Ghanaian disc jockey and event host, Merqury Quaye, has admonished event organisers to give MCs better remuneration. 

Merqury, told Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z that just as it is done in other countries, people in Ghana who patronise the services of MCs should pay them well. 

“I believe that today’s exercise will inspire a lot of event organisers, will inspire people to pay MCs more. When I did the NFA Draft Day guess what, Kwame, I asked how much my colleague from Ohio got from that event and they said 30,000 dollars and you can ask me how much I got. 

So I think that this [programme] actually helps people to understand and we hope to have more. The MCs also deserve to buy the mansions like our colleagues in the US, and Nigeria are doing so please pay us more,” Merqury Quaye noted. 

This comes on the back of concerns by some MCs that event organisers usually treat them as ancillary and would want to give them a pittance for their work. 

Meanwhile, Jerry Adjorlolo, another venerated MC in Ghana has intimated that the work of MCs is lucrative.

He, however, noted that the payment for work done depends on the weight and value the host brings on board. 

“Starting out, my basic understanding of this job is that you start from a certain position where you are prepared to work for free.  Then you graduate to a point where you are prepared to be paid something. And then as you graduate further you get paid a fee. And as you grow, you get to be paid your fee. And as you grow further you get to be paid above your fee. And when you have hit the top, you are actually paid because you are you,” he told the host Kwame Dadzie. 

According to Jerry, almost every MC travels along this trajectory everyday. 

“There are certain places you have to do for free because of certain considerations. There are certain places too that you have to insist on your fee,” he said.

They made these submissions while discussing the art and craft of emceeing on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z.

Other speakers on the panel were Nathaniel Attoh, Anita Erskine and Kabutey Ocansey.