방통위, TV조선 4년 재승인…689.42점Broadcasting Commission Grants TV Chosun 4-Year Reauthorization with 689.42 Points

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) resolved on the 21st to reapprove the comprehensive programming channel TV Chosun (Chosun Broadcasting) for four years.

On the same day, the KCC held a plenary meeting and deliberated on the reapproval of Chosun Broadcasting, a comprehensive programming broadcasting channel operator whose approval validity period expires on the 21st of next month.

In February, the KCC formed an evaluation committee consisting of 13 experts from five fields including broadcasting/media, law, and accounting, and conducted a three-day, two-night intensive review. The evaluation covered six assessment criteria stipulated in the Broadcasting Act: the feasibility of realizing the public responsibility and fairness of broadcasting; the regional, social, and cultural necessity; the appropriateness of plans for planning, programming, production, and securing public interest of broadcasting programs; the implementation of support plans for broadcasting development; and compliance with broadcasting laws and regulations.

As a result of the evaluation committee’s review, Chosun Broadcasting scored 689.42 points out of a total of 1000 points. Following the 2023-2026 preliminary basic plan for reauthorization and reapproval of broadcasting operators, the KCC resolved to grant 'reapproval' and awarded a four-year approval validity period.

Additionally, the KCC comprehensively reviewed the evaluation committee’s opinion report and imposed a total of eight conditions and nine recommendations to realize the public responsibility and fairness of broadcasting and to secure the public interest of broadcasting programs.

The KCC imposed the condition to "reorganize and operate internal regulations and educational systems such as reporting guidelines and ethical codes to strengthen the public responsibility and fairness of broadcasting, and strictly apply disciplinary regulations in case of violations of internal regulations." Furthermore, the condition limiting the number of violations related to existing broadcasting review regulations to a certain standard was maintained, but the existing condition regarding violations of the 'Special Regulations on Election Broadcasting Review' was revised to include by-elections and supplementary elections in addition to nationwide elections when determining the scope of elections.

It was also recommended that an external professional institution conducting diagnosis of the public responsibility and fairness of current affairs and news programs be selected through a transparent and open public recruitment process, and that the results be submitted to the KCC. Based on the opinions presented by the evaluation committee, recommendations were imposed such as "expanding the programming of public interest programs to enhance the social and cultural diversity of broadcasting and to promote the rights and interests of relatively minority or disadvantaged groups and classes, and striving to improve accessibility," and "making efforts to apply the fact-check system currently operated by TV Chosun to current affairs programs to enhance the dignity of broadcasting."

The KCC plans to thoroughly inspect the implementation performance annually to ensure that Chosun Broadcasting faithfully complies with the business plan and reapproval conditions, thereby enhancing the public responsibility and fairness of broadcasting. If non-compliance is found during inspections, strict administrative measures such as corrective orders will be imposed in accordance with broadcasting laws and regulations.