MIC, KBC, Conflicts With Digital TV Arrangements

The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) and the Korea Broadcasting Commission (KBC) are having conflicts regarding the switch-over plans for ground wave digital TV. It began on November 28 when KBC announced its decision to extend the city district areas’ permission request time period for digital TV broadcasting by seven months, changing the original deadline from November 30 to June 30, 2004.

MIC replied by saying, “KBC’s decision on this is beyond their jurisdiction.”

According to the broadcast and radio regulation law, to receive permission for a digital TV broadcasting station, KBC gives a recommendation for permission and from this, MIC provides final approval.

Ryu Pil-gae, director of the radio and broadcasting bureau of MIC, said, “Extending the permission request time period is a matter that the MIC minister decides. I wish to express my regrets that KBC did not discuss this with the competent ministry when making the decision, at a time when research on foreign countries and their conditions for ground wave digital TV transmission method is being conducted.” He is concerned that because of this decision, the plans for the switchover to digital TV broadcasting will hit a snag.

A KBC authority explained the matter, saying, “We made this decision after careful consideration because MIC had requested that we stay with the plan while the Korea Broadcasters Association wanted to postpone the period at the same time.”

KBC said, “The opening date for actual digital TV broadcasting is the end of December 2005, which is more than two years away, so we decided it wouldn’t affect the actual broadcasting to extend the permission period.”

Hye-Jin Kwon hjkwon@donga.com