2008 BCI Irish music crisis
Encyclopedia
The 2008 BCI "Irish" music crisis erupted in Ireland
in March 2008 when it emerged that certain bands and musicians who had recorded material in Ireland were classified by the BCI as "Irish" music for radio airplay. Independent radio stations regulated by the BCI have an obligation to play agreed levels – in most cases 30% – of Irish music. Concern mounted that genuine Irish music recorded in Ireland by Irish musicians was being overlooked in favour of mainstream international trends.
’s new album Accelerate
will be accepted as "Irish music" by the BCI. The album was recorded in Grouse Lodge
Studios and it is this factor that qualifies it as "Irish". The position, which alarmed many musicians and independent record companies, emerged during a question and answer session on Airplay For Irish Music, chaired by Hot Press editor Niall Stokes
at the IBI conference in Dublin the previous week, which followed a series of presentations made on Airplay for Irish Music by Niall Stokes, BCI chief executive Michael O'Keeffe, Colm O'Sullivan of Red FM
, Dave Pennefather of Universal Music Ireland
, Dave Kelly
of FM104
, Feilim Byrne of Music Control
and musician and songwriter Steve Wall of The Walls
. Asked by Niall Stokes about definitions of Irish music, members of the panel reported that tracks recorded in Dublin by Kylie Minogue
were counted as Irish music by certain stations. Pennyfeather had initially revealed, to the surprise of the audience, that Kelly's stations consider a Kylie Minogue song "Irish". "It was recorded in Windmill Lane" was the excuse Kelly offered, finding support in the surprising quarter of O'Keeffe who said Kelly's position was "absolutely" in line with the BCI's policies. Asked if this was acceptable to the BCI, Michael O’Keeffe confirmed that it was. “It’s supporting the Irish music industry,” he said. Minogue recorded a number of tracks for her album Fever
in Dublin’s Windmill Lane, including the title track and the hit single "Love at First Sight".
O'Keeffe told Phantom News
that this has been policy for some time and that there is a legal basis for it:
He also said some of the suggestions made for change are simply not feasible, blaming the European Commission
for rules surrounding anti-competitiveness:
bassist, Gavin Fox
. "It sounds to me like just another excuse for stations not to get behind Irish music. I reckon R.E.M.
and Kylie Minogue
would agree with me. There's a huge amount of great Irish music out there. They might say there's no demand for it, but if you play it people will come around."
's Colm Ó Snodaigh
quoted Bob Dylan
, who wrote that radio was "gutless and flabby". "There's a load of great Irish music around right now that radio just doesn't seem to cater for." He went on to exemplify the Choice Music Prize
. Ó Snodaigh added: "I wouldn’t like to be the one coming up with the hard and fast rules about what’s Irish and what’s not," he continued. "Sure didn’t we used to have Def Leppard
and Lisa Stansfield
living here as tax exiles, does that mean they’d count as Irish too? With all due respect to R.E.M., it’s great that they’re supporting the Irish music industry and all, but they certainly don’t need the extra airplay."
winning singer-songwriter
Julie Feeney
repeated the assertions of the quantity and quality of contemporary Irish music. "They shouldn’t need to rely on a technicality like this – it’s going too far," she said. "All it takes is a bit of imagination and persistence from a DJ who’s willing to take the jump and play Irish artists."
reacted to the news that Kylie Minogue and R.E.M. records qualify as "Irish" music for radio airplay. "This is crazy," he told Hot Press. "No wonder the music biz in Ireland is the way it is. No wonder Irish record companies are signing nobody. It's because we can't get airplay in our own fucking country for our own home grown talent. It's frustrating and unfair that we are being treated like this. Kylie Minogue is Australia
n – it's as simple as that. No wonder The Thrills
, Ash
, Declan O'Rourke
, Bell X1 etc. are struggling – because they don't get enough airplay in their own country and their record deals are in the balance because of this. The big Irish radio stations all copy US radio. They're playing Timbaland
, Nelly Furtado
, Justin Timberlake
, Rihanna
and similar acts 24/7. Would Snow Patrol
have gotten airplay in Ireland for "Chasing Cars
"? No, it happened on a US TV show. What would U2
do, if they were starting again in Ireland? They'd struggle because of radio formats copying the US and the UK. And who suffers? The talent – and ultimately the public." The absence of radio play directly affects sales, Walsh argued. "Look at the Irish charts," he said. "They now look like the USA or UK charts. We need to sort this out."
