At the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, we believe that all are entitled to their opinions. It’s true that we believe that payola is wrong and deserving of criminalization, and have made recommendations for relevant penalties to be included in legislation. However, we only arrived at this conclusion after careful consideration of all sides of the argument. This is why we also embarked on our ‘Sound Off’ series – to gain and show a variety of opinions regarding payola.
Some artistes we have interviewed, for example, believe that while payola results in the stagnation of the music industry, they should still be allowed to give their DJ friends, who support their music by playing it, gifts of thanks. Others believe that, while the practice of payola causes those who have money to be given an unfair advantage, that criminalizing payola is perhaps a too-serious step to take. As Lady Saw asks in our interview with her, “Don’t the DJs have to eat as well? Don’t they, as has been suggested, deserve some kind of recognition for ‘bussing’ an artist who is now a multi-millionaire?
In an address at the Broadcasting Commission’s seminar on Payola and Anti-Piracy, former broadcaster and record producer Dennis Howard ventured more compelling points. According to Mr. Howard, while payola can be “blamed for the deterioration of the standard in Jamaican music genres and the anaemic growth of the industry,” certain measures must be implemented before criminalization is considered. Echoing the beliefs of many other artistes and scholars, he believes that the criminalization of payola on its own is not enough to holistically re-invigorate the Jamaican music industry.
He suggests, for example, that education campaigns are necessary to ensure that Jamaicans understand the issues faced by the industry, and are aware of certain expectations they should have regarding music and industry standards. He has also suggested that “the implementation of regulations and guidelines for music content must be ensured.” While acting as programme manager of Irie FM, he sought to combat payola through the introduction of objectively pre-decided playlists and quality guidelines – measures which have also been recommended by the Broadcasting Commission.
Mr. Howard’s concerns about the tackling of payola in its entirety are also shared by the Broadcasting Commission – and it is this standpoint which we have used to inform all our decisions regarding this issue. This is why our recommendations do not simply include a fine for payola; they also include ways to better the standards practised by radio stations and the industry as a whole.
Additionally, we have always understood the need for educating public and industry players on the issues facing the music industry, including payola. It’s for this reason that the organization has embarked on extensive education campaigns this past month, conducting workshops with children in schools as well as broadcasters. We agree with the artistes we interviewed in the sense that we hold great respect for our country’s DJs – which is why we have sought to augment and expand their understanding of the issue, arming them with the knowledge they need to make better decisions. While we believe that DJs deserve recognition for the hard work they do, we do not believe that this recognition should take the form of compensation which then unfairly causes an artiste – the one who cannot afford to pay these DJs – not to be played.
Our conclusions and recommendations on the issue of payola, therefore, have arisen due to the Broadcasting Commission’s careful consideration. Take a look at the video posted above for the views for/against payola and its criminalization by some of today’s most popular artistes.
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