Following BTS' absence in MBC's "Show! Music Core," the speculated conflict between the broadcasting company and HYBE resurfaces.
Keep on reading for all the details.
Reason BTS Attended Korean Music Shows Except for MBC 'Music Core'
On June 16, BTS held their much-awaited return to music shows in about two years through Mnet's "M Countdown," wherein they had their comeback stage for their new album, "PROOF."
On the same day, it was announced that the septet would also attend various Korean music shows such as KBS2's "Music Bank" (June 17) and SBS's "Inkigayo" (June 19) - excluding MBC's "Show! Music Core."
Although the group still swept the four awards, including the first trophy from MBC, for their title track "Yet To Come," their absence in the program was suspicious to some.
As more people made assumptions about why it happened, the Korean media outlet Hankyoreh on June 20 claimed that the real reason was due to HYBE's "Cultural Broadcasting Passing."
This is attributed to the deep conflict between HYBE and MBC, which dates back to December 2019.
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During that time, Korean broadcasting channels were busy finalizing their lineups for their respective annual year-end shows. At the same time, BTS had a full-packed schedule both in Korea and in the U.S.
While BTS appeared in the year-end festivals organized by KBS and SBS, they were not able to appear in the 2019 MBC "Gayo Daejejeon" due to conflicting schedules due to the fact that on the same day, they were also set to perform at the New York Time Square stage.
Big Hit, hereinafter HYBE, initially proposed a pre-recorded performance, but MBC reportedly rejected it.
MBC vs HYBE: Here's What Happened After 'Beef' Between Broadcasting Company & Agency in 2019
Since then, MBC "punished" the company by allegedly banning HYBE artists, like TXT and GFRIEND, from the year-end festival that same year. In 2020, TXT was also not in the final lineup for "Idol Athletic Championships."
HYBE then counterattacked by organizing a joint concert with Big Hit artists and artists under its sub-labels on the same day MBC "Gayo Daejejeon" was held.
Moreover, not only did BTS not attend "Show! Music Core" in the past, but even other artists under HYBE, including SEVENTEEN, LE SSERAFIM, ENHYPEN, and fromis_9, never appeared on the program again.
Despite the accusation, MBC in 2019 denied accusations of vengeful gapjil or abusing their power to "punish" HYBE and claimed that the casting decisions are made by PDs.
In regards to this topic, Park Hee Ah, a pop music critic, said:
"With different music broadcasting companies in different colors, the conflict between broadcasters and agencies eventually results in making it difficult for fans to enjoy various stages. Fans, in particular, feel uncomfortable because their favorite singers cannot be fair candidates."
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Written by Eunice Dawson
