Singer Samantha Mumba has backed calls to support Irish artists – saying it is “so important” to support home grown talent.
It comes in the wake of 2FM star Dave Fanning calling on the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to force radio stations to play more music by Irish artists, saying rules in Canada and France forces stations to promote their own – and reckons the same should be done here.
And Samantha, who is the host of her new radio show, Dublin’s Good Times, on 98FM, agrees and said we should always support home grown talent.
She said: “Living in the states I’m a bit out of the loop regarding that conversation, it’s so important to support home grown talent so I hope if that has been the case in the past, now that it’s been addressed that will bring about change.”
But the Gotta Tell You hitmaker said she has always been “grateful” for the support she received when she was starting out in the music business.
“But I will say I am grateful that I’ve always found Irish radio very supportive, particularly of my older music- definitely being an indie artist now it’s been a different process this time around securing airplay. A lot of that is me just figuring it out as I go along I think though to be honest.”
Under French law, 40% of all music played on national radio must be performed in the French language. The law was introduced two decades ago to stop an invasion of English language songs and to protect the national music industry.
For broadcast stations, the CRTC presently requires that 60% yearly, and at least 50% of programming aired daily from 6pm to midnight must be of Canadian origin. In May 2011 the CanCon requirement for private television broadcasters was lowered to 55% yearly.
Dave previously told us that Irish people own the airwaves.
“Who owns the airwaves? The Irish people own the airwaves and while they have to make a living and make a thing work, they should be sometimes subject to law and a good law is the one in Canada and the one in France. Just do it, every fourth song has to be from an Irish act. It wouldn’t kill people and it wouldn’t make people turn off.”
It comes after Louis Walsh questioned how we can break a new act if we don’t support our own artists.
“How can we break a new act if our own radio stations won’t play our own acts? That’s the problem I find.
“I had to fight to get radio play, even for Westlife,” he said. “It’s like the stations feel like they’re doing you a favour. And yet on BBC, we’re getting ‘Records of the Week’, we're getting A-listed, it’s so much easier over there.”
Samantha’s Saturday night show will be entertaining listeners with dance, R&B and old school anthems.
Speaking about her new show, she said: “This is actually something that’s been in the works for a while now, 98fm approached me and the rest went from there! As a proud Dubliner I’m very happy to be working with the station.”
And she admitted she had plenty of nerves, saying: “Plenty of nerves but only because I really want it to be something that everyone enjoys.”
But she joked she might throw in one or two hits by herself on the playlist.
But she said she isn’t quitting her own music career for radio, saying she’s busy in the studio recording more songs.
“I’m certainly not choosing one over the other! This is only a few hours a week so it’s great in that sense. I’m currently recording as well so I have lots planned for the year.”
