[Editorial] Resolve Issues Associated with IPTV Quickly

There seems to be no end to the debate about the nature of KT's IPTV service. The Korean Broadcasting Commission (KBC) sees it as broadcasting, while the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) and KT see it as information technology. They have been unable to resolve their differences, and it just cannot be advantageous to have the controversy continue for long. Hitches in getting the service started would deny viewers of diversity and would cause delays in industry development. The time has come for a proactive, pan-governmental approach to finding a solution.

Resolving the debate can be done by approaching a few different aspects of the issue; reviewing the service contents, approving the service, and the balanced development of the mass media. Contents like movies, dramas, and news are like broadcasting content and are going to be provided simultaneously to a large number of viewers so will need official approval. That is only natural if there is going to be no difference in substance from terrestrial broadcasting.

The only way to determine the question of whether the government has the authority to approve the service or not -- the biggest remaining controversy – will be to follow the established principles. The primary reason the government has the authority to approve of terrestrial broadcasting enterprises is because airwaves are a limited resource. Limited resources need to be used efficiently for the public's benefit, and that is why the government's authority to give or deny approval gets its legitimacy. However, you wonder whether it benefits the people to insist on the same authority the government has over terrestrial broadcasting when IPTV is a medium that is not a limited resource and has no major socioeconomic side effects.

Something else that cannot be neglected is the need to keep IPTV open. It would not be right for anyone to have exclusive rights when KT is the dominant business and public resources are being used to construct the network. A wide variety of information providers need to be able to provide programs through IPTV. That will be important for both the diversity and balance of the medium.

The Hankyoreh, 25 November 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]