Swinburne Research Bank http://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au

Rennie, Ellie. (29 December 2008). A unique television channel under threat Originally published by Creative Economy Online.

Available from: http://www.creative.org.au

Copyright © 2008 Ellie Rennie.

This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. No further distribution is permitted.

Accessed from Swinburne Research Bank: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/49734

AUniqueTelevisionChannelUnderThreat

EllieRennie

23December2008

Pressandbroadcastinginstitutionstheworldoverarestrugglingtosurviveintheturbulentclimatewecall‘mediaconvergence’.Sowhat’sthebigdealaboutonenewnameontheendangeredmedialist?

Unfortunately,thetelevisionchannelunderthreatthistimeisSouthKorea’sRTVanditisararespeciesasfarasbroadcastersgo.Thestationprovidesaccess,fundingandtrainingtoproducersfromallwalksoflifeandstrivestoassistunderrepresentedcommunities.Untilnow,RTVanditsprogrammerssurvivedoffmoneyfromsatelliteproviderSkyLifeandtheKoreanCommunicationsCommission(KCC).ThemoneyfromKCCwilldry‐upinamonth’stime,leavingonlytheSkyLifefunding(around400millionWon),whichisbarelyenoughtocovertransmissioncosts.Koreanmediaactivists,whofoughtlongandhardtoestablishandmaintainthechannel,arenowdesperatelylookingforameanstokeepRTValive.

IfirstvisitedSeoulinautumnof2007toparticipateinRTV’sfifthbirthdaycelebrations.Iwasinvitedtospeakaboutcommunitymediainmycountry,alongwithsixotherinternationalalternativemediapioneersandresearchers(DeeDeeHalleck,SupinyaKlangnarong,JonStout,KatherinAraujo,AdilsonCabral,KateCoyerandGabiHadl).Atthemassivebanquetdinnerwestoodinfrontoftoweringwreathesofflowersandribbons–giftsfromvariousgovernmentdepartmentsandcorporations.WelistenedtoenthusiasticspeechesasDeeDeewentuponstagetocutalargejelly‐likericecake.ItlookedtousasthoughRTVhadabrightfutureandwidesupport.

Publicaccesstelevision(alsoknownascommunitytelevision)isnotaneasyprojecttoundertake.Ihavevisitedstationsaroundtheglobeandseenonlytheoccasionalsuccessamongstcountlessvariations(thereareover2000accesschannelsintheUSalone).BeforeYouTube,publicaccesstelevisionwastheonlysystematicmeansfornon‐professionalstoscreenDIYvideos.Today,themoresuccessfulaccessstationsdomorethanYouTube,performingacuratorialrolewhilststilladheringtocommunitygovernanceprinciples.Whentheformulaisright,acommunitytelevisionchannelcanbekaleidoscopeoflocalculture,anindustrytraininggroundandanimportanttoolforsocialmovements.TheKoreanswerelatestartersinthecommunityTVgame.Afteracoupleofshakyyears,RTVdidtheirresearchandconsultedwithcommunitiesandmediacentresathomeandabroad.Bythetimeitturnedfive,RTVhadprettymuchhitupontheperfectmodel.

Here’showitworks:RTVisacableandsatelliteprovided,non‐profitorganisation,committedtoopenness,independenceandfairness.By‘independence’theymeanthattheprogrammingandoperationsofthestationarefreefrompoliticalandeconomicinterests.‘Openness’describestheaccesspolicy,wherebymembersofthegeneralpubliccansubmitprogramsforscreening,freeofcharge.

‘Fairness’,however,iswhatdistinguishesRTVfrommanyothercommunitytelevisionchannels.Toachievethis,RTVestablishedtwocommitteestooverseeprogramplanning,selectionandgrants.Thesecommitteesareintentionallyseparatefromstationmanagementandgiveprioritytounderprivilegedandminoritygroupsaswellasissuesnotdealtwithinthemainstreammedia.Byprovidingfunding,trainingandfreeequipmentloanstoprogrammers,RTVhasnurturedsmallproductiongroupscommittedtodocumentingthethingsthatreallymatter.RegularshowsincludemigrantandKoreanworkers’news,disabledrightsandmediaeducation.WhenIvisitedin2007,RTVhadabudgetof3.17billionwon(3millionAUD),including1.5billionwon(1.6millionAUD)ingrantsfromthegovernment’sBroadcastingPromotionFund.Approximately800millionwon(900,000AUD)wentdirectlytoprogrammers.

IlearntofRTV’sdramaticchangeoffortuneatasymposiuminSeoulthismonth(sponsoredbythenewlymergedBroadcasting‐TelecommunicationsCommission).OurhostwasKimMyoungJoon,or‘MJ’tohisWesternfriends,directorofthecommunitymediacentreMediAct.MJexpectsthatRTV’sstaffwilltrytokeepthestationrunningonvolunteertimeforafewmonthsatleast.AsKoreahasacompulsoryredundancypolicy,whenstaffofficiallyleavethenthestationassetswillneedtobesoldtocovertheirredundancypackages.Inordertoavoidthat,stationworkerswillprobablyliveoffwelfarepaymentswhiletheytrytofindalternativerevenuesources.

SowhywasRTV’sgovernment‐derivedbudgetterminated?SouthKoreaelectedanewPresident,LeeMyang‐bak,inDecember2007.TheformerCEOofHyundaihasbeenpursuingconservative,free‐marketpoliciessincehecametopower,includingthecontroversialFreeTradeAgreementwiththeUSandtheimportationofAmericanbeef.Apubliclysupported,community‐runtelevisionchanneldoesn’tfitwithinPresidentLee’snationalvision,apparently.

LookingbackatmyphotosfromRTV’sfifthbirthdayayearago,InowthinkoffuneralwreathswhenIseethetowersofflowersinthebanquethall.SomeofthosegiftsweredeliveredbythesamecorporationsthatsupportPresidentLee,orbygovernmentagenciesthatwilladministerthestation’sdemise.Butit’snotoveryet.RTVhasthatamazingKoreancombinationofactivismandhardworkonitsside.AndalthoughRTVmaybeendangered,theKoreanalternativemediamovementisgrowingstronger.

Photos:KateCoyertalkingtoMJKim,2007(above)MJKimbeinginterviewedbyKatherinAraujo,Mediact2007(below).