BON bans Tuface, D’banj, 99 other artistes’ songs from Nigerian radio, TV stations

BON says it's willing to pay royalties but would not
be pressured
The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, on
Friday banned the airing of the musical works of
popstar, TuFace Idibia, and those of 100 other
Nigerian music superstars over a raging copyright
controversy.
BON is largely made up of private television and
radio stations.
The BON Chairman, Abubakar Jijiwa, said in Abuja
that the organisation decided to suspend the works
of the artistes from being aired on any of its affiliate
broadcast stations across the country with effect
from December 15, 2013.
He said the action was in solidarity with the
Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria,
IBAN, which has been waging a running battle with
members of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON,
for some time over copyrights.
A battle has been ongoing between IBAN and COSON
over payment of royalties for broadcast music by
radio stations in the country.
The list of the affected artistes include D' Banj,
Inyanya, Olamide, Dr Sid, Sammie Okposo, Banky W,
WizKid, Olu Maintain, 9ice, Sunny Neji, Flavour,
Chidinma, Rugged Man, Keffee, Midnite Crew, Eldee
De Don, M I, Azeezat, Jazzman Olofin, Ice Prince, Jesse
Jagz, KC Presh, X Project, Asha, Onyeka Onwenu, etc.
Mr. Jijiwa urged some of the affected artistes, who
may not be members of COSON but have their
names wrongly listed among those banned, to
contact BON on or before December 15 to have their
music reinstated. He warned other members of the
groups that their music would also be withdrawn or
suspended on or before that deadline.
He, however, insisted that he wished that BON was
not "at war" with the community of Nigerian artistes
and musicians and explained that the agency
resolved to take the step following COSON's attitude
of hostility, antagonism, grandstanding, intemperate
language, veiled and real threats, and harassment of
broadcasting stations.
"No person or organisation, particularly a collecting
society such as COSON, has a monopoly of authority
over any other, especially at the time when all hands
should be on deck in building a sustainable copyright
system," Mr. Jijiwa said.
He assured that BON members would be willing to
pay royalties for works used, but would not be
pressured into arbitrary imposition of fees not based
on agreed and verifiable tariff and standards.
To find a way of resolving the crisis, the Chairman
asked the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of
the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, and the Nigerian
Copyright Commission, NCC, to urgently intervene to
avoid anarchy in the Nigerian entertainment
industry.
A similar face-off was recently reported between the
Nigerian terrestrial television stations, and Nigerian
musicians on how royalties on their works would be
calculated.
There was instant outrage in Ikeja on Tuesday,
December 4, at the ANCOP-FIAPF Film Forum
organised by Association of Nollywood Core
Producers, ANCOP, and International Federation of
Film Producers Associations when the ban on the
artistes was made public.
The COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji, had chided BON
for making Nigeria the first country in human history
where all its top artistes would be banned from the
airwaves.

Sent From David Aniemeka