Yet another digital medium has been born. The Korea Broadcasting Commission (KBC) has picked terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) providers. The competition between media companies seeking to win the rights to join in DMB was intense, and it took on inappropriate aspects that were uncomfortable to have to look at. There were big expectations about the business, and accordingly there is a lot of interest in the social responsibility that DMB has.
DMB will be recorded as a success story of digital technology. It is the fusion of broadcasting and communication, and that is where its potential lies. Television used to be restrained to the living room, but now it will do its stuff on mountains, on the ocean, and in moving automobiles. This technology provides video, sound, and data in diverse ways, and is seen as having the potential to change the whole environment for interactive services. Technology, however, can be helpful or harmful. That is why it will be important for this new medium to carry content that is right for its unique characteristics. The speed of technological development needs to be assisted by diverse content. One hopes to see the establishment of a new form of infrastructure for data creation, changes in the system, and the application of new communication technology.
The services of the public good, so important for the mass media, will be ever as important for DMB. New mediums that try to establish roots in the market as quickly as possible often depart from their originally stated goals. The temptation of sensationalism and capital is always a sweet one. In the case of the 6 providers that have been chosen there is no income from "viewing fees." That means they will be relying on advertisements for most of their income. It is highly likely that the competition to win more consumers and the seen and unseen influence of advertisers will be a major factor threatening the medium's service of the public good.
We hope that DMB will develop to be a wholesome medium. We hope that it helps consumers with its rich and beneficial contents, and that a high degree of service to the public good contributes to society. The "garbage" in the flood of the information era is the vice of the digital age.
The Hankyoreh, 29 March 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Don't Forget What 'Digital Era' All About |
