Royalties scandal: Silverbird's Rythm FM sued for N3bn

Silverbird Chairman, Ben Bruce

After Wazobia FM and Cool FM its now the turn of Rythm FM - owned by the Silverbird group to dance to the music they played by explaining to judges why they've been broadcasting artists's  music without paying royalties. The Spy has gathered that Silverbird who've been in the news lately over their Most Beautiful Girl In Nigeria (MBGN) scandals have been hit with a Three billion Naira law suit by COSON - the Copyright Society of Nigeria. COSON's chairman Chief Tony Okoroji said his
organisation had lost patience with recalcitrant broadcasters. Reporting the story, NFC quotes Okoroji as saying - "If anyone pushes us, we will push back. We have opened our doors wide and still continue to keep them open to all who are willing to discuss with us and legally deploy music in their business. Those who respect us will receive respect from us. Those who treat the music industry with contempt will get what they deserve". In short, there's no such thing as a free lunch, Una dey hear? Pidgin English network Wazobia FM and Cool FM were the first to feel the spinning wrath of COSON when they were successively cued like records on the turn tables of the High court in June to the tune of One billion Naira and Two billion Naira respectively for failing to pay musicians royalties and I reported then that hardly any broadcasting organisation in the country will escape this sweeping, decisive and unprecedented action by COSON as they're all culpable to varying degrees. So its three down and more to follow. But who will be next? Well, the Spy says - You've played the music, its now time to dance to it!
*The Spy ALWAYS finds out and ALWAYS tells it as it is... Be the first to know - follow @africancelebspy on Twitter and like us on Facebook.