Stream K-Dramas at OnDemandKorea

Radio Host Kim Mi-hwa on Blacklist?

By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter

KBS President Kim In-kyu, who has made a series of controversial decisions to oust entertainers with liberal political views, expressed his discontent with Kim Mi-hwa, a female comedienne and a popular radio host.

During the latest meeting with senior executives, the KBS head reportedly disapproved of Kim's role as a narrator for a documentary aired on April 3.

"During the meeting Monday, the KBS president said that featuring Kim as a narrator in the show was an inappropriate move", a statement by the KBS union read. "Kim was a narrator for an environmental documentary aired last December, which had garnered positive reviews from the audience. We find it hard to see the grounds on which the KBS head suddenly deems Kim an "inappropriate" choice as a narrator for our programs".

The meeting is a regular gathering of around 20 top post holders with the nation's largest public broadcaster and is presided over by the KBS president.

Kim's tenure has been controversial, particularly for the dismissal of liberal entertainers like Kim Je-dong, a TV emcee who hosted the funeral service for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun.

Yoon Do-hyun, a rock musician who has been vocally critical of the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration, was removed from his long-running KBS2 show " Love Letter " last November.

The management of the nation's largest broadcaster has reportedly attempted to dismiss the liberal radio host Kim Mi-hwa.

KBS, however, denied allegations that the senior meeting targeted any particular narrator.

"The meeting touched on general issues concerning narrative programs. There is no such thing as a 'blacklist' of narrators based on political inclination", an official with KBS said.

A former KBS director and chairman of the Korea Digital Media Industry Association, the 59-year-old was named to the post by President Lee in November 2009. Kim will serve in the position for three years until November 2012. Kim has been one of the most vocal advocates of President Lee and assisted in his election campaign in 2007.

His nomination as president of KBS generated strong criticism within and outside the company.

The KBS labor union and opposition parties have called his nomination a "conspiracy" concocted by the government to secure a tighter grip on major media outlets.



코미디언 블랙 리스트에?

여러 번 진보주의 정치관을 가지고 있는 유명 연예인들을 몰아내 논란이 많은 결정을 내렸던 김인규KBS 사장이 여자 코메디언이자 인기 라디오 진행자인 김미화에 대한 불만을 토로했다.

최근 고위관계자들의 회의 중 김사장은 4월 3일 방송된 다큐멘터리에 김미화씨가 해설자가 되는 것을 반대한 것으로 알려졌다.

"월요일 회의 중 KBS 김사장이 김미화씨를 해설자로 쓴 건 부적절한 조치였다고 말했다고" 고 KBS 노조가 성명에서 밝혔다. "김미화씨는 지난 12월 방영된 시청자들에게 좋은 지지를 받은 환경 다큐멘터리에 해설자로 나왔다. 우리는 KBS사장이 갑자기 김미화씨를 우리 프로그램 해설자로 "부적절한" 선택이었다고 하는지 모르겠다".

이 날 회의는 방송계 최고위 인사들 20명이 KBS사장 주재 하에 모였다.

김사장은 취임은 논란이 많았다. 특히 전 노무현 대통령의 장례식 사회를 보았던 진보성향의 TV 진행자 김제동씨를 쫓아냈다.

Advertisement

❎ Try Ad-free