South Africa: Musicians march against payola

The group, consisting of both young and established musicians, marched from the Sentech Tower in Brixton to SABC's Radio Park in Auckland Park where a memorandum of demands was handed to management.

The memorandum says music from upcoming artists was not being played on SABC radio stations because presenters accept “brown envelopes” from those who can afford to pay for airplay. It says even after the implementation of the 90% local content policy, which was introduced by former SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, their music was only stored and not played.

Demanding that bribery in the SABC must end, the musicians suggested that a committee be deployed to make sure that the corporation’s libraries are monitored to ensure that all music submitted is heard and feedback given to the artists. They also said staff accepting bribes should be fired.

The memorandum also suggests that radio DJs should not be involved in the music selection process. This, it says, would help erase payola, an illegal practice where DJs accept money or gifts in exchange for promoting content.

Glodine Makapela, a representative of the movement that marched to the SABC, said South African artists would no longer complain in private. The fight, she said, would be taken to the SABC because artists were tired of submitting music that never saw radio play.