공영방송 재원 구조 변화와 법 개선 방안

Public broadcasting is an organization created for the purpose of being independent from politics and markets. In order to realize this purpose, an independent organization and financial structure must be guaranteed. In that sense, license fees are the most stable financial resources that best meet the goals of public broadcasting. It exists in various forms, such as frequency usage fees, purpose taxes, and special charges, but it is a financial resource that the state cannot directly intervene. In Korea, it is in the form of a special charge named 'television license fee'. However, as the status of public broadcasting has recently been threatened, the public broadcasting license fee system of various countries is being reviewed. Korea is also putting more pressure on KBS, which had been struggling with management deterioration, as the separate collection of license fees, which was concurrently attached to electricity bills, was implemented last year. Against this backdrop, this study suggested a plan to diversify public broadcasting resources by referring to changes in the financial structure of public broadcasting, future prospects, and cases of each country after separate collection of license fees. The identity and differentiated responsibilities of public broadcasting necessary to secure financial resources for diversified public broadcasting, and legal and institutional measures for the use of transparent financial resources were proposed. First, in order to maintain a stable structure of public broadcasting resources including license fees, differentiated concept of public broadcasting and public responsibilities must be legislated. Second, the financial structure, which relies heavily on license fees and advertisements, should be diversified into government support, funds, government advertisements, and various private financial resources. Third, a dedicated organization such as the ‘(tentative name) Public Broadcasting Finance Committee’ should be established to operate public broadcasting resources transparently and to link them with the public debt of public broadcasting. In addition, the legal basis for organization to play a practical role should be clarified.