2 Dec Homegrown music's heartbeat

Video may have killed the radio star, but for a Singapore musician, just trying to get airplay on a local radio station is already murder.

So when it was announced in Parliament last week that there were no plans to enforce a quota for homegrown music to be played on air, the question that arose was whether it was a setback for local talent.

Last Thursday, Communications and Information Minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim was quoted as saying that the Media Development Authority (MDA) would not impose such a quota because of the lack of broadcast-quality local music right now.

While quotas might have helped give local musicians a leg up, there are a lot more avenues for growth and there is no need to risk the ire of local deejays forced to play their music whether they like it or not.

Just a quick visit to pubs that play local music, such as Timbre and its sister outlets, or spin local electronica, such as Broadcast HQ, will prove that the pickings for local talent are no longer as restricted as in the past.