KCC Conducts Intensive Monitoring of Separate Scheduling Advertisements

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Korea Communications Commission announced on the 6th that it will conduct intensive monitoring throughout February to resolve viewer inconvenience caused by so-called ‘split-scheduling advertisements,’ where a broadcaster divides a single program into two or three parts and inserts advertisements in between.

The investigation will cover all split-scheduled programs broadcast by about 50 terrestrial broadcasters in February this year. The commission plans to focus on monitoring compliance with broadcasting advertising regulations, including the total amount of advertising time per program hour, virtual and indirect advertising time, and notification obligations. This intensive monitoring of split-scheduling advertisements is being conducted due to concerns that some broadcasters divide a single program into short segments of less than 30 minutes, schedule them separately, and air advertisements in between, excessively infringing on viewers’ rights.

The KCC stated that if any violations of regulations are found during this intensive monitoring, strict sanctions such as fines will be imposed on the offending broadcasters. Additionally, the commission will conduct focused investigations into so-called ‘linked scheduling,’ where the same health functional food products are sold both in health-related programs and adjacent time slots of TV home shopping broadcasts, potentially hindering consumers’ rational choices.

The investigation targets health functional food-related programs aired over three months from November 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020, on the three terrestrial broadcasters KBS, MBS, and SBS, as well as the four general programming channels Channel A, JTBC, MBN, and TV Chosun, along with seven TV home shopping channels (Public Shopping, Lotte Home Shopping, Hyundai Home Shopping, Home&Shopping, CJ O Shopping, GS SHOP, and NS Home Shopping). Furthermore, the KCC plans to consider reflecting the status of split-scheduling advertisements and broadcaster-home shopping linked scheduling in broadcasting evaluations and license renewals to improve viewer convenience and strengthen the public and social value of broadcasting.

Alongside this, the KCC will continue to push for amendments to laws mandating sponsorship disclosures so that viewers can clearly recognize when health functional food-related programs are produced with sponsorship. The commission will also strengthen monitoring of violations of broadcasting review regulations, such as exaggerating the efficacy or effects of health functional foods in programs, in cooperation with the Korea Communications Standards Commission.