It was learned on the 8th that the Media Development Committee, a public-private joint body that reorganizes broadcasting and media regulations and prepares promotion policies, will be established under the prime minister's office. The committee plans to discuss as a main agenda item the integration of the Information and Communications Promotion Fund and the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund, which have been criticized for years for overlapping functions.
According to ChosunBiz reporting, the Media Development Committee, to be launched within this year, will be established under the prime minister's office, with Prime Minister Han Seong-sook serving as the control tower. The committee will include the Korea Media and Communications Commission, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and private-sector experts. The committee plans to discuss agendas such as integrating the Information and Communications Promotion Fund and the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund, and reorganizing broadcasting regulations.
The Information and Communications Promotion Fund and the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund fall under the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), and their main revenue source is the money that mobile carriers pay the government to obtain frequency usage rights (spectrum allocation fees). Fifty-five percent of the spectrum allocation fees go to the Information and Communications Promotion Fund, and 45% go to the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund. Based on this year's budget, the funds amount to 736.5 billion won and 580 billion won, respectively. The Information and Communications Promotion Fund is used by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) for research and development and workforce training, among other purposes. The Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund is jointly handled by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) and is injected into support for the broadcasting industry.
However, the Ministry of Planning and Budget has recommended integrating the two funds since 2017, saying their revenue sources, managing bodies, and business scopes overlap. In the fund maintenance evaluation released in May, the ministry also said, "As digital transformation and the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) and ICT convergence weaken the boundaries between broadcasting and telecommunications, policy targets and support areas are overlapping to a considerable extent," and noted, "We need to devise improvement measures to resolve similarity issues and enhance the efficiency of fund operations."
However, the broadcasting industry is reportedly opposed to integrating the two funds. In addition to spectrum allocation fees, the Broadcasting and Communications Development Fund is formed by adding broadcasters' contributions paid by terrestrial, general programming channels, IPTV, and home shopping operators. If the barrier between the two funds disappears, resources could also be used for IT projects, potentially reducing the share that had gone to broadcasting.