Africa-Press – Tanzania. RADIO and Television stations in Lake Zone have asked the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA) to reduce their royalty levies.
The call was made by various stakeholders during a meeting of proposals on amendments of seeking opinions of the reviewed 2003 Public Broadcasting Licensing and Exhibition Regulations.
Speaking during the meeting a representative from Radio Faraja of Shinyanga, Simeo Makoo said the proposed new tariffs are very high and advised Cosota to use the old royalties. He said the old royalties were paid per year. The owners of the TV are paying 500,000 / – per year and the owners of the radio are paying royalties of 300,000/ -.
“The new reforms require private radio stations to pay royalties of 7.5m/- and government radios to pay royalties of 10 m/- for the whole year,” Makoo said.
He urged Cosota and the government to look into the matter. A representative from Mwanza Digital TV, Paul Nanetwa said he strongly urges the government before approving the new royalties’ regulations they should meet with media stakeholders, artists and Cosota to sit together and discuss issues of royalties before the Act is passed.
Cosota lawyer Lupakisyo Mwambinga pledged that his association would take into account the views expressed by media owners from the lake zone regions in the new public broadcasting licensing and exhibition regulations.
He said many stakeholders have complained that the royalties’ costs are high. He said for a very long time the stakeholders who own Television and Radio have not been paying royalties from music they play in their stations.
He said they will review the views of various stakeholders together and come up with principles that will not be a burden to media owners.
Mwambinga said since 2003 Cosota has not been collecting royalties from TV and Radio but has been collecting royalties for public exhibitions including bars, hotels and entertainment venues.
Mwambinga said in the review of the Regulations, they have focused on significant reductions in costs as well as lowering costs as per the previous stakeholder proposals and this is based on the current economic situation and creating a friendly environment that will be affordable to all stakeholders.
