Musos yet to benefit from SABC local music plan

ALMOST a year after the SABC committed itself to playing 90% local music, a number of Eastern Cape artists are yet to benefit from this as they are “expected” to pay for airplay.

Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of payment or other inducement by record companies for the broadcast of recordings on commercial radio in which the song is presented as being part of the normal day’s broadcast.

For independent artists it is a struggle to get their music across as they have to pay their way through the airwaves.

This week the Daily Dispatch reported about an artist who accused an Umhlobo Wenene FM gospel presenter of asking for bribes.

Umhlobo Wenene FM station manager Phumzile Mnci said no presenter had a right to ask for money from artists, and said only the music compilers and producers were responsible for playlists or interviews. Although the presenter denied the allegation, the report opened a can of worms, and a number of other local artists, who asked to be anonymous, came forward to say they also were expected to make some form of payment although the services were supposed to be free.

The artists still have hopes of getting airplay on major stations and fear being blacklisted if their identities became known.

One artist from Mthatha said he submitted his music to a well-known radio station, but it was never played, even though it was of high quality.

“I asked a well-known singer to submit it for me and I started getting airplay. There is not only the expectation of money but there is a lot of favouritism in this industry,” the artist said.

He said most stations played the same people repeatedly and upcoming artists were “never” given an opportunity to share their music with the listeners.

The complaints range from being ignored to being told to “motivate” (pay off) stations’ music compilers.

An independent rapper said every artist wanted to get play listed on a SABC radio as they had more listeners. “SABC stations are the ones that matter hence artists will pay the bribes and make the money back in their royalty cheques,” he said.

Upcoming artists said they received no airplay from SABC stations, despite following all the right channels.

East London pastor Gugu Mbuku, who is also a musician, said that in the entertainment and media sector artists had to pay their way into interviews and airplay.

This applied to radio, television and print media.

“This goes even for award nominations, but that’s a story for another day.

“The sad part is none of us artists are comfortable and bold enough to come out and say this is really happening, as this may lead to unofficial blacklisting in some of these media outlets,” he said.

Mbuku said even though not all radio jocks, presenters or journalists were guilty of soliciting bribes, they could not dismiss the truth that it was happening.

“Moreover, none of us wants to be implicated or associated with such behaviour, especially if you are one whose product gets better attention than many others.

“Some even pay these media personnel to suppress another person’s product which they see as ‘competition’. Yes, this happens, but no one will dare admit it,” he said.

Mbuku urged artists to be bold and speak out when they were being squeezed.

“It is not going to be easy, as one may be ostracised by colleagues and media personnel, but we must stand against such behaviour. Let’s try and not view each other as competing. I have something to offer, so do you,” he said. — poliswap@dispatch.co.za