It has taken award winning sound engineer, Appietus, to lift the lid off a practice by which mobile phone companies and their collaborators make loads of money at the expense of phone users.

The routine, as has been followed by radio stations, event orgnisers and marketers has been simple. The phone user is encouraged to send a text message to contribute to a radio programme, answer a question, vote on particular issues or even request a song for a loved one.

Unlike the regular two units that a phone user loses when sending text, this kind of radio text which uses phone numbers that are shorter than the usual, costs more, much more than two units and the phone user does not know.

Poor phone users. Not only have they been contributing to make someone?s radio programme interesting via text messages, they have also been paying more than double the normal rate to do so.

Besides radio stations, event organisers and marketers also encourage the use of phone texts messages for voting, quizzes and all manner of competitions.

The benefit that goes to the radio stations or event organisers on one hand, and the mobile phone companies is believed to be substantial. The collaborators share the extra cash that the phone user gives them.

All this came to light when Appietus realised that communications giant, Areeba, was running a promotion on their network which enabled phone users who dialled 1403 to choose a song and listen to them on their phones.

He told Showbiz that the Areeba song compilation had two of his songs, Run Run Some Tings performed by Praye and Change Your Style performed by Wutah.

According to Appietus, ?When it came to my notice that my songs were being used for the promotion I naturally got upset because I had not been consulted by anybody for permission to use those songs?.

Upon investigation, Appietus said, he found out that Areeba had entered into a collaboration with Peace FM for the said promotion so he contacted them and he was told to go Mobile Content, a company which was contracted by Areeba to handle everything about the promotion including the payment of artistes whose songs were being used.

?When I contacted Mobile Content, they in turn directed me to COSGA as the body they were obliged to pay all royalties to. I went to COSGA where I was told that because I was not a registered member, I could not be paid.

?My problem is that since I am not a registered member of COSGA, they have no business taking any money on my behalf. What they should have done was direct Mobile Content to me because I am not their member?, he said.

Now Appietus is demanding answers from Mobile Content and Areeba as to what they are doing and when they are going to pay him. ?I want them to tell me when they are giving me my money?.

Although he cannot say the exact amount owed him, he believes that it runs into millions. ?I live on making songs. I make a living when people buy my tapes but now because of this promotion, many people are listening to my songs on their phones and I am losing money?.

According to Appietus, Areeba deducts 10 units when one listens to the songs. Out of this, Areeba takes two units and gives the remaining eight to Mobile Content who in turn gives a percentage to Peace FM and a percentage to COSGA who pay the artistes for the number of times the songs are listened to.