Broadcaster Kim Shin Young has been notified of her departure as the host of KBS1's 'National Singing Contest,' marking approximately a year and five months in the role. Succeeding the late Song Hae, Kim Shin-young was the first female MC selected for 'National Singing Contest' and will make her final appearance as MC on the recording scheduled for March 9th.
According to a TenAsia report on March 4th, Kim Shin Young and the production team of 'National Singing Contest' were suddenly informed about the MC change. Unlike the usual procedure of consulting with the production team to find the most suitable MC, it was evident that this decision was made at the management level of KBS.
An insider mentioned that during the discussion about the MC change, Kim Shin Young's side heard internal opinions from KBS stating that "a young female MC does not fit (the program's characteristics)," which is consistent with Nam Hee-seok being mentioned as the next MC.
The issue isn't whether a "young female MC" fits the audience demographic of 'National Singing Contest,' which predominantly consists of older viewers. It's a fact that there was a demand among the core audience for a middle-aged male MC, following their familiarity with the late Song Hae.
However, the problem lies in how the MC change was conducted differently from the usual procedure, leading to various interpretations within the entertainment industry.
One possible reason is the diverging internal and external evaluations of the viewership ratings by KBS.
Internally, there might have been expectations to reach the double-digit viewership ratings from the era when Song Hae hosted the show. Under Kim Shin Young's hosting, 'National Singing Contest' initially hovered around 5% viewership and recently showed figures in the 6~7% range, with the latest episode on March 3rd reaching 6.4%.
Although it hasn't seen a significant rebound during her tenure of over a year, it has received positive evaluations for a slight increase and stable hosting.
Another reason could be the core audience's unfamiliarity with Kim Shin Young. As a comedian, Kim gained popularity for her excellent comedic sense and various parodies. Despite her versatile presence in various variety shows, she remains relatively unknown to the older demographic, and it's possible that her recognition didn't improve significantly over time.
KBS's active pursuit of changes across several programs might also be a factor. 'Problem Child in the House,' which aired since 2018, ended on January 17th this year, and 'Beat Coin,' which started in July 2022, concluded on January 18th.
Despite viewers' petitions against the cancellation of 'Beat Coin,' KBS responded firmly. Moreover, the long-running program 'History Journal That Day,' airing since 2013, ended its season with the episode on February 11th this year.
For KBS, which has been running at a loss, it's possible that a decision was made to secure competitiveness for long-standing programs.
However, as seen with the cancellation of 'Beat Coin,' the issue lies in the procedure. The notification of departure, which caught both the host and the production team off guard, suggests a very unilateral decision-making process within KBS.
Industry insiders point out that if the viewership ratings do not meaningfully rebound after switching to Nam Hee-seok, questions about KBS's judgment will inevitably arise.
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