Broadcast squabble slated for review

The dogfight between Internet service providers and cable networks over the rights to television broadcasting has become more than a private affair, as big brothers have stepped into the ring. Today, the Information Ministry and the Korean Broadcasting Commission will hold official negotiations on communication and broadcasting at ministry headquarters in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Information Minister Roh Jun-hyong and commission head Lee Sang-hee will participate in the talks, which will cover Internet portal TV, or IP-TV. Disputes on IP-TV intensified after Hanarotelecom launched “hanaTV,” Korea’s first video-on-demand (VOD) TV portal service, on July 24. On Aug. 10, the Korean Broadcasting Commission announced that it may take punitive measures against Hanaro for possibly violating broadcasting laws. The commission cited protests from an association of cable TV operators, who said Hanaro’s new service would threaten market share. In its first two weeks, “hanaTv” garnered 20,000 subscribers. The cable operators claimed that Hanaro is not listed as a broadcasting company and therefore, according to local broadcasting laws, has no programming rights. Hanaro, however, said that it hasn’t violated any laws. In a statement, Hanaro’s chief executive officer, Park Byung-moo, said the company consulted the government and legal authorities before launching the service and that it does not intend to go back on its plan. On Aug. 12, the Cable TV Association said it would report Hanaro to prosecutors for violating broadcasting laws. Hanaro, though, argues that if the cable TV association sues, it will counter-sue for hindering its business and for libel and damage to its credibility. In a statement released Tuesday, Hanaro refuted the cable operators’ claims point by point. Among the main arguments are the two groups’ different interpretations of what broadcasting is. Cable operators say that “hanaTV” is a form of broadcasting because viewers can watch the same programs that are available on cable networks. Hanaro counters that it does not think that it is a broadcaster because it does not actually plan which program will be televised at a particular hour. by Wohn Dong-hee