▲ Democratic Party Lawmaker Lee Hoon-ki
Representative Lee Hoon-ki of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, urged the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) to devise measures to strengthen the broadcasting industry's competitiveness, including easing various regulations on broadcasters amid the rapidly evolving media landscape.
Making the appeal today (October 22) during a comprehensive parliamentary audit of the KMCC, Lee stated, "We need to give broadcasters breathing room in their management so that they can properly compete with over-the-top (OTT) platforms and others."
Questioning KMCC Chairman Kim Jong-cheol, Lee said, "To be frank, I am a proponent of regulation, but I am raising this issue because there are too many regulations across the broadcasting industry," asking, "Among the requests made by broadcasters, are there any additional areas that could be relaxed?"
In response, Chairman Kim said, "KMCC commissioners have been continuously holding workshops and discussion meetings," adding, "An amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act concerning advertising deregulation has been in effect since October 16."
Kim also added, "Through the restructuring of the media legal framework, a bill has been published to introduce a negative regulatory system for advertising in general—a system that permits all forms of advertising except those explicitly prohibited by law," noting, "Accordingly, the KMCC is currently deliberating measures to comprehensively ease advertising regulations."
Lee also reiterated the need for a comprehensive review of policies regarding the Ultra High Definition (UHD) broadcast network rollout, arguing that it is placing an increasing burden on broadcasters.
Lee pointed out, "Despite 2.2 trillion won being invested in UHD, direct-reception households account for only 1 percent, and while the mandatory programming quota is 50 percent, the reality is that most broadcasters are failing to meet the standard."
He added, "This is a matter that must be reviewed from scratch along with AM radio and DMB, yet it continues to drag on," questioning Chairman Kim, "Why is this being delayed so much?"
Chairman Kim answered, "Since the KMCC officially launched on April 1, we have been preparing diligently, and we expect to be able to disclose our policy direction to the public before the end of the year."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.