53 MBC drama PDs have protested against the company's unilateral scheduling of the Disney+ original series 'Casino' in July this year, demanding a complete review of the scheduling plan.
On the 14th, the MBC Drama Headquarters submitted a petition stating, "By rescheduling 'Casino', which was released two years ago, to the Friday-Saturday drama time slot in July, the airing of the new drama 'Judge Lee Han-young', which has already completed casting with the goal of broadcasting this year, has been postponed to next year."
They revealed that during the Drama Competitiveness Committee meeting held on March 27, while discussing the lineup for next January (2026), the Content Strategy Department proposed the scheduling plan for 'Casino', which the Drama Headquarters clearly opposed.
They pointed out, "While the unilateral notification without consultation is a serious issue, this decision is a way to postpone the originally planned drama to next year, artificially achieving a surplus in this year's budget, making its seriousness even greater." They strongly protested, asking, "Is MBC trying to become a rebroadcast channel for Disney+?"
They also stated, "The sudden scheduling of 'Casino' is an act that undermines the workforce of production staff," expressing anger that "the management's decision to schedule 'Casino' destroys the trust that has been painstakingly built up and undermines the flow of MBC drama recovery."
The demands from the MBC Drama Headquarters members include: ▲ a complete review of the 'Casino' scheduling, ▲ ensuring the Drama Headquarters' substantial authority in deciding the drama lineup, and ▲ reconsidering the profit-centered budget decision practices.
In response, MBC stated, "We are currently in discussions with relevant departments, considering channel competitiveness enhancement and profitability as part of our scheduling strategy," and added, "We plan to continue investing in excellent content production and strengthening the capabilities of our internal production team."
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
