The Culture and Tourism Minister is causing trouble with comments that do not fit with common sense. At a recent gathering, Chung Dong Chae hinted that he would be in favor of revising the terrestrial television advertising quota and allow commercial advertisements to be shown midway through television programs. It would appear his comments are the result of a failure to think of the "destructive influence" the changes would bring.
It is highly likely that destructive influence will seriously hurt the quality of programming, because allowing more advertising will obviously make the reckless competition over ratings even more intense than it is already. The amount of advertising is ultimately controlled by ratings, which have nothing to do with programming quality. On the contrary, content that is sexually explicit, sensational, and trivial is what increases viewer ratings. Competition over ratings gives no consideration to the need for dignity in programming and looks like it will encourage a furtherance of television's negative aspects. There is a big risk that the "idiot box," as the television is sometimes called in Korea, will become only truer to that name. One worries there will be a negative result, that broadcasting will be subordinated by advertising. That would harm the public-service goals of terrestrial broadcasting.
Chung's ideas also go against the principle of diversity in the journalism media. It would be worth remembering the spirit of the new newspaper law. Is not the basic framework of the newspaper law designed to prevent the unilateral conduct of dominating media? In our judgment, the principle of diversity is just as important in other media genres. Diversity in the journalism media is the minimum prerequisite for the healthy distribution of opinion. Allowing more advertising in television broadcasting and allowing television commercials while programs are in progress will lead to a concentration of advertising in television broadcasting. Policy is not being taken in the right direction if broadcasting, which has relatively advantageous management conditions to work with, is given preferential treatment.
It would be worth listening to the view of civic groups and scholars. They are all saying that those two changes in television advertising policy would infringe on the rights of viewers and make television more commercial. It should be remembered that in 2000, then Culture and Tourism Minister Park Jie Won examined the very same proposals only to scrap the idea. Nothing about the situation has changed. It is still too early to implement such changes.
The Hankyoreh, 8 January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Making a Bigger 'Idiot Box' |
