[Herald Business = Reporter Eunji Choi] In an unusual move aimed at stabilizing a financially distressed public broadcaster, the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission (BMCC) voted to permit commercial advertising on TBS traffic radio.According to Yonhap, at its fifth plenary session on the 29th, the commission approved conditional three-year license renewals for 17 radio stations, including TBS.
TBS failed to meet the renewal scoring threshold and went through a hearing. The commission approved the renewal on the condition that the station bolster its public-service programming and implement a management improvement plan.
Taking into account TBS’s weakened finances after Seoul revoked its status as a city-funded institution, the BMCC decided to lift the previous ban on commercial advertising.
Some commissioners warned the move could be perceived as favoritism, but a majority argued it was an unavoidable step to restore normal broadcasting under emergency conditions. They added the ad authorization will be revisited if TBS’s financial situation improves.
The panel also finalized sanctions against Lotte Card for a large-scale customer data breach.
Investigators found that during last year’s hack, Lotte Card stored linked information (CI) and resident registration numbers unencrypted in payment-system logs, exposing data for roughly 1.29 million people.
For violating linked-data security obligations, the BMCC levied an administrative fine of 11.25 million KRW (approximately $8,437.50) and recommended additional security measures.
The BMCC also approved the original draft of the enforcement decree for the Installation and Operation Act and passed amendments to administrative rules to reflect the government’s organizational restructuring.
It appointed 24 members to the 4th Telecommunications Dispute Mediation Committee and reaffirmed plans to normalize operations to better protect users and reduce delays in dispute mediation.
Kim Jong-cheol, chair of the BMCC, said the commission will prioritize pragmatic enforcement and institutional reforms to keep pace with a changing media landscape.
