Culture Center for TV Programs? - Goyang City Under Fire

The Goyang city government in Gyeonggi-do is under fire for its decision to use its two culture centers, each worth more than 100 billion won, for TV show program recording. The culture centers currently under construction were initially aimed to host operas and classic music concerts for local residents, but the city now says it will allow broadcasters to record show programs there.

▽ Stage for TV Show Program?

The city sent an official letter to two leading broadcasters MBC and SBS in October last year to ask what kind and how many shows they would be able to record in its culture centers. The two companies, in return, replied respectively that there would be some 65 and 50 shows available for a year.

MBC named Pop Concert (30 times a year), Music Camp (25 times), special pop shows and a year-end award, while SBS listed Pop Chart, Housewives Pop Contest and a year-end award.

Given it takes three to four days to record a single program, the culture centers will be used for the entertainment shows all around a year. The two broadcasters even consulted with the city for sound and lighting equipment, with the city ready to accommodate their advice.

˝We plan to adjust some of installations for TV show recoding purposes while maintaining the larger frame intact,˝ said an official from the city government.

Ilsan Culture Center scheduled to open in 2005 will house a 2,000 seat-scale opera theater, a 1,500 seat-scale oncert hall and a 350 seat-scale experiment theater. Deokyang Culture Gymnasium due to open in July this year will have a 1,500 seat-scale culture hall, a 450 seat-scale culture center and a playground, and some 52 billion won will be additionally injected into building an ice link, a swimming pool and an indoor court.

▽ Waste of Tax Money

˝It is egregious that the city decided to build large facilities without considering local demand and now says it will allow recording of show programs,˝ said Gang Jun-hyok, a 55-year-old cultural event agent. ˝If the broadcasters record their show programs more than 100 times a year, the money required to construct the facilities must come from broadcasters not from the city`s coffer.˝

˝I was confused to see people from broadcasting companies during meetings,˝ said an official who was at the advisors meeting for the construction in November last year.

▽ Try to Be Practical

The city argues that it is trying to reduce any loss from operations by inviting broadcasters since it will not be easy to host operas and classic concerts. It also emphasizes that the centers are not designed for TV shows but for concerts, with only some parts of installations adjusted.

˝We have not nailed down the plan as to how to use the culture centers,˝ said a high-ranking official of the city. ˝We will consult with experts and key culture figures in the city so that the culture centers will serve as a place for local residents.˝

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