Cable subscribers throughout South Korea will soon lose AFN Prime — if they haven’t already — as the result of a June 2007 letter from US Forces Korea asking the South Korean government to stop pirating the signal. As cable companies eliminate AFN, some are also revamping and eliminating other channels.
Cable companies had picked up and packaged the AFN signal in their rate plans for several years, but American companies attempting to sell programming brought complaints to the military recently.
The nation’s 103 cable companies have gradually ceased carrying AFN this year, said Ja Mi-ae, spokeswoman for the federal government’s New Media Division of the new Korea Communication Commission. “Within this year, we are certain that the channel completely would be removed,” Ja said.
In November, the Korea Communication Commission’s forerunner, under a previous administration, gave companies until this month to cease AFN transmission. Most seem to be heeding that directive, Ja said.
(Source: Stars and Stripes)
