Their opportunity (if not their duty) to reflect local life is thus greater and would seem to be a characteristic of programme service to be anticipated.

The closest affinity of these independent stations would seem to be to the Group B stations previously analyzed, in that the latter receive no sustaining programmes from networks and are associated with network commercial programmes only at the (occasional) request of sponsors.

A. Station Characteristics.

The twenty-five stations examined represent a generous sample of the private unaffiliated group which in total numbers thirty-six.*

*Source: List of Broadcasting Stations in Canada in Operation April 1, 1949. Radio Division, Department of Transport.

Included are one station of 50,000 watts, one of 10,000 watts (daytime), four of 5,000 watts, eight of 1,000 watts and the remainder of 250 watts.

Their geographical distribution ranges from coast to coast, and the sample includes stations in cities large and small. Major cities served by stations in the sample include Vancouver (two stations), Winnipeg (one station), Toronto (three stations), Ottawa (one station), Montreal (three stations) and Quebec (one station).

Hours of operation range from a maximum of twenty-four hours to a minimum of twelve hours and fifteen minutes a day. The average for all stations is seventeen hours a day.

Three stations examined had affiliations with United States networks.

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B. Programme Characteristics from Sign-on to Sign-off.

1. LOCAL LIVE PROGRAMMES.

The average percentage of total hours devoted to local live programmes by the twenty-five stations examined was 25.3%.

A breakdown of this figure shows time distributed as follows:

News and sports apart, the character of local live programmes varied so greatly as to defy classification. Recurrent categories over many stations were (a) religion (b) children's programmes (c) farm programmes (d) homemaker and women's programmes. There was some music making by local artists, though stations varied considerably in their inclusion of such programmes--a variation no doubt accounted for, at least in part, by the size and available talent of the community. Statistics on the incidence of music by local artists are incorporated in the overall analysis of music which follows.

2. MUSIC.*

*For details on individual stations, see Appendix C, in which the extent of local live music is separately shown in every case. Our calculations cover the period from sign-on to midnight.

It was discovered that a significantly high proportion of total broadcast time was devoted to music. For this reason programmes in this category were scrutinized with special care.

The same caution as was voiced earlier in the report attaches to our interpretation of 'serious' and 'light' music as categories. Meticulous accuracy in the enumeration and designation of the programmes was not possible. Decision as to the proper category had on occasion to be somewhat arbitrary and has involved, in our judgment, a rather generous interpretation of what serious music comprises.

a. Music Programmes (Serious and Popular) as Percentage of
Total Broadcast Hours.

The highest individual percentage of total hours devoted to music programmes (live and/or recorded or transcribed) was 80%:

The lowest individual percentage was 29.4%:

The average for all twenty-five stations was 57%:

Eighteen stations (or 72% of the twenty-five stations analyzed) devoted 50% or more of total hours to music.

Seven of these stations (or 28% of the stations analyzed) devoted 70% or more time to music.

b. Serious Music.

The highest individual percentage of serious music was 19%, (or nearly one-fifth) of the total broadcast hours.

The lowest figure was .3% (or thirty minutes) in the entire week:

The average for all stations was 8.6%:

Seven stations had less than an average of one hour of serious music a day.

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Ten stations had no serious music performed by local artists.

c. Popular Music.

The highest individual percentage of popular music in the period under review was 71.4%:

The lowest percentage was 16.2%:

The average for all stations was 48.4%:

Twelve stations (or approximately half the group examined) devoted 50% or more of the total hours to popular music:

One station devoted 71.4% and another 69.2% of the total period to popular music.

Four stations included no performance of popular music by local artists.

d. Ratios of Serious-Popular Music.

The average ratio of serious to popular music in this group was 1:12.

Seventeen stations (or 68% of the entire group) had a ratio of 1:5 or more.

Two of these stations had twenty-six times as much popular as serious music.

One of these stations had 117 times as much popular as serious music.*

*The exceptional disproportion in this station clearly affects the significance of the average figure for the entire group.

By contrast, on one station serious and popular music programmes were in approximately even balance, with a slight bias in favor of serious music.

3. RECORDS AND TRANSCRIPTIONS.*

*For details of individual stations, see Appendix D.

Over twenty-two independent stations the average percentage of total broadcast hours devoted to records and transcriptions was 73%.

Over three independent stations with United States network affiliation the average was 52%.

The highest individual percentage of recorded and transcribed matter was 84% (on two stations).

The lowest individual percentage was 61%.

