‘PAID IN FULL: The Battle for Payback’ to be distributed by Abacus Media Rights

Supercollider joins with Idris & Sabrina Elba to uncover music industry injustice in new doc series for CBC and BBC

Premium TV and brand-led content label Supercollider, part of Zinc Media, is joining with Idris Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Sabrina Elba’s Pink Towel to make ‘PAID IN FULL: The Battle for Payback (w/t)’ for public broadcasters CBC and BBC. The new series examines the systematic exploitation of Black artists by the music industry and explores what it would look like for Black artists to receive reparations.

The series is commissioned by CBC and the BBC, and funded and co-produced by a partnership between Amcomri Entertainment company, Abacus Media Rights and Media Musketeers Studios, with Abacus distributing internationally.

‘PAID IN FULL: The Battle for Payback (w/t)’ (3 x 60 mins) documents the extent of the historic injustice suffered by the music industry’s Black artists, including the disparity of profits received by them, despite having created the records that have driven the fabric and culture of popular music.  Joining the dots between earlier decades in the story of the music industry, from jazz and rock and roll to soul and rap, the series will also look at racial inequality in the music industry both today and in the past. PAID IN FULL: The Battle for  Payback (w/t) will bring viewers all the way up to the present day, documenting the current state of play and will spotlight those who are fighting for change. 

Idris Elba, CEO, Green Door adds: “This is a story that touches all of us. It’s about the people who created the soundtracks of our lives in popular music and the pain of their exploitation. It’s also about bringing the music industry to account for the injustice inflicted on generations of musical talents who have been deprived of their rightful rewards both financially and in terms of status and respect. At the heart of it is the need to make amends – granting acknowledgement and paying back what is due.”

 Jonathan Ford, Managing Director, Abacus Media Rights, comments: “Funding and co-producing series such as this is an important part of AMR and Amcomri Entertainment’s remit, and highlights our commitment to getting strong projects greenlit. We were extremely keen to be part of this incredible production, which will bring much-needed focus to a topic that requires attention from the industry and the public.  We’re certain the excellent teams at Supercollider, Green Door and Catalyst will combine to do the subject justice.”