."
In July, Jon Richards
of Galway Bay FM
told Hot Press that his station would be giving daytime airplay to emerging Irish music. Richards declared:
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in March 2008 when it emerged that certain bands and musicians who had recorded material in Ireland were classified by the BCI as "Irish" music for radio airplay. Independent radio stations regulated by the BCI have an obligation to play agreed levels – in most cases 30% – of Irish music. Concern mounted that genuine Irish music recorded in Ireland by Irish musicians was being overlooked in favour of mainstream international trends.
Background
On Thursday March 13, hotpress.com published an article that revealed R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
’s new album Accelerate
Accelerate (R.E.M. album)
Accelerate is the 14th studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on March 31, 2008 in Europe, and on April 1 in North America. Produced with Jacknife Lee, Accelerate was intended as a departure from the 2004 album Around the Sun. R.E.M...
will be accepted as "Irish music" by the BCI. The album was recorded in Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge
Grouse Lodge is a recording studio in County Westmeath, Ireland. Designed by Andy Munro it has two studios and living quarters in nine stone outhouses, integrating the existing 275 year old stone structure...
Studios and it is this factor that qualifies it as "Irish". The position, which alarmed many musicians and independent record companies, emerged during a question and answer session on Airplay For Irish Music, chaired by Hot Press editor Niall Stokes
Niall Stokes
Niall Stokes is the award-winning editor of the long-running fortnightly Ireland music and political magazine Hot Press based in Dublin. He has edited the magazine since 1977. He has been a longstanding champion of Irish music, most famously U2 in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s...
at the IBI conference in Dublin the previous week, which followed a series of presentations made on Airplay for Irish Music by Niall Stokes, BCI chief executive Michael O'Keeffe, Colm O'Sullivan of Red FM
Red FM (Ireland)
Cork's RedFM is an Irish radio station which broadcasts to Cork and the surrounding area, and is aimed at a youth audience.Cork's RedFM commenced broadcasting at 08:00 on 16 January 2002. The station was awarded Ireland’s first youth radio licence...
, Dave Pennefather of Universal Music Ireland
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, Dave Kelly
Dave Kelly
Dave Kelly may refer to:*Dave Kelly , Canadian TV host and voice actor*Dave Kelly , guitarist, vocalist, and member of the Blues Band*Dave Kelly , songwriter, musician, engineer, producer, and owner of Madhouse Records in Jamaica...
of FM104
FM104
FM104 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcast across Dublin, Ireland, on the frequency 104.4 MHz. It is operated by Capital Radio Productions Limited , and is a subsidiary of UTV Radio. The station broadcasts under a sound broadcasting contract from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland...
, Feilim Byrne of Music Control
Music Control
Music Control was a nightly, chart-oriented, network radio show, presented by Kevin Hughes. It was broadcast in the UK from 2001 to 2008 by GCap Media across 'The One Network' to 39 different radio stations....
and musician and songwriter Steve Wall of The Walls
The Walls
The Walls are an Irish rock band. They were formed in 1998 by two ex-members of The Stunning.-Members:* Steve Wall* Joe Wall* Carl Harms * Rory Doyle...
. Asked by Niall Stokes about definitions of Irish music, members of the panel reported that tracks recorded in Dublin by Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
were counted as Irish music by certain stations. Pennyfeather had initially revealed, to the surprise of the audience, that Kelly's stations consider a Kylie Minogue song "Irish". "It was recorded in Windmill Lane" was the excuse Kelly offered, finding support in the surprising quarter of O'Keeffe who said Kelly's position was "absolutely" in line with the BCI's policies. Asked if this was acceptable to the BCI, Michael O’Keeffe confirmed that it was. “It’s supporting the Irish music industry,” he said. Minogue recorded a number of tracks for her album Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
in Dublin’s Windmill Lane, including the title track and the hit single "Love at First Sight".
