[EDITORIALS]Choi must revitalize MBC

Choi Moon-soon, a former labor union leader of at the Munhwa Broadcasting Corp., has been named the new president of the company. Although the appointment must be formally approved at a shareholders’ meeting, the selection is all but certain. Mr. Choi will become the youngest president ever at MBC, leaping several steps to the presidency from a department head position.
The appointment is evidence that MBC has been under such abnormal operations that it requires a revolutionary measure like this.The crisis now facing the broadcaster has been largely prompted by the employees themselves. They need to first thoroughly consider their own troubles.
MBC has suffered from a lack of focus. Its neutrality has been questioned repeatedly because of apparent bias in its current affairs news programs.
Many programs including dramas have suffered low ratings. The network has lost influence in society.
The employees have never hesitated to act aggressively and management has bowed to their demands. MBC members must seriously look back and give up the old way of doing business.
Mr. Choi cannot be free from such a responsibility. He has been building his career within the labor movement by serving as the MBC union head and the leader of the National Union of Media Workers.
MBC’s union has contributed to the company’s poor management situation today by introducing a salary scale that does not consider performance and job description.
To become a successful leader, Mr. Choi must address the problems at their root by tackling the union’s mistakes first.
Furthermore, Mr. Choi must make sure that MBC’s current affairs news programs are politically neutral and ease the concerns about his leaning favorably toward labor and progressive groups.
A broadcasting company uses the airwaves, which belong to the people. Wasting that resource or airing harmful programs amounts to a serious national problem.
Under Mr. Choi, we hope that MBC will be reborn as a true public broadcaster, serving the people by correcting its poor practices. MBC must remember that it should no longer divide our society; it is the broadcaster’s responsibility to unite the people to contribute to the development of this nation.