The overwhelming majority of record programmes consisted of music, mostly popular.

A high proportion of transcribed material (a spot check suggests a figure of about 75%) likewise consisted of music, mostly popular. Drama ran a poor second and, on some stations, religion third.

4. PROGRAMMES OF UNITED STATES ORIGIN.

The only channels along which programmes of United States origin can normally reach listeners to independent stations (except on three stations affiliated with United States networks) are transcribed and recorded programmes of United States manufacture.

a. Transcribed Programmes.

The average percentage of total time devoted to United States transcribed programmes over the twenty-five stations examined was 12.5%. This amounts, on an average, to fifteen hours per week per station.

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The general content of United States transcribed programmes has been described in section 3 above.

b. Record Programmes.

We had no means of identifying the additional extent of infiltration via record programmes of United States manufacture. As suggested earlier in the report, however, it would seem reasonable to assume that a high proportion of records used is of United States manufacture.

In view of the extensive use of records (56.8%, on average, of total broadcast hours) in programmes broadcast by independent stations, infiltration of United States matter of this kind may be presumed to be high.

The content of almost all records and of a high proportion of transcriptions being music (mostly popular), we may fairly presume that this is the main export from the United States to Canada over independent stations.

We were unable to identify how much of this music was not only of United States manufacture but also of United States composition.

c. United States Programmes Broadcast by Three Stations
with United States Network Affiliation.

The three stations affiliated with United States networks were separately examined. The extent and nature of United States network programmes carried by them are as indicated below.

*All but twenty-five minutes were thrillers, westerns, children's light drama.

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5. SPONSORED AND SUSTAINING PROGRAMMES FROM SIGN-ON TO MIDNIGHT.

Stations varied widely in their ratios of sponsored and sustaining programmes. The average percentage of sponsored programmes for the twenty-two* stations examined was 29.6%.

*The three United States network affiliates were eliminated as being out of line with other stations.

The average percentage for sustaining programmes was 70.4%.

The highest individual percentage of sponsored programmes was 68%.

The lowest individual percentage of sponsored programmes was 7.2%.*

*This station had at this time only been operating for four months.

Three stations carried 50% or more of commercial programmes.

Two stations carried 10% or less of commercial programmes.

Three United States network affiliates carried 47.5%, 25% and 35% commercial programmes respectively.

6. SPOT ANNOUNCEMENTS.

As with the CBC and Private affiliated stations examined in Part I, account must be taken of commercial spot announcements if the true incidence of commercial matter in programmes is sought.

Analysis of the frequency of commercial spot announcements was complicated by wide variations between the total weekly hours of broadcasting of different stations in the group. The average weekly broadcast hours totalled 121. But the range extended from a low of 84 hours to a high of 168 hours.

The three independent stations with United States network affiliation were analyzed separately. Of the remaining twenty-two stations, one reported its commercial spots in time rather than in numbers. The following statistics relate to the twenty-one stations thus available for analysis. Our calculations take account of the periods within which, according to CBC regulations, commercial spot announcements are forbidden. The same reservations apply as cited earlier with respect to commercial spots associated with time signals and weather reports, as well as commercial programmes of unidentifiable number from which spot announcements are barred by the sponsor.

The average incidence for the group was five an hour.

On four stations the incidence of commercial spot announcements within permissible periods amounted to an average of ten spots an hour throughout the week.

On six stations the incidence of commercial spot announcements amounted to less than three an hour.

On the United States network affiliates the average incidence of spot announcements in permitted hours was five an hour (one station) and four plus an hour (two stations).

7. COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

For twenty-two stations examined the average number of community service announcements in the week was 53.

The highest individual figure was 175, the lowest 0.

On the three United States network affiliated stations the figures for community service announcements were 61, 137, 48 respectively.

C. Programme Characteristics of Independent Stations.

Between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.

1. GENERAL STATISTICS.

A breakdown of programmes under the following heads allows of comparison

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between broadcasting in evening hours and in the all day schedule from sign-on to sign-off. The figures represent percentages of the total periods of broadcasting indicated.

Notes and Comments:

Programmes of Canadian origin are more fully represented in evening hours. The percentage increase is 13.2%.

The use of United States transcription of an evening likewise increases--by 6.3 %, or approximately half as much again as in all day broadcasting.

Record programmes, on the other hand, fall off significantly in evening hours. The percentage decrease is 16.6%.

