Where Will “Broadcasting to Come” Be Headed? [Vol.7]

“The Study Group on the Ideal Broadcasting System in the Digital Age” (hereinafter “the Study Group”) was launched in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC) in November 2021. Since then, the author has attended its meetings as an observer and interviewed its members for about six months. It seems the MIC is trying to shed an old skin of the “convergence of communications and broadcasting,” which has been chanted in the broadcasting industry and the broadcasting administration like a slogan, to step forward into the age of “all-IP networks” by hammering out appropriate policies, looking ahead for the future roles of the broadcasting industry in that coming era. The determination was felt from the very first meeting, which has given an impression that the broadcasting industry is willing, albeit somewhat baffled, to discuss topics that the industry had been avoided facing squarely. However, the issues raised by the Study Group are complexly intertwined with one another. Therefore, unless having a bird’s-eye view to connect the individual issues, the future of broadcasting media will not be seen clearly. Furthermore, setting a timeline with a long-term perspective is also important to proceed with the discussion. Otherwise, it will be difficult to have everyone on the same wavelength. Observing the discussion so far, however, the author has an impression that these efforts have not been made enough. With these in mind, along with summarizing the discussions that have been made over the past six months, the author attempts to draw a bird’s-eye view picture, paying attention to the relations between individual issues presented as well as the timeline.