Gov’t Scraps Newspaper, Radio Plans

The Government Information Agency (GIA) planned to publish a newspaper and operate a radio station next year but decided to withhold its plan during a series of negotiations with the Ministry of Planning and Budget, a source said.

It has been confirmed that former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan in January ordered officials of the agency to examine and report on the feasibility of establishing the newspaper.

According to “the GIA Business Plan for 2006 to 2010” announced by Rep. Jung Jong-bok, the GIA was planning to publish and distribute 300,000 copies of a 24-page tabloid newspaper to the people twice a week.

In addition, the GIA also planed to run a 24-hour radio channel of 30 programs to air across the country.

The business plan drawn up in February describes the purpose of the policy newspaper: “In order to take a leading role in government’s key agendas with systemic and insightful reporting.”

It planned to set aside a budget of some 10 billion won for each project.

The agency was to kick off the newspaper next year with a budget of 8.0 billion won and then increase its budget by 3 percent a year until 2010. It also planed to run the radio station with its first budget of some 11 billion won and then increase the budget by 7.4 percent until 2010.

The business plan also included details on hiring new staff members. It was to hire a total of 88 employees, including 13 employees for the policy newspaper and 30 producers, and 10 reporters for the radio station. It even calculated details of forecasted expenditures: 250,000 won were to be paid to the host of the radio show per each segment and 150,000 won for the writer and the guest.

“The prime minister asked us to work on the project in an attempt to reinforce promotions. However, the GIA discontinued the project after having a number of talks with the Budget Ministry as it required an exceedingly large budget.”

The government launched “Gookjeong News,” or “Administration News” in 1989 and “Internet Gookjeong Briefing,” or “Internet Administration Briefing” in September 2005, saying it would strengthen the function of electronic promotion in the information age.

“The GIA pushed the project which might have wasted some 20 billon won worth of the budget as it tried to do promotions recklessly not for the sake of people but for the sake of the president and the prime minister,” Jung said.

ditto@donga.com