Musicians Blast Radio Presenters Over Bias A group of South Sudanese Artists in Juba has blasted some electronic media houses and particular radio presenters for being bias in their work. 28 January 2014 By Jok P Mayom
*JUBA, 28 January 2014 [Gurtong] -- * The artists say some radio stations and presenters only favour a few artists in the country in terms of promotion which they complained is a disservice to many artists. During a Monday meeting at Nyakuron Cultural Centre which was attended by the artists, presenters and some news journalists, aggrieved musicians blamed the UN Radio Miraya for not playing their songs yet it covers the whole country. According to the artists, there are many radio stations in Juba but are only being listened to in the city. They said they expected radio Miraya which covers the whole country to help them in promoting their music. "Miraya FM has been promoting only Silver X which is not good. We have different talents. We can all be promoted," says W.J, the king of Lokwilili. "Radio stations are supposed to be the ones to unite artists but it is not the case now." Meen-Men said that he was made to compete at first with W.J's Freedom Voices where they were made to become enemies. "Why we are complaining is that our supporters are asking us that they don't hear our songs being played on the radio stations. We are being asked whether we have not produced new songs but we tell them the songs are there at the radio stations," laments Meen-Men of the Coozos clan. "Our new songs when produced usually we take them to Radio Miraya but they are not regularly played. They may be played once or twice a week which make listeners not to know about the songs and requests." W.J weighs in saying: "No fair play of music at all on radio Miraya which we trust is the radio that can sell all of us and promote us. Some years back, Silver X, who just started in 2010, was much promoted by Sebit William (Presenter Radio Miraya)." "We urge radio Miraya to equally promote all of us the artists in South Sudan." The artists said Moro Isaac Lokombo and Sebit William, presenters with Radio Miraya promote only one or two artists "It us who brought up Silver X to the music stage right from Torit when we first went for our show. There is no need promoting him alone," Meen-Men lamented. Ater Amony, a poet who also attended the meeting urged radio stations not to be bias but instead promote all artists uniformly. "In Egypt and Kenya where I went, radio stations play their own country songs not like in South Sudan here where I hear radios play foreign songs more than the national songs," Ater commented. "A presenter is supposed to be like the president who should not be selective about artists. We don't need tribal affiliations. We need new changes in this New Year 2014," said W.J. Another artist, Lucky Owner said he stopped listening to radio Miraya since 2011 because of the unfair play of music. "I don't like it at all," he said. Nevertheless, Lokombu, one of the presenters accused of bias refuted the claims, saying he plays songs of the artists in South Sudan. He said he promoted all artists including Meen-Men of Coozos Clan with their song of "Suk Karabu". "I don't segregate. It was an attack," Lokombu who unlike Sebit attended the meeting said. Posted in: Home<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/1/Home.aspx> , Music<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/18/Music.aspx> , Media News<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/129/Media-News.aspx> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14oqhp3gR5vzQNMCRzA7jsR2wRYGHnvGXD6eawtK2uQG_1g%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
