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본 연구는 2013년 2월 기준 종합유선방송사업자(SO: system operator)의 방송채널사용사업자(PP: program provider) 채널번호 배정현황 자료를 바탕으로 우리나라 종합유선방송에서 SO와 PP의 수직결합이 SO의 아날로그 채널 송출 및 채널번호 배정에 미친 영향을 분석한다. 본 연구의 분석결과에 따르면, SO들은 자신과 수직계열 관계에 있는 PP를 그렇지 않은 PP에 비해 송출할 확률이 높았으며, 수직계열 관계에 있으면서 송출된 PP에 대해 평균적으로 낮은 채널번호를 부여하고 있었다. 이는 우리나라 종합유선방송시장에서 SO와 PP의 수직결합으로 인해 수직계열 관계에 있지 않는 경쟁 또는 독립 PP들이 불공정한 차별을 받았을 가능성을 시사한다. 향후 방송프로그램시장의 경쟁상황을 충분히 고려한 규제정책이 요망된다고 하겠다.
The Korean cable television industry has recently experienced a strong tendency toward the vertical integration of system operators (SOs)/cable operators and program providers (PPs)/cable networks, resulting in multiple system program providers (MSPs). This formation of MSPs may lead to either vertical foreclosures or unfair treatment for competitors, particularly independent PPs. In fact, a simple count shows that SOs affiliated with five MSPs tend to carry affiliated PPs more frequently than independent PPs and to provide more accessible channel numbers to these affiliated PPs. This study examines the effects of this vertical integration on channel carriage and channel numbers of affiliated and unaffiliated PPs. An empirical analysis is conducted using cross-sectional data obtained in 2013 on analog channel numbers. Excluding uncarried PPs in the regression equation for the channel number may produce some sample selection bias. To address this bias, Heckman’s two-step procedure (the so-called "Heckit estimation method") is adopted. The empirical results indicate that, with other variables for SO and PP characteristics controlled for, vertically integrated SOs are more likely to carry affiliated PPs than unaffiliated ones and more likely to provide accessible channel numbers to affiliated PPs. As a general practice, terrestrial, total TV programming, and home shopping channels are given lower channel numbers. The results are robust to the inclusion or exclusion of these channels. In addition, SOs tend to carry PPs with higher viewing rates more frequently and assign lower channel numbers to them. The larger the number of available analog channels, the higher the probability of the channel carriage is. The results suggest that vertically integrated SOs may unfairly discriminate against unaffiliated or independent PPs. In this regard, broadcasting regulatory policy should be carefully devised by considering the status of competition in the broadcast program market.
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Cable television, Vertical integration, Broadcast channels, Competition policy, Broadcasting regulatory policy
