“Doona!” of Netflix caused controversy for the frequent smoking scenes of the protagonist, Suzy.
Although smoking scenes are generally restricted in television series and variety shows, they are shown without restrictions on streaming platforms such as Netflix, supposedly adding realism but potentially encouraging smoking among youth.
Regulatory inconsistency between traditional and OTT TV platforms is fueling the debate. The rise of Netflix has intensified the crisis of broadcast networks.
Netflix’s hit series “Black and White Chef” also faced negative reactions. The winner, “Napoli Mafia” (Kwon Seong-jun), sports arm tattoos, and “Crazy Cook” (Yoon Nam-no) freely uses explicit language throughout the show, scenes that would normally require censorship on TV.
Professor Shim Mi-seon of Soonchunhyang University observed this in a seminar on “Create a fair competitive environment for paid broadcasting” that, “The success of programs like ‘The Black and White Chef’ on Netflix elicits mixed reactions. Productions like “Squid Game”, “I Am God” and “The Chef in Black and White” thrive on OTT platforms thanks to relaxed regulations.”
He continued, “The tattoos and explicit language would have required heavy editing on TV. Without this, broadcasters risk post-production fines.”
Critics argue that OTT platforms, particularly global ones like Netflix, enjoy looser regulations in a changing media market, while overly strict rules on traditional broadcasts add to their difficulties.
Hwang Yu-seon of the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) noted: “With the growth of OTT expanding competition in the market, a regulatory asymmetry has emerged, making reform of broadcasting regulations urgent.”
With ongoing regulatory imbalances, pay TV services are facing an existential crisis, as annual revenues decline due to competition from platforms like Netflix.
Professor Shim further highlighted that “Hit reality shows are now mostly Netflix exclusives, turning Korean production companies into subcontractors in a Netflix-dominated environment.”
Source: Daum
