Bula Music Director (and AIRCO International Affairs Committee Chairman) Harvey Roberts responds in this open letter to Dianne Coetzer's article "Bad Mix", which appeared in the February 2008 edition of Empire Magazine.

 

Dear Dianne,

In the latest issue of Empire Magazine, you penned an article entitled “Bad Mix”, which focused primarily on the views of Keith Lister, head of Sony/BMG in South Africa, and his highly critical observations of the policies of the Department of Arts & Culture, (DAC), relating to the South African music industry.

Having thoroughly read and analysed the article, it’s my belief that you unfortunately miss the point by quite some distance!

I would not dispute that Lister is a competent professional who runs Sony/BMG very well. Furthermore it is generally accepted that he has done some notable work for the industry.

Sadly the fact remains that in spite of his considerable intellect, what Lister has failed to do is embrace any meaningful change whatsoever within the industry which he purports to care so much about. The major record companies, (of which Sony/BMG is the second biggest), have individually and jointly done little if anything to transform their structures in the past 15 years. Indeed in reality, next to nothing has changed since 1994. One only has to look at the management structure of RISA, the industry body controlled by the majors, and on whose executive Lister sits, and it becomes painfully clear that it is lost in another century. For a trade association that purports to represent all South African music, management structure of the organisation is a disgrace.

The South African music industry, led by the multinational majors, has been almost completely negligent in its implementation of transformation in post apartheid South Africa. It is difficult to understand how a creative industry that should have led the way in this process, has lagged so far behind.

It is simply not true that “equity for local shareholders is not how the global entertainment players operate”. What about the deal here in South Africa between Warner Music and Gallo. Surely Gallo are local shareholders? I thought joint venture deals were equity deals. I recall, though I stand to be corrected, that even Sony/BMG may have done a similar deal in India. In any event, transformation is not only about equity. One only has to look at how many talented black executives have been lost to our industry through sheer frustration as the largely white management cling tightly to their positions, to realise that something is horribly wrong.

I would agree that the DAC should not be getting directly involved in the business of music, but I’m convinced the only reason they do is because the industry has manifestly failed to transform itself. They do so because the majors are so focused on their highly profitable international rosters, that they are unable, and to a large degree unwilling, to do justice to our rich local music heritage. Local music is more risky and less profitable for them. Too much growth in local music, if it comes at the expense of sales of international product, is simply not good business as far as the majors are concerned. The DAC would no doubt be less interested in getting involved if they believed that the majors had the best interests of South African music at heart.

The DAC would also be less critical if they believed that there were more decision makers in the industry that were aware and more sensitive to the realities of South Africa today. Statements made by Lister do not give much assurance to anyone that the industry is in good hands, and articles like “Bad Mix” add fuel to the fire. If the intention was to get the DAC to reconsider its views and stand back, then it is the wrong way to go about it, and will most likely have the opposite result.

Keith Lister has been a key industry leader during this critical post apartheid period. The legacy that he leaves will sadly not be that of a vibrant, creative and healthy local music industry, unless he is prepared to lead the majors through a difficult transformation. Perhaps it has not occurred to him that transformation would be good for business in the long run.

Yours truly,

Harvey Roberts

Director of Bula Music