[Editorial] Telecast franchise on Nobel Prize awarding ceremony

Fierce battles are now being waged among TV networks over the rights to telecast the awarding ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway on Dec. 10. Obviously, MBC obtained the preemptive franchise, but both KBS and SBS are belatedly requesting MBC for joint TV coverage of the event. The final decision on the request has yet to be made. If MBC agrees with the two media networks, the three TV stations will telecast the awarding ceremony of the world's most coveted prize live for half an hour from 9 p.m. on Dec. 10.

The networks' practice for joint live coverage of an event is one of the disagreeable features they have repeatedly shown us in the past. Whenever there is a special event or sport games that draw great public interest, all the networks bitterly vie with each other to cover the event, regardless of the fact that coverage by one network would have been sufficient. In the process, the viewers with no interest in watching the event are deprived of their right to choose the channels for other programs. As a consequence, the TV networks cannot avoid the criticism that they are needlessly wasting the airwaves, which must duly be considered as public property.

They can always take turns to avoid the overlapping, joint coverage, as has been the long-established practice in the case of major foreign networks. It is very disappointing to see that our networks can still not stop repeating their old-fashioned, reporting practices in this challenging era preparing to start the new services of satellite TV broadcasting.

MBC obtained the exclusive rights for the coverage of the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremony by striking a deal with TWI, the European agent for the franchise. Thus, MBC retains the sole and exclusive rights to the television coverage. In view of the franchise contract, other networks must give way to MBC for the event's exclusive telecast. The general public does not care which network is in charge of the coverage, but one TV channel should be good enough for the event. This is also supported by the logic of economic considerations. For other networks have to pay extra money to TWI for their coverage even if they obtain MBC's consent.

The grounds on which KBS made the request for MBC's consent for the joint telecast is rather ridiculous if not ludicrous: it apparently argued that KBS, as the only state network, has every reason to telecast the event as President Kim Dae-Jung's receiving of the Nobel Peace Prize amounts to an official state function. All of the TV networks have equal grounds to represent the public's common interests.

In this respect, KBS has no better ground than other networks just because it is the state-owned network. Thus, KBS must be prepared to display a public spirit of fairness to give the exclusive franchise to MBC since it solely obtained the contractual rights for the telecast.

Economy-wise, our nation is now having a very difficult time. In this regard, it should be recalled here that our TV stations were engaged in an excessive competition to win the franchise for U.S. Major League telecasts to cover pitcher Park Chan-Ho. As a consequence, the franchise required the exorbitant payment of over $30 million for the next four years, which created a growing controversy not long ago.

The awarding ceremony next month is an occasion for national celebration. To make it more meaningful, we should make it an opportunity to establish an exemplary new practice in our TV networks by allowing the coverage by a single TV channel as was originally called for by the contract.