hankyoreh

By Choi Sung-jin

The National Union of Media Workers (NUMW) plans to launch a general strike on Aug. 23 to call for “media rep” legislation to prevent direct advertising transactions by general programming channels.
Following a vote on a general strike to “restore public broadcasting and block direct advertising transactions by the Chosun Ilbo/JoongAng Ilbo/Dong-A Ilbo networks” by 70 workplaces nationwide between Aug. 8 and 18, the NUMW announced Friday that the strike was approved by an overwhelming margin.
The voting rate announced by the union was 75.4 percent, with 84.9 percent of votes in favor of the strike.
Accordingly, the NUMW plans to hold a press conference at 11am on Aug. 22 in front of Kookmin Bank in Seoul's Yeouido neighborhood to announced the beginning of the strike, after which the strike is to begin in earnest with a ceremony at 2pm on Aug. 23. After that, there is scheduled to be regional action day on Aug. 24, a rally to denounce the Grand National Party and a citizens’ cultural festival for the safeguarding of media freedoms on Aug. 25, and a union member action day on Aug. 26.
The NUMW has issued demands to the government and politicians for the enactment of media rep legislation forbidding direct advertising transactions by the Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo networks, the prevention of special benefits to those networks including "golden channel" assignment, the prevention of media rep possession by SBS Media Holdings, and the ensuring of balanced media development with newspapers as well as local and religious networks.
NUMW President Lee Gang-taik said, “At a time when public broadcasters like KBS and MBC have lost their public orientation since the current administration took office, direct advertising transactions by general programmers owing to a delay in media rep legislation will accelerate the destruction of the media ecosystem.”
“The desire of media workers to restore the proper function of the media was apparent in the overwhelming approval rate in the general strike vote,” Lee added.

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