hankyoreh

Controversy is raging following a statement by Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong that could be interpreted as urging the abandonment of the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s status as a public broadcasting system and a desire to see it privatized. The MBC labor union expressed strong opposition to the statement, calling it “a typical idea from the ‘Korea Control Commission’ chairman taking responsibility for Lee Myung-bak administration’s seizure of the media.”

In a congratulatory address delivered at a ceremony held Friday at the 63 Building in Seoul’s Yeouido to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture, Choi said, “Next year, enormous changes are foreseen for all areas of the media, and it is predicted that changes will come to the framework of newspaper and broadcast media regulations as well.” Choi also stated, “Today, with MBC being referred to as ‘public broadcasting,’ as ‘citizen broadcasting’ and as ‘private broadcasting,’ it is a time when it needs to look back at what its destiny is.”

As this statement came at a time when many are commenting that MBC will be the first driven into privatization if the Grand National Party’s broadcasting law amendment bill passes, it is being interpreted as urging the board of directors of the FBC -- which is composed of managers and major stockholders from MBC -- to make the decision to privatize.

Choi also threw cold water on the anniversary’s celebratory atmosphere with a statement that seemed to scold MBC’s managers and the FBC directors for their negligence in management and oversight with regard to the “The Producer’s Notebook incident.”

“During the past year, we have had a change in administrations, we have had the beef upheaval and the candlelight demonstrations, and we have had an unprecedented economic crisis originating in the United States,” Choi said.

“We must reflect on what MBC did within that year of difficulties, whether it was loved as a broadcasting company, and whether the FBC directors were really true to their roles as the managers and overseers of MBC. There is a need for a dispassionate, critical view of what MBC sowed in the consciousness of the people,” he added.

The FBC, formed in December 1988 by the enactment of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture Act, are majority stockholders in MBC, and its nine directors wield management and oversight authority in the appointment of officers, including the MBC president, and administration of the broadcaster’s operations.

In August, MBC was sued by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries after an episode of the program “The Producer’s Notebook” aired against a backdrop of increasing public anger about the Lee Myung-bak administration’s handling of U.S. beef imports. The ministry accused the broadcaster of distorting information in a report linking U.S. beef to the disease.

Meanwhile, FBC Chairperson Lee Ok-kyung presented a contrasting view by emphasizing the establishment of MBC’s standing as a public broadcasting station, saying, “The duty conferred by the National Assembly on our foundation in 1988 meant protecting MBC’s independence and autonomy from outside forces. I will do my best in the future to conform to this duty.”

The committee chair for MBC’s union, Park Seong-je, said that Choi’s statement “not only unsparingly revealed a privatization plot for the current administration to divide up MBC among conglomerates and conservative newspapers, it also targets ‘The Producer’s Notebook’ and emphasizes reflection because it did a broadcast that was disadvantageous to the administration.” Park added that he would fight against the administration’s attempt to seize control of the media.

A member of the FBC board of directors who attended the event said, “Some congratulatory address that was.” The director added that the current administration is openly moving like a coup d’etat force, even in the area of broadcasting.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]