The increase of the minimum mandatory quota of Portuguese music in the radio music program to 30 percent was announced on 14 January, by the Minister of Culture, Graça Fonseca, with the objective of “Increase the dissemination of Portuguese music” and “its appreciation for the benefit of authors, artists and producers”. Graça Fonseca recalled, at the time, that the quota had remained unchanged since the beginning of its application, when its tutelage was scheduled for its annual review. The 2006 Radio Law foresaw a share of Portuguese music between 25 and 40 percent for general stations.
The day after the announcement, the Portuguese Broadcasting Association (APR) and the Christian Inspired Radio Association (ARIC) spoke out against the measure, claiming its ineffectiveness, lack of dialogue, and criticising the lack of government support for the media, and radio in particular. The Portuguese Phonographic Association (AFP) and the Association for the Management and Distribution of Rights (Audiogest) were satisfied with a decision they considered “a positive and important step for the music sector”. Days later, the groups Renascença and Media Capital Rádios, in an open letter to the Minister of Culture, Graça Fonseca, considered the increase to 30 percent in the minimum share of diffusion of Portuguese music an “ineffective, unfair” measure, which does not solve the problem of artists.
At the end of January, more than 450 Portuguese musicians and songwriters, who have been joined in the meantime by hundreds more, signed onto a statement, in which they appealed to the public to listen to their music on the radio, welcoming the increase in the minimum share of music Portuguese radio stations to 30 percent.
The list of supporters included, among many others, musicians such as Ágata, Agir, Aldina Duarte, António Zambujo, Bárbara Bandeira, Aurea, Blaya, Camané, Carminho, Carolina Deslandes, Cláudia Pascoal, Conan Osiris, David Bruno, David Carreira, Dino D 'Santiago, Diogo Piçarra, Fausto Bordalo Dias, Manel Cruz, ProfJam, Marta Ren, Paulo de Carvalho, Pedro Abrunhosa, Quim Barreiros, Ricardo Ribeiro, Rodrigo Leão, Rui Veloso, Sam The Kid, Selma Uamusse, Toy and Xinobi. In the text, the artists remembered that they need “contact with the public”, that they “hear” them and feel that they are being heard.
So midnight to 7.15 then. If it was popular it would already be filling radio playlists to fulfill demand.
By Scott from Algarve on 01 Mar 2021, 20:01