Police have closed down the radio and TV broadcasts of Senegal's largest media conglomerate, Walfadjri.  This follows a court injunction ordering the media group to pay licence fees for the music that air its different outlets.

According to Senegalese state media, RTS, the Walfadjri media was shut down over the weekend owing to a landmark lawsuit brought against it by the Senegalese Office for Artists’ Royalties.

The musicians’ union said “Walfadjri does not want to sign a contract with the union and does not want to pay royalties for airing artists’ music and videos.”

A premiere
The president of the union, Abdulaziz Dieng, said it was the first time such a court decision was being put into action.

“The decision is based simply on the respect of royalties and the acknowledgment that artists should be paid for their creative works. The media, according to our laws, should pay for the music they air,” Dieng said.

In a statement published in their newspaper, Walfadjri media group said the country’s musicians were unfairly targeting the group; that it had never operated outside the law, hence the tax office had never taken any action against the group.

Dakar-based rapper, Ibson, said “Nowadays artists don’t make money from the sales of CDs. If our numerous radio and TV stations were to pay regularly for the products they air like it is done in France, then artists could be really making a living from their art, which is not presently the case.”

Solution
Dieng believes things can improve if “the Office for Artists’ Royalties enters into a partnership with radio and television stations where both sides win. Artists need radio and TV; radio and TV also need artists’ creations.”

Senegal has produced renowned African artists on the international scene in the likes of Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Orchestre Baobab, Akon among others.

Source: Africa News

Photo by timojazz (Flickr CC)