Norwegian artists will lose millions from less radio play

Radio. Photo. pixabay.com

Norwegian musical artists can lose up to six million in annual revenue when Radio Norge and P4 are no longer committed to playing Norwegian music after the New Year.

When the FM network shuts down next year, the commercial channels P4 and Radio Norge will no longer be committed to playing Norwegian music. Today, the percentage is at least 35% Norwegian music, but that finishes on January 1, reported the newspaper Klassekampen.

According to the joint Norwegian collection society for musicians, performing artists and phonogram producers, Gramo, Norwegian artists will lose 5.9 million in revenue next year if P4 and Radio Norge halve their Norwegian interests.

Gramo director, Martin Grondahl, said he thinks that estimate is reasonable, since both channels played a lot of Norwegian music at night to fill the quota.

‘We’re one hundred percent certain to get much less Norwegian music on the radio, and Gramo’s Norwegian members are going to get a lot less money’, said Grondahl.

‘Radio stations say they play what people want to hear, and then it will become ‘Stairway to Heaven’ he said.

Tove Bøygard, deputy head of the Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists, shared Grondahl’s concern.

‘After physical sales have dropped away, we are left with only the crumbs. Radio revenue is an important income for many artists. In P4 they’d prefer to hand over responsibility for playing new Norwegian music to NRK news’.

‘To introduce new publications, and unknown Norwegian music, is first and foremost a responsibility that NRK must bear’, said Kenneth Andresen of P4 Group to Klassekampen newspaper.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today