Leighton Williams, Staff Reporter
IN THE YEAR 2000, entertainment industry players gathered at the Caribbean Music Expo (CME) and proposed the setting up of the Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean (RIAC).
Two years later, the idea has remained pretty much the same - a proposal. The idea was first proposed at the CME in 2000. No time frame as to the creation of such an organisation was given. Since then, turning that idea into actuality has been a slow process.
"A lot has to be done in terms of ground work, we have been to meetings put on by Governments around the region. We've been invited to meetings by UNESCO, UNDP and CARICOM. All this has happened in the last six months," disclosed CME chairman Lloyd Stanbury.
If and when the Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean comes into being, the organisation will operate in a similar way to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) or the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), which runs a similar operation to that of the RIAA.
The RIAA is the trade group that represents the United States' recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that represents its members' interests. Its members are the record companies which create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90 per cent of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States (U.S.). It acts as a lobby group in the industry, campaigning for artistes to freely express themselves. In addition, it represents its members' interest by encouraging them to put in place 'Parental Advisory' stickers on their CDs when necessary.
Unlike its proposed Canadian counterpart, the RIAA mission statement does not say whether it is a profit or non-profit organisation. Its website does not give details of its organisational structure but does mention a president.
The CRIA is a non-profit trade organisation that was founded in 1964 to represent the interests of Canadian companies involved in the recording industry. The strength of CRIA, it is said, '...lies in its ability to represent all aspects of the industry on a national basis.'
CRIA is governed by a Board of Directors elected annually by the membership from among the chief executive officers of member companies. The board establishes policies and elects the officers of the association.
Both interest groups provide sales figures in terms of albums and singles sales. CRIA, for example, generates a 'Soundscan' chart for persons interested in knowing sales figures for artistes. Both also offer certification for albums using the same symbols - gold, platinum and diamond.
From all indications, the Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean will be modelled off either, or a similar association, with the 'best' one being chosen.
Head of the Intellectual Property Service Centre, Tony Laing, whose organisation is a part of the Caribbean Copyright Link (CCL), points out that it is possible that such a Caribbean interest group would be modelled on either organisation.
"The Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean would be a chip off the RIAA or another organisation. We will look at them and select the best one. Our biggest earnings come from U.S. The RIAA (as well as other recording industry associations) have been successful. If we ape them it would be to our benefit," he noted.
Laing hinted that the possibility exists that the CCL could move ahead in setting up an organisation of that nature since the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) had already paid for a programme that would see the setting up of a system similar to Soundscan. Such technology would aid in the collection of royalties as well as telling actual record sales and being able to issue a chart that was somewhat representative of what was taking place within the industry.
Stanbury, when asked about the involvement the CCL would play in the setting up of the Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean, said that all entities representing artistes and musicians in the Caribbean would have to work in concert for the success of such an organisation.
"All regional institutions will have to work together. CCL is only one such organisation. It is possible because all the islands in the region have their various bodies."
The CME chairman told The Sunday Gleaner that a part of the reason for the sluggish pace in setting up the Caribbean's own recording industry interest group was due the outlook of producers in the region.
"Producers are moving slow because of the environment that they are in. A lot of producers and artistes feel they are not respected by government. What is needed is for the producers to organise themselves," said Stanbury.
Stanbury disclosed that Trinidad had taken the step towards making such a regional organisation possible since it has a body called the Recording Industry Association of Trinidad and Tobago (RIATT). He adds that the producers needed to come together to make the proposal become a reality.
The idea of a Caribbean derivative of the RIAA has been greeted favourably by at least two local producers. They, however, had their reservations as to whether such an entity can succeed given the situation that exists now.
"I don't know how effective it would be in the Caribbean in terms of the Soundscan since producers don't like to tell sales figures. It works in the U.S. because once the record leaves the manufacturer it is documented. Here there are a lot of little 'tuck shops' manufacturing and selling records, so it is difficult to tell," said producer Mikey Bennett. He gave his support for a regional organisation similar to the RIAA as long it represented the interests of the region.
Bennett's views are enhanced by fellow producer Donovan Germaine who adds; "if a body can come together and lobby for the recording people in the Caribbean it would be great. We are so individualised with each person doing their own thing that it would be good if such an organisation was able to bring everybody together."
It has been suggested by industry players that a part of the reason for the unwillingness of many producers to join such a lobby association is due to their efforts to evade the much feared 'tax man'.
However, Stanbury points out that the payment of taxes would be a small price to pay for the investment the entertainment industry would get from both the public and private sectors.
"You can't ask for government help and then turn around and don't want to tell government how much you are making. If there is a proper organisation then government will know how much is needed to help set up the industry. The government needs to know how much money the sector is making in order to measure output. The government is committed to giving producers tax-free incentives. There should be no fear about the tax," he said.
It is believed that setting up such an industry would only be of benefit to the region since there would be spin-offs as a result of a Recording Industry Association of the Caribbean being in existence.
One of the benefits to the region would be the ultimate development of a regional entity to market our music. "How we are moving, we can't turn back again. All collection societies are aligned with an international body and it will be in our best interest to come together. The Caribbean produces material and we are not as sophisticated. It would be better if we are organised. How can we lose?" asked Laing.
