'A huge blow': Canadian comedians say changes to comedy station could be devastating

Update: Canadian comedians are celebrating after learning that Just For Laughs Canada has changed course, and plans to keep the programming on their Sirius XM station 100 percent Canadian. The announcement was made late Wednesday.

"We've listened carefully to the concerns of Canadian artists and regret the stress we have caused the comedy community," Just For Laughs president Bruce Hills said in a statement. "We are invested in the growth of Canada's comedy industry and are working to include even more Canadian talent in all our initiatives."

Find more at CBC News: Comedians cheer as Just For Laughs decides radio channel will stay 100% Canadian

Canadian comedians are expressing shock and outrage over changes to a Sirius XM channel that they say could be financially devastating.

For years, Canada Laughs, which airs on Sirius XM channel 168, has exclusively played Canadian comedy, and comedians have come to depend on royalties from the station.

But the channel's programming was recently taken over by Just For Laughs, and comedians say it includes international comics, decades-old routines, and recordings that Just For Laughs owns, meaning those royalty cheques could drop dramatically.

Now comedians from rising stars to high-profile veterans including Brent Butt, Ivan Decker and Matt O'Brien are voicing their concerns.

Decker, who is a regular on CBC's The Debaters, won a JUNO for comedy album of the year and had his U.S. television debut on Conan, was among the many comics who took to Twitter over the weekend to express his concern.

"Last year @SIRIUSXM was involved in reinstating the JUNO award for comedy album of the year. It was a giant leap forward for comedians all over Canada. This news that @canadalaughs is gone and our platform is once again shrinking back to nothing is a huge blow," he said in a lengthy Twitter thread.

Now, if things are as they seem, this is all gone. All of us that found financial freedom have lost it.- Ivan Decker

In the thread he goes on to explain that comedy in Canada is especially tough because the country has a small, spread-out population. When Canada Laughs came along, and comedians started making royalties from their work, it was a game-changer.

"Phenomenal comedy albums were created. The art form felt alive again. Comedians weren't trapped in a depressing cycle of working a day job and doing shows at night: Praying and hoping for that ONE festival showcase a year to give us a tiny chance at changing our life," he wrote.

"Now, if things are as they seem, this is all gone. All of us that found financial freedom have lost it."

Comedian Daryn McIntyre says the revenue from Canada Laughs was one of the only reliable income streams he could find in exchange for "the thousand+ hours of writing and performing we've contributed to the Canadian arts scene. This lost revenue hurts those who are vulnerable as they make their first steps into making a living as comedians," he wrote on Twitter.

"What value does decade old performances of comics who can be heard elsewhere bring to Canada in comparison to the hundreds of new and unique voices that have now been discouraged from creating yet again?"

However Canadian comedian Howie Mandel, who is a partner in Just For Laughs, says the changes aren't bad news for Canadian comedians.

In a Facebook Live post Sunday, the Deal or No Deal host addressed the flood of reaction online, confirming that the channel has been taken over by Just For Laughs, and that the programming will include international acts, but that it will still be heavy on Canadian content.

"Canadians will still be involved and independent comedians will still be involved and everybody and everything that is programmed on that station will be receiving a royalty," he said.

If anything, this is going to strengthen the reach of Canadian comedy.- Howie Mandel

"This was going to be a very exciting, fun announcement and I couldn't wait to make it. 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," he said. "If anything, this is going to strengthen the reach of Canadian comedy."

Monday afternoon, JFL also sent out a press release confirming the change, saying that Canada Laughs will become Just For Laughs Radio, and will include stand-up recorded at Just For Laughs festivals and events, along with top routines from independent comedy albums.

"We are very excited about this partnership, which allows us to provide the best homegrown and international comedic talent programming to our listeners," said John Lewis, SiriusXM Canada SVP of programming & operations in the statement. "The new channel will help us to continue our legacy of elevating Canadian talent by providing them with a North American platform."

"Just For Laughs has always endeavoured to entertain comedy fans with first class performances from both Canadian and international comedians,' said Just for Laughs president Bruce Hills. "Our goal with Just For Laughs Radio is precisely the same thanks in large part to the depth and quality of Canadian artists."

However, Mandel's statement did little to allay comedians' concerns, because it remained unclear how significantly the changes would impact their bottom lines.

Edmonton-based comedian Lars Callieou says he has one comedy album that gets played on Canada Laughs, and for that, he receives roughly $350 a month in royalties — so for comedians who have two or three albums on the service, the change could make the difference between paying the rent or not.

He says comedians began noticing a change to the programming on the channel on January 22, with many saying their recordings were no longer in the lineup. In their place were international and classic routines that dated back 30 years or more. That's when they took to the internet and began asking questions — and launched an email campaign aimed at Just for Laughs.

On Sunday Callieou and others received a letter from Just for Laughs reassuring artists that they will still receive royalties when their work plays, but just how many plays they'll get now that international and classic work is being brought in is the million-dollar question.

Callieou says he understands that Sirius XM is a public company, and they can do what they like, but that the move is especially frustrating since it was Canadian comedians who helped to establish the Sirius XM channel more than a decade ago.

"There are comedians who got to be professional comedians because of Canada Laughs. There are comedians who got to pursue their passion, who got to do what they love for a living because of those cheques," he says.

"If [Howie Mandel] talked to all the comedians and he saw the amount they made, and then he saw the percentage of their income that came from this channel, he'd be like, 'Oh man,'" says Callieou. "And people are saying that XM is stealing from us, but they aren't. They're just shutting off the tap."