SBS penalized, producer removed after NewJeans flashes iPhone in performance

SBS's weekly music show "Inkigayo" was given a warning by the communications regulator on Monday for airing an indirect advertisement of Apple's iPhone during a performance of girl group NewJeans' "ETA" (2023) in July last year.

Girl group NewJeans performing on SBS's ″Inkigayo″ using Apple's iPhone on July 30, 2023 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

SBS's weekly music show "Inkigayo" was given a warning by the communications regulator on Monday for airing an indirect advertisement of Apple's iPhone during a performance of girl group NewJeans' "ETA" (2023) in July last year.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission (Kocsc) said Monday that it has given a formal warning to "Inkigayo" for violating the Broadcasting Act or other rules on broadcasting advertising after it aired a stage of NewJeans' "ETA" where two of the group's members — Hanni and Minji — were seen holding an iPhone14 Pro to film themselves and the other members on July 30, 2023.

The K-pop girl group was a commercial model for Apple's iPhone 14 Pro, and its music video for the title track “ETA” was shot on the high-end smartphone.

The Broadcasting Act, which is stricter than those in the United States and Japan, bans TV stations from engaging in so-called product placements in a way that “severely hinders the flow of viewing.”

Warnings from the Kocsc can lead to penalties when broadcasters have to renew their licenses every three years with the government. SBS is one of the three largest broadcasters in Korea, along with KBS and MBC.

"We only paid attention to covering the phone because it is common [for music shows] to use the concept of a music video for live performances," SBS said. "We apologize for the misunderstanding and will take the chance to scrutinize our internal work processes."

SBS removed the producer who was in charge of NewJeans' stage from "Inkigayo" after the controversial performance, according to the network.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]