Korea’s Cable TV Association criticises IPTV law

April 21, 2008 – Korea’s Cable TV Association called a press conference last Friday to criticise the enforcement ordinances of the new national legislation for IPTV services, passed by the National Assembly in December.

The enforcement ordinances were released by the Broadcasting Communications Commission last Wednesday, and state that KT and other leading telcos can join the IPTV market provided they create independent accounting departments for their IPTV service.

“The IPTV ordinances written by the broadcasting commission gives special favours to KT,” said Ryu Sei-joon, President of the Korea Cable TV Association.  “The commission should not have discussed details of the ordinances in a closed meeting.”

The cable association also said that the enforcement ordinances should stop KT from using its market dominance to the benefit of its IPTV service by making the company’s IPTV service separate. 

The association singled out as problematic an ordinance clause which states that cable TV operators and national broadcasters including KBS, MBC and SBS must provide their content to IPTV operators to ensure the public’s right to see programming, with Mr. Ryu saying that the clause violates content providers right to negotiate for the right to use their content.