Renowned radio personality Jonathan Abugbilla, known in showbiz circles as Ital, has made his stance known on the issue of payola in the entertainment industry.
Ital is a reggae show host on Bolgatanga based, A1 Radio. He is known for his exemplary flair in speaking patois, an English-based creole language with West African influences, spoken primarily in Jamaica and among the Jamaican diaspora. On his reggae show, Ital is known to highlight the achievements of African heroes.
“I frown on it. When you accept money from an artiste, you let the artiste dictate your playlist, because you have to play their songs whether you like them or not, so I don’t support the taking of payola.”
While openly stating his stance against Payola, Ital was quick to add that he doesn’t begrudge other media practitioners who take it saying, “we know times are tough. Times are sticky.”
He made this known during an interview with Mr. Lexis on The Fuse, an online initiative by A1 Radio to help promote the arts and culture of the Upper East Region.
Payola, as it is popularly known, refers to money promoters (presenters/DJs) take to promote an artiste’s craft. The issue of payola has been spoken about by renowned radio personalities, the likes of Andy Dosty, Blakk Rasta, and more, either in support of or against it.
Ital Da City Painta has a decade of experience in radio under his belt.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Ibrahim Aziz|Ghana
