Seoul mayor agrees to normalize TBS broadcaster under conditions

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has signaled a willingness to normalize the TBS broadcaster, which has been in financial distress for nearly two years after the Seoul Metropolitan Council cut its funding. The broadcaster has been grappling with wage arrears and mounting debt since the council, then dominated by the People Power Party, abolished the budget support ordinance in 2022.

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Do we not need to normalize the TBS broadcasting station?

Responding to a question from a Democratic Party councilor on September 27, Mayor Oh stated he agreed that TBS should be normalized. However, he stipulated two key conditions: a public consensus must be reached through open discussion, and TBS staff must voluntarily commit to politically neutral and fair broadcasting.

The financial crisis at TBS, which relied on Seoul city funding for over 70% of its budget, intensified after the funding suspension ordinance took effect in June 2024. The broadcaster has reportedly accumulated 16.9 billion won in debt and 7.2 billion won in unpaid wages. Its workforce has been more than halved, with approximately 160 employees remaining.

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I agree.

The situation could shift following the June local elections, where the Democratic Party regained a majority in the Seoul Metropolitan Council. The party has proposed a resolution urging the city to re-designate TBS as a local government-funded institution and discuss financial support and employment stabilization measures. However, the city government, led by Mayor Oh, must initiate the process for TBS to regain its status as a local government-funded entity before the council can enact new support measures.

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We will actively consult with the council on the procedures to restore TBS as a Seoul city-funded institution.

Labor unions, including the TBS branch of the Korean Federation of Press Unions, held a press conference urging the mayor to make a decision on TBS's designation and for the council to act on its resolution. They described the situation at TBS as a "devastated ruin" since the city's unilateral funding cut and designation removal, calling for an end to the crisis and the start of normalization.

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TBS's cumulative debt is 16.9 billion won, and unpaid wages amount to 7.2 billion won.