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For quite some time now, the Copyrights Society of
Nigeria (COSON), has been harassing the
Broadcasting Society of Nigeria (BON) and the
Independent Broadcasting Society of Nigeria, IBAN,
insisting that they pay royalties for playing the
songs of Nigerian artists. COSON has dragged
several radio and TV stations to court, demanding
millions, sometimes billions of Naira in royalty.
Well, it seems IBAN and BON have had enough. Two
days ago, they announced the ban of all Nigerian
artists registered with COSON. Meaning that they
ordered the immediate stop to the airing of songs of
artists who are COSON members.
The artists include 2face Idibia, D'banj, Onyeka
Onwenu, Iyanya, Banky W, Flavour, Ice Prince, Dr
Sid, Olamide, 9ice, M.I, eLDee, Ruggedman, Wizkid,
Asa, Waje, Omawumi and several others.
In a statement released and signed jointly by the
President and Secretary of IBAN, Sonny Adun and
Guy Murray Bruce, the need for such a drastic step
was due to "the antagonism and harassment under
the leadership of Tony Okoroji (COSON Chairman)”.
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The statement in part reads "No person or
organisation, particularly a collection society such
as COSON has a monopoly of authority over any
other…IBAN and BON have the utmost respect for
Nigerian artistes in their individual and collective
capacities and have indeed contributed more than
any known institution to the promotion of Nigerian
music and the development of the entertainment
industry as a whole."
They are accusing COSON of arbitrarily imposing
and concocting fees which are not based on any
agreeable and verifiable tariff and standards.
However Mr Okoroji while reacting to the decision
of the broadcasting bodies says the issue here is the
strict stand COSON has on the royalties of artist
works used on any of the broadcast stations. He says
some stations have this attitude of "we can handle
COSON" and goes on airing the works of the artist
without paying them their due royalty which COSON
is strongly against.
Meanwhile the Performing Musicians Association of
Nigeria interim president has released a statement
on the ban on airplay of Nigerian artists by BON.
The statement below...
PMAN Speaks on the current ban of airplay of
Nigerian artists by BON & IBAN
The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria is
appalled by the recent development spearheaded by
the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON ) and
Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria
(IBAN ) via an official press release yesterday,
calling for the immediate airplay ban on all media
platforms on content from Nigerian artistes, the
association which was created with the sole mission
to PROTECT, PRESERVE, and PROMOTE Nigerian
musicianshas decided to react on the ban and on-
going feud between the Broadcasting Organisation
of Nigeria( BON), Independent Broadcasters’
Association of Nigeria (IBAN ) and Copyright Society
of Nigeria (COSON ) calling for an immediate
reversal of the ban in the interest of these artistes
whom we know that all the above mentioned
organisations have their best interests at heart.
The ban on airplay of these Nigerian artistes and
their music on various Nigerian media platforms is
from our standpointvery unfair, demeaning and
discouraging. Weall knowwithout a doubt that these
same artistes who have persevered and assisted us to
build, today what is known as the Nigerian music
industry, Africa’s biggest entertainment export to the
world are the same people that are now being
victimised. With this action, the association foresees
a situation where this ban will, rather than
encourage well meaning members of the society,
with musical talent to hone their craft and join the
success story of the entertainment industry, reverse
will be the case. We also foresee a situation where
the bulk of the material that will be circulated on
nigerian airwaves will be foreign materials,
celebrating alien artistes instead of embracing,
home grown talent and ourcultural heritage.
COSON in it’s own right by a mandate given to the
organisation acts as a collecting society for these
artistes, helping to monitor and collect royalties
entitled to them. As a collecting society, they have
since inception acted as a shield to these artistes
protecting their intellectual rights. BON & IBAN are
arguing that the tariffs and standards presented to
them by COSON should be defended and agreeable
with them, but we know that the ban is not the best
invitation to the negotiating table.
Article 3.13.2.2 of the Broadcast code issued by
NBC says: ‘For the purpose of free-to-air broadcast,
Nigerian music shall constitute 80 per cent of all
music broadcast’. If this ban is sustained, and 80%
of the music played on the various media platforms
are foreign material, we should ask ourselves as
guardians of the music industry, if these media
houses are paying the royalties owed to these
foreign artistes, and thereby sidelining Nigerian
music by Nigerian artistes, are we supporting them
or failing them?We should also ask ourselves, ifthis
ban which will invariably affect the rising profile of
the Nigerian music industry in the world,
economically and in relevance is good for us.
With these ongoing conflicts, lets not forget the
owners of this intellectual properties, the music
owners, record label owners, recording artistes, the
instrumentalists, composers, who have spent time
and money producing and packaging, what we
know, enjoy and call music, their interests should be
siginifcant in these agreements.
In light of all that has been mentioned above we ask
again that the ban be reversed and that all the
affected parties and major stakeholders in the
entertainment industry sit down for a dialogue and
reach a favourable agreement, beneficial to
everyone involved.


Source: Nigeriaonpoint News....