TV Censorship - Snowdrop Case Study

- UK Watershed

- IPSO - radio

- OFCOM - TV

- ASA - Adverts

 

- Ofcom is the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries.

- Ofcom is funded by fees from industry for regulating broadcasting and communications networks, and grant-in-aid from the UK.

-was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002 and received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003.

-It has a duty to represent the interests of citizens and consumers by promoting competition and protecting the public from harmful or offensive material.

-The Queen's Speech to the UK Parliament announced the creation of Ofcom in 2001

Case Study

The accusation of historical distortion on the Korean series, Snowdrop.

- Its story is set in 1987, a pivotal moment in South Korean history when the country was transitioning from dictatorship to democracy following a student uprising and free and fair elections. 

-When parts of the synopsis began to circulate online, concerns about a potential distortion of historical facts were raised.

 -The show’s main sponsors withdrew their support, denied that they knew of “Snowdrop’s” political content.

-Petitions seeking the show’s removal were organized against the backdrop of South Korea's 1987 Democracy Movement and rapidly gained 200,000 signatures in one day and was sent to the Blue House.

-  JTBC then released a brief statement clarifying the content and intentions behind the drama, as well as a more detailed statement revealing specific information about the drama’s plot to counter the suspicions.

-  The Blue House issued a statement regarding the controversy of snowdrop along with the suspension of another drama "Joseon Exorcist" which also got into a controversy because of potential history distortion.

 

-"Article 4 of the Broadcasting Act guarantees the broadcasting station’s freedom and independence of broadcast programming and states that it is not possible to regulate or interfere with the broadcast programming without complying with the conditions as prescribed by the Act. The government’s direct involvement in creative work especially requires a careful approach as it can be an infringement on freedom of expression. The government respects the self-correction efforts and autonomous decisions made at a civilian level by the creator, producer, or consumer regarding content that goes against national sentiment." - The Blue House

- In South Korea broadcasts that undermine the public responsibility of broadcasts or violate regulations, such as by excessive distortion of history, requires deliberation by the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC).

-The Blue House answered the petition 16 days after Snowdrop aired its last episode.

-The Blue House cited Article 4 of Korea’s Broadcasting Act, saying it “stipulates that there is no regulation or interference other than in accordance with the law while guaranteeing the freedom and independence of broadcasting.”

- The drama ended up receiving a relatively low TV viewership ratings (2.5-3.6%) despite the well-known cast members and its time slot. 

- However, the series quickly became Disney+'s top show at the time and the drama continued to gain enormous popularity worldwide.