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Seoul Metropolitan Council Passes Amendment to 'Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of Seoul Media Foundation tbs' in Morning Committee and Afternoon Plenary Session... If Repeal Ordinance Passes Plenary, Provides Opportunity for TBS to Become Independent Private Foundation... Committee Members Point Out TBS Issues in Administrative Audit... Amendment Enhances Completeness by Extending Effective Date

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The Seoul Metropolitan Council (Chairman Kim Hyun-ki) held a plenary session at 2 p.m. on the 15th and passed the amended ordinance to repeal the "Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Seoul Metropolitan Media Foundation tbs" which had been approved by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee earlier that morning.

The Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee (Chairman Lee Jong-hwan) announced at the 315th regular meeting of the Seoul Metropolitan Council held that morning that the amended ordinance to repeal the "Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Seoul Metropolitan Media Foundation tbs" had passed the standing committee.

If the repeal ordinance is approved in the plenary session, the Media Foundation TBS will be able to operate independently as a private foundation. In other words, TBS will be granted the opportunity to operate independently as a privately-led media organization.

Since Media Foundation TBS is an institution funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and a terrestrial broadcasting operator using public airwaves authorized by the Korea Communications Commission, ensuring fairness should have been the top priority. However, from 2019 to 2021, it received 54 legal sanctions and administrative guidance for violations of the Broadcasting Act and other regulations from the Korea Communications Commission and others.

Additionally, in the 2022 audit by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Audit Committee, TBS was criticized for inadequate follow-up measures after the legal sanctions by the Korea Communications Commission and received institutional warnings and warnings to the head of the institution.

Members of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee also harshly criticized and reprimanded TBS for illegal, biased, and reckless management through administrative audits.

Vice Chairman Kim Won-jung pointed out that TBS, as an institution funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, had undergone multiple audits and criticized the organization for failing to properly manage basic supplies, with many lost or damaged items found.

Assemblyman Kim Gyu-nam pointed out that TBS FM broadcasts were concentrated on entertainment-style current affairs programs with a specific bias, and that the proportion of local public broadcasting based on localism was insufficient.

Assemblyman Moon Sung-ho criticized TBS for failing to comply with the legal sanctions and corrective recommendations of the Korea Communications Commission, and pointed out that the roles of the viewers' committee and the broadcasting review committee were not adequately fulfilled.

Assemblyman Lee Jong-bae pointed out that the chairman of the board had continuously made inappropriate remarks that could influence production and programming decisions at board meetings, and criticized the bias of certain programs.

Assemblyman Lee Hyo-won pointed out that although commercial advertising was not included in TBS's licensing conditions, TBS was illegally conducting commercial advertising.

Finally, Chairman Lee Jong-hwan criticized TBS's management for its attitude of protecting biased broadcasts centered on a specific political party, which had been pointed out since the past, and for TBS's insincere attitude in responding to administrative audits as a supervised institution.

The amended ordinance to repeal the "Ordinance on the Establishment and Operation of the Seoul Metropolitan Media Foundation tbs," which passed the standing committee this time, revised the enforcement date in Article 1 of the supplementary provisions from July 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024, deleted Articles 2 and 3 of the supplementary provisions, and removed unnecessary legal controversies to enhance completeness.

Additionally, regarding the fact that TBS failed to submit requested materials for the administrative audit without justifiable reasons, it was resolved to impose a fine of 5 million won in accordance with Article 49, Paragraph 5 of the Local Autonomy Act and Article 9, Paragraph 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Council Ordinance on Administrative Audits and Investigations.