Korean Broadcasting Commission to Apply More Rigorous Standards in Licensing Broadcasters

The Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC, Chairman Noh Sung-dae) announced in anticipation of the re-licensing evaluation of network stations (including KBS, MBC, and SBS) which begins on August 25 that the evaluation process will be more rigorous this time around, even including personal briefings by network presidents on their respective business plans.

The networks responded by voicing their discontent, arguing that this new policy smacks of an attempt at “keeping the networks in line,” as it revises years of conventional practice in re-licensing recommendations.

Re-licensing evaluations, which take place every three years according to broadcasting law, consists of the KBC’s recommendation to the Ministry of Information and Communication on a particular broadcaster’s license to use the waves. A network that has failed to obtain a recommendation must cease broadcasting at the expiration of the current license, but no broadcaster has as yet been faced with such a dilemma.

The upcoming round of evaluations will include 506 television and radio stations operated by 42 network broadcasters, whose existing licenses are due to expire on December 31 of this year.

The KBC will evaluate the broadcasters’ plans for realizing public accountability, organization and personnel management policies, and the broadcasting status of disaster programming. In the case of privately-owned networks, the evaluation will also stress the separation of ownership, management, and program scheduling. On September 2~3, the KBC will also gather the various network presidents, heads of programming, and majority stockholders for a business plan briefing.

In response, KBS announced that “there will be no need for the president to become personally involved, since we have submitted more material for evaluation than in previous years.” MBC also expressed disapproval, remarking that the KBC is “calling in the company president for a merely routine business briefing, which does not even address the prospect of a license revocation, with no legal grounds to back up such an action.” SBS stated that the “re-evaluation proceedings could provoke unnecessary dissension, including complaints about the disciplining of particular networks.”

The KBC will announce its final decisions—“recommended,” “conditionally recommended,” or “rejected”—in late September.

Jin-Yeong Lee ecolee@donga.com