Four entertainment programs of "Produce" on Mnet, a cable channel specializing in music, have been sanctioned at the highest level under the broadcasting law.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) reviewed a total of four programs on Mnet's "Produce 101," "Produce 101 Season 2," "Produce 48" and "Produce X 101," which have been aired since 2016, and made the decision at a plenary session held on Aug. 10.
Mnet broadcast the four programs of "Produce" as if they were the results of viewer voting, either manipulated the results of each vote or arbitrarily set the final ranking before the viewer vote. As a result, the selected successful candidates and losers were reversed.
"Mnet encouraged viewers’ votes by introducing the program's main feature that the group's final members are decided only with viewers’ votes,” the KCSC said, adding, "It is a matter of grave concern that not only deceived the viewers by manipulating the results of the vote but also wasted the audition participants' efforts."
The communications also confirmed that the results of the first round of voting for "Produce 101" as well as the fourth round of voting were fabricated.
The amount of fines to be levied on Mnet will be decided in accordance with the Broadcasting Act at a general meeting of the KCSC in the future, taking into account the details and degree of violations and the duration and number of violations.
Meanwhile, the KCSC also decided to issue a "warning" to SBS' "The King: The Lord of Eternity," which highlighted "indirect advertising products."
It also approved a court-imposed "caution" on CJ O Shopping and NS Home Shopping public shopping, which broadcast content that could mislead the effectiveness of the products.
