Media Owners Don't Pay Presenters & DJs Well - Kontihene

Hiplife musician, Kontihene has slammed media owners in the country for playing a role in the collapse of Ghana's music industry.

The music industry, according to Kontihene, is no more booming and lucrative because owners of radio and TV stations fail to pay their Presenters and DJs well, and so the DJs and Presenters always demand money from musicians before they will promote their music.

Speaking on Neat FM's "Entertainment Ghana", Kontihene told host Kwame Adjetia that the attitude of the media owners is a disincentive to musicians and they should share the blame when musicians are poor.

"The media owners don’t pay the DJs and radio Presenters well, so they demand money before your music is played. You have to give them money (Payola). It is only when you give them money to let’s say buy Banku that they will promote your music,” he said.

He added that the media owners have become powerful and wealthy that the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) cannot entreat the radio and TV stations to pay royalties to musicians when they play their songs.

"Owners of radio and TV stations in Africa have huge money because, first of all, they don’t pay royalties to the musicians that they are exploiting their craft. They are powerful than GHAMRO and so they fear them. Who at GHAMRO is powerful to stand before the owners of these media houses? They go to beg them for tokens," he stated.