Demanding Electronic Signboards Relay Fee of Fifty Million Won

`Street World Cup,` watching the big games through large scaled electronic signboards, is in danger of extinction.

Why? Because the self-autonomous local governments and private enterprises, which have planned `outdoor electronic signboard relay broadcasting` are giving up one after another the relay broadcasting as the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) is demanding up to fifty million Won for showing each game.

According to an official of the administration office of Seoul Kangdong-Gu on May 28, `As the FIFA demands fifty million Won for each game Korea team plays during the World Cup finals as a relay broadcasting fee and twenty million Won for other teams` plays, we cancelled the plan to establish an electronic signboard in the ceremony venue of Kangdong Seonsa Festival in June.`

A related person of the Jongro-Gu administration office in Seoul said, `We have agreed to pay about 28.6 million Won as a relay broadcasting fee for seven games including Korea versus Poland games in early May, but we are renegotiating as the FIFA, as enthusiasm for the World Cup flared up, moved to cancel the original contract.`

Especially, FIFA is accused of being overindulging profit-making as it demands up to five hundred million Won to private enterprise for a relay broadcasting fee of electronic signboards of the whole games of the World Cup finals.

Therefore, it is unlikely Seoul citizens can enjoy `Street World Cup` except some places where the games are freely available including a large scaled electronic signboard at the World Cup Stadium in Sangam-Dong, Mapo-Gu, Seoul, and World Cup Plaza electronic signboard at `Peace Park` nearby the stadium.

Korean football fans who watched Korea versus France games through an electronic signboard near the Kwanghwa Gate in Seoul said, `I hope to hear again the cheering sound of red devils in the Kwanghwa Gate during the World Cup finals as the negotiation between the FIFA and enterprises goes smoothly.`

The FIFA does not demand separate relay broadcasting fee for mass viewing through large TV screens when a broadcasting company transmitting the games paid the TV license fee, but demands to pay the relay broadcasting fee when the games are mass viewed through large scaled electronic signboards or multi-visions.

Young-Sik Ahn Young-A Soh ysahn@donga.com sya@donga.com