29 Mar 2022

Local artists will now enjoy more airplay, courtesy of a Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) and Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) on the royalty rights of artists. The agreement commits DBS to play 80:20 ratio of local content. DBS Director, Raymond Tsheko hailed the development as a bilateral cooperation that would help both organisations advance local music.

“This cooperation means that we will at least play 80 per cent local music and 20 per cent international therefore, recognising the efforts of local artists,” said Tsheko and challenged artists to work hard and produce more music of varied genres.

He said the partnership would help all those local artists noting that “when it comes to royalties we realised that most of the local musicians were disadvantaging therefore we needed to pause, introspect, correct and make sure all benefitted.”

He also assured artists of proper archiving and equity in the play list, to ensure fairness and also thanked COSBOTS for making sure that artists who had registered with them were paid.

 COSBOTS board chairperson, Bakalanga Mahoko thanked government for ensuring that every music played was compensated.

“We have been battling with this issue for years and through the help of Botswana Music Union and the two ministries of Investment, Trade and Industry and Presidential Affairs Governance and Public Administration this has now become possible,” said Mahoko. She said foreign music had dominated the air the airwaves and benefited more than locals. For her part, Mpolele Rebabedi singer, Anafiki said as musicians, they were overly excited about the development and had been eagerly waiting while Lizibo Simon said the achievement was a tribute to legends as Ratsie Setlhako, whom he said were smiling down from heaven.

He said the occurrence would encourage them to realise that theirs was a business. “We need to work hard and assure quality music.

This is going to change our lives for the better however, we should remember that it comes with huge responsibilities,” stated Lizibo said. ENDS