Payola here, payola there, payola everywhere. The issue of payola has been existent since God knows when, but in recent weeks, the issue has become much-talked-about.

So many articles are being written on the subject and many entertainment related programmes on radio and television have been discussing it, and like many others I’m particularly frazzled on reading and hearing about payola. It has become a nuisance.

My good friend Jonathan Thompson has virtually become a payola activist, writing various pieces on the subject, and his recent write-up was ‘Stop Payola’ published on the March 1-7 edition.

It was a good write-up, but the question I pose is, Who should stop Payola? Is it the radio presenter who receives it or the Executive producer, producer, manager or the musician that gives it? Who?

I have monitored various radio and TV discussions on the subject, and no radio presenter interviewed has ever come out clear to say that he has received money to play a song. The same way, no producer or musician has ever stated on record to have given money for the airplay of his/her song.

So, if the radio presenters, producers and musicians are not gutsy enough to come out and say that, yes, we do take or give payola and assign genuine reasons as to why they give and receive payola, then payola is simply non-existent in Ghana.

Why then should we discuss something that does not exist? The producers and musicians claim they don’t give money out for their songs to get airplay, rather, whatever they give are meant to show appreciation.

Appreciation for what? If a presenter gets a token of appreciation for playing a song, won’t he be encouraged to play more?

The radio presenters also claim they don’t charge anybody before they play their songs, but then; they can’t refuse good ‘handshakes’. ‘Handshakes’ for what?

The same presenters who are vociferous in saying they frown on payola are the same who are collecting it, and the producers who are swearing heaven and earth never to give payola are the same people who are paying in the name of appreciation and ‘handshake’.

What did they use in buying the gifts they call appreciation and handshake? The only way we can find solution to this issue, is only when those involved come out to admit its existence and then give reasons why it is necessary.

If they do, perhaps, we’ll know whether payola helps the industry or not. If nobody is willing to come out and defend the giving and taking of payola, then we must accept that payola will never be stopped, never!