- COSBOTS says the stats are showing a positive trend
- Only the National Anthem is ahead of Charma
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Five months after the Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) to adopt an 80/20 content quota, state media are yet to reach the 80 percent local content airplay mark.
Even so, the country’s only royalty collections society says the statistics have improved significantly and are showing a positive trend.
Rock ’n roll
“We had Btv and RB2 ranging around 16% to 18% local content when we started and there has been a great rise,” COSBOTS CEO, Letlhogonolo Makwinja, told Time Out. “We are also in continual communication with DBS about how to enhance and eventually attain the 80% local content.”
“There are several variables at play and the exercise will not be completed overnight. There are several programmes in Botswana where we have little to no material, such as Country and Western and rock and roll.”
Monthly music stats
COSBOTS has been releasing monthly music statistics reports that indicate the top 10 most played artists and songs. The report also tallies the local and international playtime in both state and private media. The latest report, which is for the month of July, indicates that Charma Gal is the most played artist but none of her songs appear in the top 10 most played songs.
COSBOTS music statistics indicate that the National Anthem of Botswana is the most played song, having been played over 6 000 times (6101). It is followed by Dato Seiko’s “Phenyo Ke Yo” (5498) and Ngombora Olopeng’s “Ke Feletswe ke Tshepo.”
Asked to explain the lack of correlation in the music statistics, Makwinja responded: “The National Anthem is played every day at a specified time or times, resulting in high rotation or airplay. In the case of Charma Gal, the airplay is defined by her own songs and other artists’ songs in which she features.
“When an artist appears in a large number of songs, whether as a composer, lyricist, performer, featured artist, or otherwise, they will receive a lot of airplay.”
Private and the 80/20 quotas
While there is an improvement in local content airplay with RB1 leading with 61.4 percent, private radio station’s airplay is dominated by international music.
Asked if something was being done to encourage private media to also adopt the 80/20 local content airplay, Makwinja said they have a good relationship with private broadcasters.
“We work on a variety of topics, one of them being royalties and their complexities,” he noted.