... Key artistes exit over salary arrears
The Ghana Television's (GTV) most popular television show, Cantata is gradually sinking since stars, including Kwaku Ahin Yeaboah a.k.a 'Abrobe' and Kwaku Nkrumah a.k.a Jnr. Dr. Nkrumah have left the show for not having received their meager salaries for well over one and half years.

Chronicle gathered that since viewers' research proved that the show was the most viewed programme; a lot of companies have sponsored the programme, however, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has failed to pay the drama group of 27 their ?500,000 for a show, which after tax deduction reduced to ?425,000.

It is pathetic, how the artists put up splendid performance every Sunday just to be paid only ?20,000 for the director, producer and writer, ?10,000 for each of the senior actors whiles junior actors receive only?5,000 per head. With even this weekly pay, for one and half years now, they have not received it.

The programme is written, directed and produced by the famous Nana Bosompra II, and made more interesting by Abrobe and Jnr. Dr. Nkrumah whose awesome performance is a gene from his father, the Late S.K. Oppong of the Osofo Dadzie show fame.

Sources told The Chronicle that Nana Bosomprah II, from his own pocket, had to subsidize the show with ?300,000 every week since the musical band that supports the artists, takes ?500,000 per show.

Other artists that left together with the two are Kwame Reynolds-Yeboah, James Love Amakye, Christiana Awuni and Shiela Aboagyewaa.

The paper learnt that currently, what the artists were demanding were as follows, ?500,000 per person per week as agreed to with GTV, 50% of the sponsorship package from Ernest Chemists, Ghana AIDS Commission and Kasapreko Alomo Bitters.

Additionally, the artists were demanding interest on all these sums of monies at the prevailing bank rate from date due and owed until date of final payment.

Sources told The Chronicle that in July 2003, the problems of the group started when the measly stipend of ?425,000 that GBC paid to the group was stopped because at that time, Ernest Chemist had apparently entered into an agreement with the GBC to sponsor the show.

Cantata was not a party to this contract, however, as a result of this contract, officials of GBC then verbally promised to pay the Cantata group ?2million a show rather than the usual artiste's fee.

A written contract to this effect was prepared between GBC on the one hand and the Cantata group on the other.

This was however never signed and the oral promise has not been fulfilled uptil now.

The source said the contract was supposed to be for a year but somewhere along the line, Ernest Chemists pulled out of the contract when they realized that GBC was not paying the group they were sponsoring.

Regarding the Kasapreko sponsorship, the source stressed that the group was totally in the dark as to what arrangements GBC had with Kasapreko, and why their adverts were placed on the show.

When The Chronicle contacted the Director of GTV, Mr. Kofi Bucknor, he confirmed that the Cantata group had not been receiving their share of the sponsorship.

He blamed the non-payment of their share of the contract to the improper way the contract was done.

He said the GTV management was discussing the issue with the Cantata group to settle the issue so that the artists could come back on the bloc.