Satellite footprint to cultural lifelines: Sirius XM and the circulation of Canadian content

Satellite radio posed a new question for Canadian policy-makers: How to take advantage of a transnational radio service while ensuring cultural identity was not lost within channel offerings that are predominately American. Comparing the initial licensing of satellite radio in Canada (2005) to the merger of the services (2011) and the post-merger license renewal (2012) highlights a shift in the spatial understanding of satellite radio, from being determined by a satellite’s footprint to that of what I call ‘cultural lifelines,’ the various mobile devices and services that enable one to maintain connection to cultural content. Alongside shifting spatial considerations of satellite radio, Canadian content has increasingly been packaged as a brand or genre, catering to fragmented taste preferences and individual, mobile listening practices.