Edmonton comics not laughing about possible cut in radio royalties
'We're not getting played anymore, our royalties aren't being tracked'
Edmonton comics say the takeover of a satellite radio station that has exclusively broadcast Canadian comedy is no laughing matter.
Since its inception in 2015, Canada Laughs on SiriusXM channel 168 has aired 100 per cent Canadian content, providing exposure, airplay and royalties that comedians across the country have come to depend on.
However, the channel's programming was recently taken over by Montreal-based Just For Laughs (JFL). Comedians say the new programming includes international comics, decades-old routines and archival recordings, meaning their royalty cheques could drop dramatically.
Kathleen McGee, who has been working as a comedian in Edmonton for 14 years, described the rebrand as a "kick in the teeth."
"We're not getting played anymore, our royalties aren't being tracked, all the money is now going to be going into the pockets of Just for Laughs," McGee said in an interview Wednesday with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.
McGee is among a growing number of Canadian comics who plan to appeal the change in station programming with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which controls the concentration of Canadian content on Canadian airwaves.
Comics have also been asking their fans to write letters of complaint to Just For Laughs.
'It's my livelihood'
"For the first time ever we started getting paid for our work and for our time," McGee said. "Just For Laughs gets huge grants from the Canadian government every year to put on the festival, in the millions. So it's frustrating that they're now taking money from comedians who don't make money and are not allowed to apply for grants."
McGee said she made more than $10,000 US in royalties last year from the station. She expects her airplay and income will drop drastically in the coming year.
"I was getting enough income to save my life when I couldn't afford rent, to pay off credit card debt. It's my livelihood. I'm broke all the time and I work all the time and this was really helping me get ahead."
McGee was among a handful of comics slated to perform at a JFL showcase on Tuesday night at Yuk Yuks Edmonton Comedy Club. The event and similar ones held across the country act as auditions for the main festival in Montreal.
With blowback brewing online, most of the performers planned to boycott the event. The show went on as planned but was no longer affiliated with JFL. Similar showcase boycotts are happening across the country, she said.
"I've had people say we're being selfish for wanting to get paid, which is ridiculous. We're providing a service, we're making people laugh, which isn't always easy."
Edmonton-based comedian Lars Callieou said he had one comedy album that got played on Canada Laughs, and for that he received roughly $350 a month in royalties.
Comedians began noticing a programming change on the channel on Jan. 22, he said. The changeover has been difficult for comedians who have watched their stand-up performances drop out of the line-up, Callieou said.
"SiriusXM decided that they wanted to re-program, and that's their prerogative," Callieou said. "They're a publicly traded corporation, so they didn't ask for us for our input. But it would have been nice, since we helped launch the station.
"There aren't a lot of opportunities for us to have our stuff heard ... I'm really disappointed."
In a statement posted to his Facebook page, comic and JFL co-owner Howie Mandel said SiriusXM had approached the comedy festival to "retool" the station in order to keep it alive.
Mandel said the programming will include international acts, but it will still be heavy on Canadian content.
"This was going to be a very exciting, fun announcement, and I couldn't wait to make it," Mandel said on Sunday.
"As it worked out, somebody leaked this misinformation and people have been all over social media decrying the fact that supposedly we bought the station and no royalties are going to be paid and we're taking money out of pockets.
"If anything, this is going to strengthen the reach of Canadian comedy."