[iNews24 reporter Seo Hyobin] The Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission approved presidential decrees and revisions to implementing rules to put the three broadcasting laws into effect. The moves are follow-up measures intended to improve public broadcasters’ governance and strengthen editorial and programming independence.
At its seventh plenary meeting on the 8th, the commission approved the presidential decrees and rule changes required to implement the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Culture Promotion Association Act and the Korea Educational Broadcasting Corporation Act. After reporting to the first plenary session on the 10th of last month, the commission solicited input through legislative and administrative notices and public forums and incorporated that feedback.
The amendments establish standards for the composition of programming committees and procedures for electing employee representatives. The commission defines staff in reporting, news, production and programming as employees with open-ended contracts with a broadcaster, excluding department heads and other senior executives. The labor-side chair of the labor-management council will set the detailed scope, taking into account the independence of broadcasters’ programming.
Employee representatives will be elected by a majority of workers in the reporting, news, production and programming divisions. When multiple candidates run and no one achieves a majority, the candidate with the most votes will be selected. If a labor union represents a majority of eligible voters, that union may designate the representative.
The commission also established fines for failing to appoint a programming director or for not complying with programming rules. The standard penalty for each violation is 10 million KRW (about $7,500). The changes also make the establishment of viewer committees mandatory for terrestrial radio and terrestrial mobile multimedia broadcasting (DMB) operators.
Criteria were set for recommending directors to public broadcaster boards and for appointing chief executives. Academic societies related to broadcasting, bar associations and education-focused organizations may be designated as nominating bodies. The rules also specify eligibility requirements for nonprofit corporations and similar entities that have been in existence for at least five years.
The commission defined standards for polling firms that will support the national committee that recommends candidates for broadcaster chief executive positions. Eligible firms are limited to those registered under the Public Official Election Act that have conducted nationwide surveys and government-approved national statistical surveys within the past three years.
Kim Jong-chul, chair of the Broadcasting Media and Communications Commission, said the new decrees and rule changes create an institutional foundation aimed at ensuring public broadcasters can stand on public trust. He urged broadcasters to take the follow-up measures seriously and to cooperate so the changes are implemented effectively on the ground.
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