O'Keeffe told Phantom News
Phantom FM
Phantom 105.2 is a Dublin based radio station, founded in 1996 as a pirate radio station. Phantom broadcasts under a contract awarded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland ....
that this has been policy for some time and that there is a legal basis for it:
"...one of the reasons that we have a number of definitions that qualify as Irish is because when the European Commission were considering this matter about ten years ago, they were very clear that we couldn't discriminate in favour of Irish music, other than Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. I suppose it was a pragmatic solution for us to look at ways that would support the industry in some way...."
He also said some of the suggestions made for change are simply not feasible, blaming the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
for rules surrounding anti-competitiveness:
"....we couldn't bring in a smaller radio quota and have it strictly for Irish artists. That's where we would run into trouble. If we were to bring in a definition of that nature that only applied to Irish artists, then we run into trouble with the European Commission because you cannot favour your own country..."
Steve Wall
Steve Wall’s reaction at the time was characteristic of the reaction of musicians generally. "I’m speechless", he said. "That’s the first time I heard that."Gavin Fox
"It sounds ridiculous. Shame on them", was the view of Concerto For ConstantineConcerto For Constantine
Concerto for Constantine is an unsigned Irish indie rock band formed in August 2007. The band consists of former JJ72 frontman Mark Greaney , former Turn and Idlewild bassist Gavin Fox and former The Frames and Bell X1 drummer Paul 'Binzer' Brennan .- Formation :In the summer of 2007, Mark and...
bassist, Gavin Fox
Gavin Fox
For the Canadian Actor see Gavin Fox Gavin Bernard Fox is bass player with the band Concerto For Constantine. He has also been in the band Vega 4, Scottish rock band Idlewild, and Irish indie rock band Turn.-References:...
. "It sounds to me like just another excuse for stations not to get behind Irish music. I reckon R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
would agree with me. There's a huge amount of great Irish music out there. They might say there's no demand for it, but if you play it people will come around."
Colm Ó Snodaigh
KílaKíla
Kíla are an Irish folk music/World music group, originally formed in 1987 in the Irish Language secondary school, Coláiste Eoin in Co. Dublin. Kila's blend of Irish traditional music and World Music with a modern rock sensibility is generally credited with breathing new life into contemporary Irish...
's Colm Ó Snodaigh
Colm Ó Snodaigh
Colm Ó Snodaigh is a member of the traditional Irish folk group Kíla. Born in Dublin and reared on the south side of Dublin by Sandymount's sea, Colm is a native Irish speaker and was schooled at both Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin...
quoted Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, who wrote that radio was "gutless and flabby". "There's a load of great Irish music around right now that radio just doesn't seem to cater for." He went on to exemplify the Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
. Ó Snodaigh added: "I wouldn’t like to be the one coming up with the hard and fast rules about what’s Irish and what’s not," he continued. "Sure didn’t we used to have Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
and Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Stansfield
Lisa Stansfield is an English singer and songwriter.-Early years:Stansfield was born to Marion and Keith Stansfield in Heywood, Lancashire, in England, where she attended Redbrook School, Rochdale. Her first television appearance was on a talent programme in the Granada TV area in 1982...
living here as tax exiles, does that mean they’d count as Irish too? With all due respect to R.E.M., it’s great that they’re supporting the Irish music industry and all, but they certainly don’t need the extra airplay."
Julie Feeney
Choice Music PrizeChoice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
winning singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney
Julie Feeney, award-winning Irish composer, song-writer, singer and music producer.-Overview:Feeney is an award-winning and critically acclaimed Irish composer, singer, record producer, musician, songwriter, theatre artist and educator. She composes both instrumental and electronic music, and...
repeated the assertions of the quantity and quality of contemporary Irish music. "They shouldn’t need to rely on a technicality like this – it’s going too far," she said. "All it takes is a bit of imagination and persistence from a DJ who’s willing to take the jump and play Irish artists."
