One of the innovative features of this year’s Ghana Music Awards main ceremony was the showing of video clips on some issues affecting the growth of music in this country.

Of the three topics tackled in the clips, we deem the matter of payola as something that needs immediate thrashing out by the relevant media quarters.

Payola refers to a bribe offered in return for unofficial promotion of music on radio and televisionn. Disc jockeys at radio stations are often accused of taking payola.

The disconcerting thing in this system is that the disc jockeys prefer to make the payola issue look like a big joke, as if nothing like that happens.

In the same breath, those who appear to have little or no option than to dole out millions of cedis everytime they have a new song to promote keep complaining of the pinch they feel.

Brilliant new artistes are getting their works drowned because they don’t have money to give out for their material to be played on air.

In the absence of any laws regulating payola, we implore disc jockeys to be aware of the danger the phenomenon poses to the music industry. Their conscience must guide them to appreciate the general plight of musicians in this country and spare them the agony of having to dish out money before their works are heard.

Radio station managers must also take some interest in the issue and help curb payola.