There was a decisive reason for broadcaster Kim Dae-ho, a former MBC announcer, to leave MBC. It was due to the criticism received for the Olympic coverage.
The MBC program "Radio Star," which aired on the 26th, is themed "Meeting on the Uphill Road," featuring Um Hong-gil, Lee Soo-geun, Kim Dae-ho, and Sunwoo. Kim Dae-ho, who declared himself a freelancer after leaving MBC in February, cited the 2024 Paris Olympics as the reason for his departure.
Kim Dae-ho received the grand prize at the "2024 MBC Broadcasting Entertainment Awards" last year. It became a major topic as he won the grand prize just a year after winning the rookie award in 2023. However, shortly after, the news of his departure surfaced, and he was criticized for his departure right after receiving the award, being labeled as a "eat-and-run departure."
In response, Kim Dae-ho said, "I think many people might feel that way. The first person to mention it was the writer of 'I Live Alone.' We spoke due to scheduling, and then I mentioned it right after. It was around the end of December in timing."
Kim Dae-ho noted, "I had a sense of liability to the company. I thought I had to do my best for the company," and remarked, "I had never done sports before, but I provided coverage at the Paris Olympics. After that, I felt I had done all I needed to do." However, the Olympic coverage became the reason for his departure.
Kim Dae-ho stated, "It was my first Olympic coverage. I had said that I couldn't do it before," and added, "There are times when one announcer covers up to five events. I promoted the Olympics, but I felt that my coverage could be a burden." He continued, "I thought about doing something of lower difficulty, but they suggested covering badminton," and said, "I'm not that fast of a speaker, and I mixed up players' names and made mistakes." He also mentioned, "There were evaluations that Kim Dae-ho shook hands, but I did my best and have no regrets."
At that time, Kim Dae-ho, who was in charge of badminton, had garnered much anticipation even before the Olympics, but received criticism for his lack of professionalism in the coverage. He conveyed incorrect information, such as misreporting Ahn Se-young's "quarterfinal advancement" as "round of 16 advancement." Ultimately, Kim Dae-ho only handled two out of Ahn Se-young's five matches, transferring the caster position to Kim Na-jin and Kim Sung-joo.
Afterward, Kim Dae-ho's coverage at the Paris Olympics was revealed through "I Live Alone." The opening remarks, which were prepared with high hopes, were not aired due to a broadcasting accident, and as the first button was misaligned, Kim Dae-ho's appearance in a state of rapid embarrassment followed.
Eventually, Kim Dae-ho was seen crying while watching his own footage, and in a subsequent exclusive interview with OSEN, he shared, "I think it was more of a fact than a critique. I wished I had done better, and I feel sorry. But still, both in Paris and Seoul, my fellow announcers in our broadcasting department worked really hard for the coverage. I hope you acknowledge that at least."
Sports coverage requires expertise and necessitates a significant investment of time for preparation, but Kim Dae-ho, who was participating in various entertainment programs, did not have sufficient time to prepare. It is uncommon for a Vice Administrator-level announcer to be suddenly deployed for Olympic coverage, yet for the sake of publicity, Kim Dae-ho was suddenly brought in and had to fly to Paris while managing a tight schedule. Therefore, it was an atmosphere where everyone recognized and understood that Kim Dae-ho's stated reason for leaving was the Olympic coverage.
However, thanks to leaving MBC due to the Olympic coverage, Kim Dae-ho has received enough signing bonuses to purchase another house and is actively working as a freelance broadcaster.
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast capture
[OSEN]