Power of the People All of the city council members proposed the ordinance bill to the city council on the 4th to repeal the ordinance on the establishment and operation of the Seoul Media Foundation TBS. “In order to meet the diverse needs of Seoul citizens for the broadcasting sector, as well as the rapid change in information and communication technology development and demand for traffic information, the ordinance was abolished and TBS was excluded from the city-funded and funded organizations so that TBS became a private-led media. The purpose is to enable independent management.”
According to the proposal, the ordinance will come into effect from July 1, 2023, and if an employee of TBS wishes, priority will be given to hiring from an organization that leaves or appears in Seoul. However, there is a high possibility that job security will be ‘selective’, so there is no choice but to increase the anxiety of the employees. Of the 112 members of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, 76 belong to the People’s Power, and it is only a matter of time before the ordinance is passed. If the ordinance bill is passed, it is highly likely that the contribution that the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been providing to TBS every year will actually stop.
Last year, when Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon took office as a substitute, the city of Seoul decided to provide 32 billion won, a decrease of 5.5 billion won compared to the previous year. In 2021, TBS’s financial dependence on Seoul is 72.8%, and since TBS cannot legally advertise commercials, the city’s contribution is absolute. Therefore, this ordinance is like a ‘death sentence’ for TBS. Jo Jung-hoon, the head of the TBS branch of the media union, said, “The reform of the educational broadcasting system was going in such a way that the organization would be completely eliminated.” “The members are in a very confused situation.”
Kim Hyeon-gi, Mayor of Seoul (Gangnam 3), a member of the People’s Power, said on MBC Radio on the 5th. Appearing on , he defined this ordinance as “the press promotion ordinance and the declaration of independence ordinance” and argued that “it should be viewed in terms of being able to independently operate the programming right without interference from the city of Seoul.” Earlier, Mayor Oh Se-hoon also said in an interview with the Munhwa Ilbo on the 29th of last month, “Everything else is independent and I will continue to receive support, this doesn’t make sense.”
Kim Hyun-ki, Mayor of Seoul After arguing that “it cannot be said that it is a fair broadcast just because the listening rate is high,” Even if this was abolished, it was clarified that it would still be difficult to support the contribution. Regarding the financial crisis that TBS will face, he said, “If it is converted to private broadcasting in the future, commercial advertisements are possible as long as they are subject to deliberation by the Korea Communications Commission. Since the listening rate is high, there will be a rush of advertisements.”
However, it is not easy for the Korea Communications Commission to decide to allow TBS commercial advertisements. This is because, in the limited radio advertising market, if commercial advertisements are allowed on TBS, it is expected that CBS and other radio broadcasters will suffer a business blow. It is also close to impossible at the moment to make up for 30 billion won in contribution revenue just by allowing commercial advertisements. Lee Kang-taek, CEO of TBS, said in a phone call on the 5th, “The optimistic outlook that commercial ads will be runaway if commercial ads are allowed is a story that people don’t know about the advertising market.” told
CEO Lee Kang-taek emphasized, “The Korea Communications Commission gave permission for the establishment of TBS on the premise that the Seoul Metropolitan Government will support but not interfere.” He refuted the argument of the People’s Power Seoul lawmakers as “sophistry wrapped up as independence for the word of expelling it.” He also feared that this ordinance was “a new form of control over broadcasting that seeks to carry out his will through economic pressure.”
