TORONTO — Bryan Adams is reigniting his calls to repeal Canadian content regulations that have dictated radio station playlists for more than half a century.
The Kingston, Ont.-born rock star repeated his long-standing disdain of the so-called CanCon rules, saying they are "really stupid" and part of an "archaic system" that props up subpar homegrown music.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission introduced CanCon laws in the 1970s, requiring radio to play a certain amount of Canadian music and offering guidelines on what would qualify.
Adams says he believes those rules actually punish Canadian musicians who choose to work with non-Canadian creators and thus don't meet the points system that determines what is deemed Canadian.
He says CanCon laws serve little purpose today, especially in a streaming era where quality songs from across the globe can find their audience.
The "Summer of '69" hitmaker offered his take during a fireside chat that helped launch the inaugural edition of Departure Festival, a Toronto event attended by musicians and other players from the Canadian music industry.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2025.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
