LOCAL broadcaster NBC has reportedly not been providing their performing register schedule (PRS) to the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) for the past two years, resulting in song writers not being paid for the music played on its stations.

“For the past two years NASCAM has not received PRS documents from NBC and since NASCAM doesn’t have any records of the songs that have been played, we unfortunately cannot pay out any money to the musicians,” says the Chief Executive Officer of NASCAM, John Max.

Max says that NASCAM has sent several letters to NBC, but they did not get any response. “We even hosted meetings with them to send their PRS forms, but they still failed to bring it to us at the end of the each month.” Max points out that the last meeting with NBC was held earlier this year in June.

A letter to NBC written in January reads: “The incomplete PRS forms have been counting for years now, especially from the radio services like Oshivambo, Otjiherero and TV programs, Whatagwan. We have on several occasions requested these information documents of the music carried through NBC, radio and TV to be submitted to our office and this did not happen.”

“Song writers have been complaining to me over payment, because they would hear their music being played, but do not get any payment. They claim it is NASCAM’s fault, but if we (NASCAM) don’t have the PRS forms, there is unfortunately nothing that we can do.”

Max further encouraged radio and TV stations to submit their PRS documents to NASCAM, in order to reward song writers for their work. “We should keep in mind that for some song writers, music is their full-time job. Music is their bread and butter. Therefore they (stations) should respect music and record it when [songs are] being played.”

Max further anticipates that all radio stations will switch over to digital format next year. “This way the songs that are played will be recorded and no more manual work will be done,” he says.

Chief News and Programming Officer at NBC, Audrin Mathe, explained that he could not provide the necessary answers, as he has only been in his current position at NBC for one year and instead referred Informanté to the Chief Financial Officer, Jantje Daun. NBC requested that questions be mailed to the relevant officer, but in keeping with the pattern described above, no reply was forthcoming over the past week.