2. LOCAL LIVE PROGRAMMES.

In view of the importance, over independent stations, of programmes in this category, detailed analysis was made to discover--

a.	the percentage of the total 6:00-11:00 p.m. period devoted to local live broadcasting under different subject heads.
b.	the amount of time and the proportions for different programme types included in local live broadcasting.

Our findings are shown in the following two tables.

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Notes and Comments:

a. Excluding four part time stations (one of which left the air at 7.00 p.m., another at 8:00 p.m. and two at 9:00 p.m.) and eliminating the time devoted to news and sportscasts, the remaining eighteen stations broadcast an average of seven hours and three minutes of local live broadcasting during the entire week.

b. The maximum time on any individual station (news and sportscasts excepted) devoted to local live broadcasts was seventeen hours and fifteen minutes in the week.

The content of programmes on this station was as follows:

c. The minimum time (news and sportscasts excepted) devoted to local live programmes was two hours and forty-five minutes throughout the week.

On this station these programmes consisted of two hours and 15 minutes of popular music and two fifteen-minute political talks.

d. Over one-third (39%) of local live broadcasting in evening hours consists of news and sportscasts.

e. If coverage of sports events is included with the above, approximately half the time is thus occupied.

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f. No other single subject secures as much as two hours of broadcast time between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. throughout the week.

g. Only two other subjects--popular music (one hour, 36 minutes) and comedy, quiz, variety (one hour, three minutes) secure on average over an hour of time throughout the week.

h. Talks and Controversy: Somewhat striking is the relative dearth of talks and controversy in these evening hours.

Over the twenty-two stations combined the total time devoted to talks throughout the week was twenty hours and 11 minutes, or an average of eight minutes a night per station.

The total time devoted to controversy (i.e. many-sided discussion) over all the twenty-two stations combined was one hour and 45 minutes, or an average of less than five minutes a week per station.

The maximum of talk and controversy combined on any single station totalled three hours in the week (two stations).

Two stations (one of which left the air at 7:00 p.m.) had no talk or discussion of any kind throughout the week.

One station had a total of five minutes (a talk described as "educational" and titled "Ducks Unlimited.")

Six of the twenty-two stations each broadcast a total of thirty minutes of such programmes in the entire week.

i. Artistic Talent: Station returns suggest that this term lends itself to variant and catholic interpretation. Programme titles listed under this head included "Wrestling Match"; "Youth for Christ" (religion); "Market Broadcast" (farm news); "Actualités Feminines" (conseils de beauté); "News" (news commentary) and three religious programmes totalling 135 minutes.

The maximum amount of artistic talent on any station totalled in excess of twenty-one hours, or an average of three hours nightly between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. A breakdown of this station's programmes shows:

Five stations listed no artistic talent programmes whatsoever.

One station listed thirty minutes of artistic talent, a programme by the Salvation Army Band.

3. SPONSORED AND SUSTAINING PROGRAMMES.

Comparison with all day broadcasting shows an increased percentage of sponsored programmes between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.

The average for twenty-two stations examined was 29.6% (all day) 36.3% (6:00-11:00 p.m.) showing an increase in evening hours of 6.7%.

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For the true incidence of commercial matter in programmes a small addition must be made for commercial spot announcements on weekdays between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m., the number of which we were unable to identify.

An effort was made to identify the types of programme most favored by sponsors. An overwhelming preference was disclosed for entertainment programmes. News and Sportscasts ran a poor second, and other non-entertainment programmes were relegated to the "also ran."

The precise percentages and times are as follows:

PART III

COMPARATIVE STATISTICS FOR INDEPENDENT

AND PRIVATE AFFILIATED STATIONS.

Basic stations on the three networks are excluded from this study as being functionally so disparate as to provide no relevant basis for comparison. While CBC owned Group A stations are included, they, too, constitute something of a world apart by virtue of their identification with network operations. Private independent stations (for reasons earlier referred to) are most nearly comparable to Group B affiliated stations.

What emerges from what follows is the fact that such differences as exist between the programme characteristics of independent and affiliated stations, as groups, are differences of degree and not of kind. Even the differences of degree are not marked--at least when the average performance of different station groups is compared. It is, in fact, at this stage of our report that it comes home to us how deceptive are averages--as they obscure the divergent characteristics of individual stations. It is the exceptions which prove (i.e. test) the rule, and of these exceptions, in our concern with the broad characteristics of Canadian broadcasting, we have had little opportunity to speak.

^* From: Canada. Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters, and Sciences. Report. Ottawa : King's Printer, 1951. By permission of the Privy Council Office.