This photo provided by the Traffic Broadcasting System (TBS) shows broadcaster Kim Ou-joon.
SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — Outspoken liberal commentator Kim Ou-joon’s new show on YouTube, launched after he decided to stop hosting his popular radio program, has garnered the world’s largest Super Chat earnings, causing a nationwide sensation.
“Kim Ou-joon’s News Factory,” the Seoul city government-affiliated Traffic Broadcasting System (TBS)’s radio show, was the most popular program for 20 consecutive annual quarters in terms of audience ratings despite controversy over its political bias.
But “News Factory” ended on Dec. 30 last year, six years after its debut in September 2016.
Following the inauguration of a new Seoul mayor in 2021, the Seoul Metropolitan Council, comprised mostly of conservative People Power Party (PPP) members, decided to slash budget to TBS, prompting the 55 year-old broadcaster to leave the radio station.
“Humility is Nothing News Factory”, his new YouTube channel that garnered 1 million followers in just a couple of days following its opening on Jan. 9, now has video clips that have racked up more than 2 million views each.
YouTube analytics Playboard showed that Kim’s first YouTube video on Jan. 9 earned 29,715,464 won (US$24,000) through Super Chat. It was the highest amount among all YouTube channels in the world for that day.
By Jan. 15, a week after the first video, the accumulated super chat earnings surpassed 200 million won. A total of 16,488 super chats have been sent by viewers.
This photo provided by the Traffic Broadcasting System (TBS) shows the radio station’s headquarters in western Seoul.
TBS, which is managed by a separate foundation, relies on the city government for more than 70 percent of its annual budget of about 50 billion won.
The metropolitan government’s contribution to TBS was 32 billion won in 2022.
Political watchers say Kim’s decision to stop hosting his radio show may have been affected by the Seoul city government’s plan to cut off its budget support to TBS.
In November last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Council passed an ordinance during its regular session that centers on abolishing the current ordinance — which is the basis for the metropolitan government’s funding support for TBS — starting on Jan. 1, 2024.
The PPP has proposed the budget-cut ordinance, saying that several programs, notably “News Factory,” are bias and lack fairness.
Members of the Democratic Party boycotted the session at that time, protesting the move to pass the ordinance.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
This is an amazing accomplishment for South Korea! Congratulations to everyone involved in the radio show for their success on YouTube. It’s an inspiration for content creators in other parts of the world to strive for similar success.