The second Vice President of Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), Amandzeba Brew, on Tuesday noted that 80 per cent of commercials aired on radio and television were foreign-based and urged the media to use local tunes for commercials to help promote local artistes.
He said half of the problems facing the Ghana music industry were artificial and could be solved with little effort from the stakeholders.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of Ghana Music Awards (GMA) Forum, the Acting Director of Television of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), Mr Moses Gyapong, said from 2006 to 2008, they paid GH¢45,000 each year to musicians adding that they would support musicians in promoting local music videos.
Mr Kwaw Ansah, founder of TV Africa, said many music videos were bad and did not show any African element.
He expressed regret that the language used in music now was very profane and should be discouraged and the criteria of selecting songs for awards should include descent language.
Mr Ansah noted that there were many foreign programmes on television which were not making the youth appreciate their culture.
Ms Ajoa Otchere, sales and sponsorship manager of TV3 Network, called on musicians to be creative in their works.
Mr Bosco Ahuma Ocansey, Programmes Director of Adom FM, said presenters and musicians who engaged in "payola", a practice whereby DJs collected money from musicians to play their songs, were guilty and must be prosecuted.
He said "payola" was a crime which was killing many talents in the music industry because artistes could not afford to pay presenters before their songs were played.
Mr Ocansey said the policy of Adom FM was that any presenter found taking "payola" from any artiste would be dismissed.
Musicians who spoke at the forum suggested that television stations should not charge them for airing their works.