Artists are advocating for changes in the Copyright law bill, urging media houses to play 90% Ugandan music. However, progress on the amendment is still pending as legislators work together to finalize the law.
The Parliament’s ICT Committee has labelled the artists’ demand as “unreasonable and impractical,” stating that talent worldwide is judged by quality. Vice Chairman Tony Ayoo dismissed the request, emphasizing that Ugandan music must match international standards to gain sufficient airplay.
Media operations are driven by consumer preferences in the liberalized market. Therefore, Ugandan music needs to appeal to consumers to secure airtime. The proposed 90% music airplay rule may face opposition from consumers, seen as an infringement on their freedom to choose content.
National Culture Forum (NCF) and it’s member associations has been leading the Copyright law amendment advocacy campaign and it was reinforced by Eddy Kenzo when he joined with UNMF. However, progress has been slower than anticipated, with the amendment taking over a year. The next steps remain uncertain.
