Import Recommending System for Films and Records to Be Abolished in 2006

The import recommending system for foreign films and records will be abolished in January of 2006. Also, the compulsory programming ratio for educational programs will disappear this year, and the ratio of public ad programming will be graded by the medium from next year.

The administration held an economic ministerial meeting hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Hun-jai at the Gwacheon Government Complex Thursday to present measures to strengthen the competitiveness of cultural industry having the contents above.

According to the measures, the import recommending system for films will be abolished on January 1 of 2006 when the import of Japanese animation is fully liberalized.

The film industry has been pointing out the import recommending system is a dual regulation as a grading system, and is in operation.

The government decided to abolish the import recommending system for records in the same time, but to introduce new standard of grading presenting the degree of violence and obscenity next year.

At the same time, the government decided to revise enforcement ordinances of the Broadcast Act during the second half of the year to do away with the compulsory programming ratio for the educational programs, which is currently over 30 percent.

The government also decided to grade the compulsory programming ratio for public ads, currently 0.2 percent, from next year to increase discretionary authority for ad programming of cable, and satellite broadcasting.

However, it will maintain the current compulsory programming ratio for entertainment programs, being below 50 percent, to prevent broadcasting from being too commercialized.

In addition to these, the government will introduce a cultural industry guarantee system to support fund raising of film production, investment companies, and push forward with tax cuts for the performance industry, and tariff reductions for films.

Ki-Jeong Ko koh@donga.com