Kenyan CMOs sign MoU with media owners

The Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), the Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) and the Music Publishers Association of Kenya (MPAKE) yesterday reached a deal with the MOA that will see radio and TV stations pay less in monthly royalty tariffs.

The revised tariffs are lower than those gazetted by attorney-general Githu Muigai on 21 April. In that directive, tariff collection was to take effect from 31 December 2018. TV rates ranged between $50 and $1 500 per month whereas radio station tariffs ranged between $2 000 and $7 000.

Under the new MoU, which the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) will present to the office of the attorney-general, payments will depend on geographical coverage and the percentage of music content in daily programming. Monthly royalties for radio stations have fallen sharply to between $130 and $1 998 while rates for TV stations will be between $45 and $667.

“The reason we have this MoU is because without the media, the music industry cannot survive and at the same time the media industry cannot survive without music,” KECOBO executive director Edward Sigei said. “Globally, the broadcast industry is the biggest contributor to music royalties and collecting societies should be accountable to the last coin.”

MPAKE, however, will not receive payments on behalf of authors, composers and publishers pending a Kakamega court decision. This after musicians Laban Juma Toto and David Amunga challenged KECEBO’s revocation of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya’s (MCSK) licence on March 27.

“MPAKE is glad to inform you of a great achievement in the music industry,” a press statement released by the association reads. “We thank KECOBO for facilitating this and for the unique opportunity accorded to MPAKE, through its chair, to spearhead joint negotiations in partnership with the other CMOs and various music users. This is the first time in the history of Kenya that a joint contract of this magnitude has been signed and MPAKE is pleased to be a part of it.”

PRISK chairperson Beatrice Achieng said: “This is good news for the industry and I know the musicians will be happy with the changes. We look forward to having a good relationship with stakeholders in the media”

In August this year, the three CMOs signed an MoU with the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) and the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) in which music users such as bars and hotels would be issued a single invoice by the CMOs, reducing the number harassment cases of business owners by agents tasked with royalty collection.