Don Laka hits out at Lotus FM over 90% boycott 'threats'

Jazz veteran and music advocate Don Laka has hit out at Lotus FM, saying that the radio station cannot be excluded from the SABC's 90 percent local music quota.

Laka, who was instrumental in a decision by the SABC earlier this month to increase its local music quota to 90 percent across all of its 18 radio stations, took to his personal Facebook page this week to pen a stinging rebuke aimed at the station, saying money from music shouldn't be allowed to flow from South Africa into India.

"Radio Lotus, you can’t be excluded by wanting to play Bollywood music here. We are stopped the out flow of monies to the US, UK and now you think that should go to India? We say NOOOOOO! You need to play SA music, integrate with other cultures of SA, at his fight was not about bringing Apartheid through the back door,but to kill anything related," Laka wrote.

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The post comes in the midst of a turbulent last few weeks for Lotus FM listeners who have threated to boycott the station, saying that there is not enough local quality music to meet the imposed quota.

There has been no official word from the station suggesting that it will boycott the decision, but Don went on to warn the station that it decide not to keep to the quota, it would face a "campaign for a total shutdown"

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"Please toe the line and stop with your threats or we will campaign for a total shutdown," he wrote.

Speaking to TMG Entertainment on Wednesday, SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said that the SABC has been engaging, and will continue to engage with Lotus FM, but have not experienced any dissent or threats of boycott from the station.

"None of the stations can boycott the decision, even if they wanted to. Listeners are well within their rights to listen to whatever station they want but we are committed to developing local music, including those that appeal to Lotus FM listeners, and all of our stations must adhere to the quota," he said.

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Kganyago says that suggesting that there is a lack of local talent to fill the quota is an insult to the local music industry and the quota will "provide these industries with opportunities to develop talent."

"We have stated before that we will not change the format of any shows or stations. Stations must just replace international artists with local ones. We want to see stations play more cross-cultural music," he said.

He expressed his confidence that this is being adhered to at all of the SABC's stations, including Lotus FM.

"They (Lotus FM) are working on it at the moment. They are playing it as we speak. We see no concerns," Kaizer said.