Facing W100b deficit, KBS moves to raise TV license fee
State broadcaster aims to raise its 2,500 won monthly license fee, unchanged for 45 years
Public broadcaster Korean Broadcasting System is pushing to raise its TV license fee for the first time in 45 years, amid mounting financial pressures and a rapidly changing media environment.
At a meeting held Tuesday at KBS' Yeouido headquarters in Seoul, representatives from KBS viewers' committees issued a joint statement, urging the broadcaster to prepare measures for financial stability. The 19 regional KBS viewers' committees, mandated by Korea's Broadcasting Act, represent viewers' interests and offer monthly feedback on programming.
During the meeting, Yang Eun-joo, vice-chairperson of the KBS Jeju viewers' committee, highlighted the pressure faced by small and mid-sized production companies as foreign capital increasingly encroaches on Korea's broadcast industry.
'As the country's largest broadcaster, KBS must act as a protector of the domestic production industry by fostering coexistence with small- to mid-sized production companies,' she was quoted as saying in a press statement released by KBS.
Jung Jae-yeon, chairman of the KBS Chuncheon viewers' committee, noting KBS' efforts to use AI, expressed hopes that "with a realistic adjustment of the TV license fee, efforts will be made to develop AI broadcasting technologies that contribute to the public interest."
The TV license fee has remained unchanged at 2,500 won ($1.80) per month since it was set in 1981.
According to KBS, the proposal to increase the TV license fee comes amid declining advertising revenue, heightened competition from streaming platforms, and the aftermath of a temporary move to collect the fee separately.
Currently, KBS' TV license fee is bundled with electricity bills.
Last year, it was briefly collected separately from the electricity bills, but the system was reinstated after legislative review. KBS argued that separate billing led to lower collection rates and imposed considerable administrative costs on the broadcaster.
KBS anticipates a near 100 billion won deficit this year alone.
'Without adjusting the license fee to a realistic level, it will be impossible to avoid a large-scale deficit — an outcome that would inevitably lead to financial instability for the public broadcaster," said a KBS official, via a press statement.
According to the state broadcaster, KBS will gather public opinion before moving forward. Under Article 65 of the Broadcasting Act, any fee adjustment requires approval of the KBS board, Korea Communications Commission and the National Assembly.
KBS's current push to raise its TV license fee comes after a failed 2021 attempt to increase the rate by 53 percent, from 2,500 won to 3,840 won. The proposal was ultimately blocked in the National Assembly, which was then controlled by the Democratic Party of Korea. The amount proposed for this year's hike has yet to be disclosed.
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