Louis Walsh
Pop mogul Louis WalshLouis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
reacted to the news that Kylie Minogue and R.E.M. records qualify as "Irish" music for radio airplay. "This is crazy," he told Hot Press. "No wonder the music biz in Ireland is the way it is. No wonder Irish record companies are signing nobody. It's because we can't get airplay in our own fucking country for our own home grown talent. It's frustrating and unfair that we are being treated like this. Kylie Minogue is Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n – it's as simple as that. No wonder The Thrills
The Thrills
The Thrills are an Irish rock band, formed in 2001 in Dublin, Ireland. The band was founded by lead vocalist Conor Deasy and guitarist Daniel Ryan, guitarist and bass player Padraic McMahon, pianist Kevin Horan and drummer Ben Carrigan. Their big break came with their debut album, So Much for the...
, Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
, Declan O'Rourke
Declan O'Rourke
Declan O'Rourke is a 33 year old platinum record singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland.-Career:At the age of 13, when living in Australia with his family, O'Rourke was given his first guitar by a priest in Kyabram who recognised his potential and love for music, hence the title of his debut album...
, Bell X1 etc. are struggling – because they don't get enough airplay in their own country and their record deals are in the balance because of this. The big Irish radio stations all copy US radio. They're playing Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and similar acts 24/7. Would Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
have gotten airplay in Ireland for "Chasing Cars
Chasing Cars
"Chasing Cars" is the second single from Snow Patrol's fourth album, Eyes Open. It was recorded in 2005 and released on 6 June 2006 in the US and 24 July 2006 in the UK as the album's second single....
"? No, it happened on a US TV show. What would U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
do, if they were starting again in Ireland? They'd struggle because of radio formats copying the US and the UK. And who suffers? The talent – and ultimately the public." The absence of radio play directly affects sales, Walsh argued. "Look at the Irish charts," he said. "They now look like the USA or UK charts. We need to sort this out."
Music directors
Meanwhile music directors at two local radio stations have said they would not include international artists who’ve recorded here as part of their required Irish music output. Colm O’Sullivan of Cork’s Red FM said that under no circumstances would his station consider acts who have recorded their album in Ireland, such as R.E.M. and Kylie Minogue, as counting towards the quota of 30% Irish music that all independent stations must adhere to. "We would always aim to promote new, home-grown Irish stuff first and foremost," O'Sullivan told Hotpress.com. "We’re constantly cultivating new bands from the Cork area to get them on our playlist." John Cadell, director of music at Dublin’s Phantom 105.2, echoed O’Sullivan’s comments. "We would never consider Irish-recorded albums as Irish. We don’t need to," Cadell told Hotpress.com. He confirmed that Phantom plays 20% Irish artists between the hours of 7am and 7pm, and 30% Irish over its full 24-hour schedule. The station also commits to playing 6% Irish unsigned bands between 7am and 7pm. "If the music is good enough to hold its own, we see no reason why it shouldn’t be played," said Cadell. "We regularly put new Irish bands on our a-list alongside top international acts like the Foo FightersFoo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
."
In July, Jon Richards
Jon Richards
Jon Richards is a Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 19th Assembly District since 1998 and currently serving as Chairman of the Health and Healthcare Reform Committee.-External links:* official government website...
of Galway Bay FM
Galway Bay FM
Galway Bay FM is an Irish independent local radio station and operates under a license from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. Established in 1989, the station broadcasts from studios in Galway, serving the city and County Galway.-Programming:...
told Hot Press that his station would be giving daytime airplay to emerging Irish music. Richards declared:
“I am introducing five dedicated slots, from 3 to 5, for promoting Irish artists and in these five slots, literally any Irish artist whose song or whose track is good enough can get played… This is aimed at promoting new Irish artists.”An important aspect of the initiative is that artists have to play their part, recording a Galway Bay ident to introduce tracks of theirs that are being supported by the station. Richards commented:
"A personal touch is needed if you want to communicate. That's what radio is all about."Richards said the Galway Bay FM management team, with MD Keith Finnegan and Music Controller Padraig Flaherty, were fully supportive of the new initiative. Richards said:
“We’re taking the plunge. What I’m hoping is that other presenters across the country, especially in big urban areas, will say ‘well, if they’re doing that, why can’t we do it?’ and create an effect that Irish radio gets the kick up the arse that it needs.”